Summer Programs

Keeping their heads above water

Children beat the heat at town swimming lessons

Posted

Whether it’s a backyard pool, a municipal aquatic center or the ocean, opportunities to swim are endless on Long Island. That’s why the Town of Hempstead offers swimming lessons at its pools, to teach both skills and safety.

The Forest City Community Park pool in North Wantagh is one of the town’s “hidden gems,” according to Christopher Dalton, the instructor lieutenant, who oversees lessons at five pools in Wantagh and Levittown. The Z-shaped pool features a shallow end, swimming lanes, and low and high diving boards. There is an adjacent children’s pool that is less than 2 feet deep.

“You can never start too early to learn how to swim,” Dalton said, explaining that the town offers several levels of lessons, many of which are free with a pool membership or daily admission fees.

The guppies program, for children ages 4 and 5, involves their parents as well, and features songs and games. From there children can move through lesson levels 1 through 4 as they gain skills and experienced. A junior lifeguard program, for those ages 11 to 14, gives young adults an introduction to lifeguarding that’s a level below an actual certification program, “to see if you might like it,” Dalton said.

The 50-minute classes at Forest City, which are held in the mornings and afternoons, are taught by Meaghan Soel and Colleen Noble. They are certified instructors, and formerly worked as lifeguards for the town.

Soel, 20, a student at George Mason University, said she is enjoying her first summer teaching swimming lessons, and that the children make it worthwhile. “It’s so much fun,” she said. “They get so excited when they learn something new. It’s really rewarding.”

The instructors teach a variety of skills, including different strokes and treading water. They even teach their students how to properly use a lifejacket, in case they are ever out on a boat.

Each class begins with stretching exercises, followed by a safety lesson. Then the youngsters hit the pool. Soel and Noble typically split the class into two groups, based on ability.

Noble, 18, who will begin her freshman year at the College of St. Rose next month, said her goal is to make children comfortable in the water. In order for the lessons to be successful, she said, she and her colleague must be energetic. “If we’re having fun,” she said, “then they’re going to have fun.”

Dalton said that all swimming lessons are based on Red Cross guidelines, but the instructors are free to add to them. “We bring the energy. We bring the fun,” he said. “We’re not your run-of-the-mill swimming lessons. We like to go above and beyond.”

Last Thursday afternoon, Mike Simone, of Seaford, watched as his 6-year-old daughter, Erica, took a lesson with Soel. This is Erica’s first year of lessons at Forest City, he said, describing it as a great value for the small fee he pays.

Erica has already reached Level 4. “She loves it,” he said. “She loves her teacher. For her age, she’s always been a good swimmer.”

Students take lessons two times per week, and there are two four-week sessions over the course of the summer. Class sizes are capped at 15 or 20, depending on the level, but they are rarely filled to capacity. Often the groups number 10 or fewer, giving instructors more chances to work with the children individually.

Forest City is one of six outdoor pools the Town of Hempstead operates, and is open to all town residents. Dalton said that on hot days, like last week’s heat wave, the pool gets very busy. The town also has several special-district pools, including nine for residents of the Levitt development.

Located on Morgan Drive, Forest City’s pool is buffered from the Southern State Parkway by a wall of trees. It has a concession stand with food, snacks and drinks. The park also houses a playground, a ball field, tennis and basketball courts and a clubhouse.

This is the fifth summer that Dalton, 20, who attends the University of Miami, has worked for the town. A former lifeguard and swim instructor, he said that having the right staff is key. The lessons give children confidence in the water, and give their parents peace of mind.

“All the skills that we do are for a reason,” he said. “The instructors have a lot to give. When you give the kids your all, they’re going to give it back to you.”