As we slowly begin to approach the warmer months, we encourage parents to think about getting your children in the water regularly. Not only will this give them the confidence to have some fun in the water over the summer months, but it will also help them build the fundamental skills needed to be safe around the water.

The newly released Royal Life Saving National Drowning Report 2017 shows 291 people died as a result of drowning in Australia in the 2016/17 financial year. This is a 3% increase on the 282 drowning deaths in 2015/16.

The above statistics are alarming as a large proportion of these drownings are children. According to Royal Lifesaving Australia “Children under five are the age group most at risk of drowning and swimming pools are known to account for a large proportion of drowning deaths. An average of 30 children under the age of five have drowned in Australia each year for the past 10 years. The Royal Life Saving National Drowning Report 2015 reported a 30% increase in the number of drowning deaths recorded in children under five nationally, with 26 deaths, up on the 20 deaths recorded in the 2014 report. Of the deaths in children under five in 2015, over half occurred in swimming pools.”

NCC early swimmers is proud to report that we will be involved in Learn2Swim week. Learn to swim week promotes water safety for all ages with an emphasis on children five and under. As a part of Learn2Swim week, all children aged five and under will receive one free lesson during our intensive week.

NCC early swimmers will be taking bookings for the intensive swim program for the second week of the holiday period (1 October 2018 – 5 July 2018), if you are interested in continuing through the break please let either myself or one of my friendly staff know.

There are many great benefits to continuing your child’s aquatic education during the colder months. Contrary to popular belief it is actually impossible to catch a cold just because it is cold outside! For your little one to get sick they must first come in contact with the cold or flu virus to ‘catch it’.

Many families decide to unenrol during the winter months for the above mentioned reason, this can lead to a major setback in your child’s aquatic education. Winter is the perfect time for your child to gain the skills necessary for both yourself and your child to be confident around the water come summer. Children who don’t swim during the winter months tend to forget the basic skills necessary to stay safe around the water, after six months away this can lead to major setbacks as your child has to re learn the basics again. This can be frustrating for both you and your child.

Progression is something we as teachers and parents love to see, it means that your child is both confident and safe in the water. From personal experience I find that children tend to pick up more skills during the winter months due to the decreased class sizes, this is perfect as your child will learn more and continue to progress in their aquatic experience. There is nothing more enjoyable than seeing a child smile because they have learnt something new or even given something a go they thought they couldn’t do.

Children more so than adults require consistency, muscle memory for children under the age of seven years is vitality important, this allows them to develop and learn. At this young age your child’s long term muscle memory and skill retention is beginning to develop.

Continuing your child’s lessons during winter will make sure that all the time and money committed to your child’s development doesn’t go to waste.

Lives are lost to drowning throughout the year, during all seasons. Last year, 21% of all drowning deaths in Australia occurred during winter, so it’s vital that children are encouraged to participate and learn about water safety all year round. There are many benefits to participating in swimming lessons during winter. In many cases, winter is one of the best times of the year to swim!

• Retention of skills and knowledge: Children are more likely to progress further if they continue to practice and build upon the skills learnt during the warmer months.
• Smaller classes: Often classes are smaller during winter, so your child may get more time with their teacher.
• Often more spaces are available: Demand for lessons is high in summer and it’s often difficult to secure a spot if you wait until the warmer weather comes.
• Continuation of routine: It can be hard to re-establish the swimming lesson routine if your child has had a significant break from lessons. In addition, children are more likely to continue swimming as a form of exercise into adulthood if a routine is established early.
• Development and maintenance of fitness and a healthy lifestyle: Swimming keeps kids active throughout the year. Unlike other sports which get called off in bad weather, you can swim rain, hail or shine!
• Be a part of a social community: Participating in lessons throughout the year helps children to stay socially connected and encourages new friendships, while having fun.
• Further aquatic opportunities: Children learn skills that may enhance interest in other aquatic sports.

The opening of NCC’s early swimmers Centre provides a range of group learning and developmental classes catering for all ages and abilities, from six months to adults, in a pleasantly heated pool all year round. Classes will be held daily by our qualified and experienced instructors in a relaxed and safe environment, adding to students’ enjoyment.

Integral to our class structure is the promotion of water awareness, confidence, mobility, safety, stroke development and fitness. Living on the Sunshine Coast, our children are surrounded by wonderful water activities, and to ensure they grow up confident and capable, we recommend parents enrol in classes from a young age. Classes are offered on a term basis, and students must reach a minimum competency to progress to the next level.

Our Babies and Toddlers classes are aimed at learning and developing the basic knowledge and skills of water familiarisation, socialisation skills, confidence and independence in the water, submergence and safe entry and exit of the pool. Located right next door to our NCC early learners, it’s incredibly convenient to sign your child up for swimming, knowing that children are changed into swimwear and are safely escorted directly to the pool – worry-free and ready for water fun!

With summer right around the corner, there’s no better time to get in touch with our experienced Pool Supervisor Joanne, to discuss how your child can enjoy safe and fun learn to swim lessons!