By JOSH LINFORD
The Progress
With excessive heat warnings a regular occurence, people throughout Moapa Valley seek ways to stay cool through the summer. One way to do this is going to the local pools.
There are various programs going on this summer for both kids and adults at the Clark County pools in town.
Firstly, throughout the summer the pools offer various swim lessons.
For the youngest kids just starting out (age 6 months to 3 years) Water Introduction provides the opportunity to build on swimming readiness and introduces the basic rules at the pool. For this class, children must have an adult along with them at the class. Children should start learning how to take direction and basic strokes like freestyle arm movements, etc.
A Water Independence class for ages 3-12 teaches kids to be more comfortable in the water and to perform basic swim skills. The participants learn how to get in the water with little assistance and learn to submerge themselves underwater.
A Stroke Progression class, also for ages 3 – 12, focuses more on technique for basic swimming strokes including freestyle and back stroke. Students are taught more advanced strokes including elementary backstroke, and breaststroke, as well as survival floating and basic treading.
Advanced Stroke Development (ages 3 – 12) refines the kids ability to do basic strokes and teach them more swimming strokes and water skills. Some of these include feet first surface dives, sitting, and kneeling dives.
“The kids may be a handful sometimes, but in the end I think both me and my students get something good out of our swim lessons,” said local swim instructors Benjamin Washburn.
All youth have to take a swim test if they want to swim in the deep end of the pools. This is important for the safety of patrons, making sure that they can swim without help. If they want to do tricks off the diving board, they must take a diving test showing they know how to dive correctly.
Local lifeguards at the pools have gone through hours of training in Las Vegas to be able to supervise activities at the pool. These lifeguarding positions provide summer job opportunities for many youth in the valley.
Other programs offered at the pools include swim team and water aerobics.
The swim team gives participants the opportunity to practice the four major competitive swim strokes. These include butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle.
The water aerobics class for adults provides different types and methods of water exercise.
And for swimmers who prefer less structure, the pools offer open swim time every week of the summer up until August 10.
In Logandale open swim goes Monday & Wednesday 12-4pm and Friday & Saturday 12-6pm.
At the Overton pool, open swim takes place Tuesday & Thursday 10am-5pm and Saturdays 12-6pm.
Admissions for open swim are Youth and Seniors (+55) – $1, Adults (+18) – $2. Children under three are free.
