For Refresh or Sponsored Post – Free Swimming Lessons in San Antonio

Two things happened to lead me to write this post:

1. A Twitter follower asked, “Do you know where my son can get free swimming lessons?”

2. A friend, Tori, who blogs at The STORIbook, posted this frightening story on Facebook last year:

“[My preschooler] fell in the pool today after swim lessons. I’ve never been so scared in my life (or moved so FAST). Had to jump in with my clothes to get him (thank goodness [my baby] was asleep in his carrier). I can’t stop hugging him and if I think about it too much it makes me tear up. Things can happen so quickly. It just shows you how important it is to teach our children to swim.”

I’m so glad her little boy is OK. But she’s right: drowning happens quickly.

From Mario Vittone’s article, Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning, “[Drowning] is the number two cause of accidental death in children, age 15 and under (just behind vehicle accidents) – of the approximately 750 children who will drown next year, about 375 of them will do so within 25 yards of a parent or other adult. In ten percent of those drownings, the adult will actually watch them do it, having no idea it is happening.”

Read Mario’s entire article to understand what drowning people really look like (it’s not the dramatic arm-flailing, screaming scene we’ve all come to know from movies and TV).

Daunting statistics like these leave us feeling helpless. But there is hope. According to Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 2009, “Participation in formal swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by 88 percent among children aged one to four years.”

Thanks to the San Antonio Parks Foundation, your child can attend free outdoor swimming lessons at San Antonio pools this summer:

“Group swimming lessons are offered at the Natatorium for youth ages 4 and up as well as adults.  Lessons are designed for beginning and intermediate skill levels. Group swimming lessons include six lessons offered over a two week period. Session dates and times are available vary and are available on our registration site.”

Three ways to register your child for free swimming lessons

Registration for this summer’s free swimming lessons takes place on Saturday, May 19. Here’s how to register:

1. Online at www.saparksandrec.com

2. At the San Antonio Natatorium (1430 West Cesar East Chavez Boulevard, San Antonio, TX 78207)

3. At Copernicus, Garza, Melendrez, Normoyle Community Centers from 9:00am to 1:00pm on (May 19th only)

Registration will continue after May 19 at the San Antonio Natatorium during regular business hours.

For more information call 210.207.3299

Visit this link for details on where to register and all other details about these free swimming lessons.

Synchronized Swimming Summer Camps in San Antonio

And, if you have a daughter who is interested in learning synchronized swimming, be sure to visit this post to learn all about the Cygnets of San Antonio Synchronized Swimming Summer Camps in San Antonio:

And, don’t miss: