This is probably not the right time of year to write an article about swimming. But maybe with the "hype" of the summer slowly fading, you'll take a break from the football stories and concentrate more on what I have to say.

I have taught swimming in this area for over 30 years. I am now on second generation, which says to me that I must be doing something right! It took me many years and many sleepless nights to realize that I can't suit all the people all the time. Instead, realize that I have done the best job possible. No matter what your discipline may be, whether you teach music lessons or volunteer with a youth soccer or baseball team, you must have the "passion."

Swimming is something that I so believe in that I want to see every student who attempts it, conquer it. I've had instructors/teachers/coaches tell me that there is no such thing as a "natural athlete." Well, maybe not, but some certainly seem to catch on more easily than others. Nothing is more rewarding than watching that apprehensive 4-year-old show up the first day of class, and watching him over the next 10 years move through the ranks of instruction and successfully complete a lifeguard training course.

Every year I say I'm going to start keeping my memoirs and publishing them when I'm 81. Like Raquan, upon FINALLY learning how to float on his back, says "Look at me! I'm a big, mean, black floating machine!"

Add Zaria, when I was trying to get her legs up to kick properly. She stopped and looked at me with those big, brown eyes and said, "I keep telling them to stay up, but they won't listen!"

Treading water over the years has become "shreading water" and the rotary kick has been renamed "the rodeo kick," according to my students. The children will jump in all day long until "safety day" comes and we show them the proper way to jump in the water with a life jacket on. Then they don't want to jump!

Another problem was trying to get them to not rub their eyes as it would make them burn due to the chemicals in the water. So we coined the phrase, "use your wi-ield wipers." It usually works pretty well! Trying to get the children to "fin" on their back and not be so stiff were causing some problems. So the phrase "wave to the fish" was born!

I watched a pool owner one summer walk in and saw one of the lifeguards entertaining her friends at the guard stand. He fired her on the spot. There WAS another "old school" person in the world who took this job seriously. I watched a guard this past summer bring in the two children she was babysitting ... on her shift ... and spread out the McDonald's bags on the lifeguard stand ... along with two children!! She couldn't have gotten off that stand to help someone if she had to. I couldn't keep my mouth shut on that one, but I won't put in writing what I told her!

Swimming used to be a recreational sport. It's not anymore: it's a life skill. Unfortunately, every spring as the weather starts warming up and children are attracted to the lakes, rivers, pools, etc., the fatalities start. With some training in water safety, combined with swimming lessons from a certified instructor, many of these accidents could be prevented. I am accused every summer of being too hard on my students. Unlike, the broken football play where the coach goes back and runs it again, I may not always get a second chance. Parents are finally starting to admit that they can't swim and don't want to see their children grow up not knowing how.

Just as we want to give our children the best education possible, let's be sure, as parents and grandparents, that the "life skills" are included in that education.

-- Gale Livingston, Orangeburg

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