Summer is here and YMCA indoor and outdoor pools are filled with kids and families. To ensure safety for everyone, we ask for your partnership in following our water safety rules.
“It’s really important for parents and members to understand and follow our rules about water safety, especially for non-swimmers,” says Summer Faircloth, director of risk management for the YMCA.
The simplest rule is easy. If your child is a non-swimmer, meaning they have not taken the YMCA swim assessment, and do not have a swim band, they must wear a USCG-approved water floatation device (aka a life jacket) and the parent or guardian must have continuous visual contact with the child.
Continuous visual contact is important. It means you are paying attention and not constantly distracted by another activity.
If your child is not wearing a USCG-approved life jacket, then the parent or guardian must be in the water and within arms reach of the child at all times.
YMCA lifeguards are well-trained experts, and there is no better guard than you, the parent. You have your eyes on your children – we have our eyes on all the people in the pool.
Even if your older child is a good swimmer with a YMCA black band, it’s good practice to have eyes on your children any time they are in or around water. Even good swimmers get tired.
Each YMCA pool has our rules posted in or around the pool house. We also have a supply of life jackets, but we encourage you to bring your own.
YMCA swim assessments are given every day, usually during the hourly ten-minute break.
Please help us make it a great, safe summer.
SWIM ASSESSMENT
There are two levels of Swim Bands. The lifeguard administering the assessment determines whether the swimmer has earned a band.
- The Yellow Band is earned when a swimmer can competently and confidently swim the front crawl 12.5 yards without stopping to rest. Then, without resting, tread water for 30 seconds in deep water with their face out of the water.
- The Black Band is earned when a swimmer can competently and confidently swim the front crawl 25 yards, face in the water, without stopping to rest. Then, without resting, tread water for 30 seconds in deep water with their face out of the water.
*Swim assessments must be completed without the use of goggles.
You can watch a swim assessment here.
Swim Lessons
The YMCA offers swim lessons for anyone age 3 and up at almost every YMCA location.
