Strengthening swimming skills – preventing children from drowning

(LSO) – Summer is a time when the demand for entertainment, especially children’s swimming activities, increases. Many swimming pools in Lang Son city have attracted a lot of children to play and practice swimming skills, thereby contributing to improving their health, preventing and limiting drowning accidents.

According to the statistics of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, there are more than 20 fixed and assembled swimming pools in the province every summer, each year, nearly 1 thousand children of all ages are taught swimming. In particular, Lang Son city alone has over 10 large swimming pools at locations including Provincial Youth Palace; Thien Truong swimming pool, Phu Loc 4 area; Muong Thanh hotel swimming pool, Lang Son Vinpearl hotel pool etc.

Children learn how to swim at the Youth Palace of Lang Son province

Ms. Hoang Thi Thu, Vinh Trai ward, Lang Son city has a 10-year-old son shared ‘Every summer, parents are busy with work and always worried whenever they are away. Not only are they worried about their children who haven’t know how to protect themselves while playing, but also that they are addicted to watching TV and phones. Therefore, the participation of children in swimming courses is also a way to guide them to healthy physical activities and sports, as well as practice health and life skills. For the past two years, I have signed up for my son to learn how to swim. Seeing my son practice swimming skills in a safe environment, with a supervisor, I am very assured.’

These days, the swimming pool of the Youth Palace, Lang Son city has become the destination of many people, especially the children. Mr. Do Van Son, Director of the Youth Palace, said: ‘To ensure safety, prevent learners from risks while swimming, we have enhanced safety equipment consisting swimming buoys, rescue floats, rescue sticks; arranging rescuers on duty at the swimming pool. The Youth Palace regularly runs swimming classes from June to August each year to meet the needs of learners in the summer. In the summer of 2019 alone, we opened 4 swimming lessons for about 160 children. Such lessons as frog swimming, butterfly swimming, striding swimming are taught by the trainers combining practice with entertainment to motivate and stimulate the passion for swimming for children.’

Understanding the importance of training swimming skills for children, here, trainers with swimming expertise will classify students to have appropriate teaching plans. Mr. Hoang Huu Hai, swimming trainer at the Youth Palace said ‘It is important for children to know basic swimming skills and how to handle situations, to do first aid when encountering drowning. This will not only help to protect themselves but also give first aid to friends when encountering a bad situation. In the early lessons of swimming, some of them did not dare to swim in the water, many of them did not know how to swim but after a few practice sessions, they overcame their fear and made great progress.’

Moreover, in Thien Truong pool, Phu Loc 4 area, Lang Son city, in addition to the object of children, swimming classes are also open to adults in need. Nguyen Thanh Son, a student of Hoang Van Thu Secondary School, said: ‘I have participated in a swimming course at Thien Truong pool for 5 sessions. In the early lessons, I was instructed by the teacher on the warm-up movements, how to breathe correctly, and then to the basic swimming lessons. The swimming teachers here are very enthusiastic, thoughtful, instructing us every move etc. In addition to swimming lessons, my friends and I are also instructed by the teachers to do first aid for drowning people.’

Equipping swimming skills and knowledge of safety in water environment is an essential activity to strengthen the physical health and prevent children from drowning accidents. Hopefully, in the near future there will be more swimming classes opened to enable children to participate in useful activities as well as contribute to promoting practical activities of the community in the prevention and control of drowning.