Forest Lake Area Schools Community Education

The purpose of the American Red Cross Lifeguarding course is to provide entry-level lifeguard participants with the knowledge and skills to prevent, recognize and respond to aquatic emergencies and to provide care for breathing and cardiac emergencies, injuries and sudden illnesses until emergency medical services (EMS) personnel take over. Prerequisites: *Must be 15 years old on or before the final session of this course. Age will be verfied. *Swim 300 yards continuously while demonstrating breath control and rhythmic breathing. Candidates may swim using the front crawl, breaststroke or a combination of both but swimming on the back or side is not allowed - goggles may be used in the swim pretest only. *Tread water for 2 minutes using only the legs. *Complete a timed event within 1 minute, 40 seconds: starting in the water, swim 20 yards (the face may be in or out of the water - goggles are not allowed), surface dive (feet-first or head-first) to a depth of 7 feet to 10 feet to retrieve a 10-pound object, return to the surface and swim 20 yards on the back to return to the starting point using a kick only while both hands are holding the object and keeping the face at or near the surface of the water and exit the water without using a ladder or steps. Please bring a packed lunch each day to class.

The purpose of this swimming program is to train the athlete (both novice & advanced) to swim efficiently and fast. In addition, the coaching staff will encourage physical fitness, motivation, foster self-discipline, reinforce self-esteem, build self-confidence and provide an environment where the athlete can achieve their highest potential through a challenging and fun atmosphere. The workouts will be adjusted to benefit all swimming abilities. Participants must be able to swim 25 continuous yards of front crawl and backstroke or passed Level 4.

The best Water Safety Instructors start out as aides. This course is designed for teens who have passed Level 6 and may be interested in working at an aquatic facility as an aide and eventually add the certification to become a Water Safety Instructor. Students will be asked to volunteer practice teach at the pool for one 8 to 10-hour session.