SAN ANGELO, Texas — Learning to swim can be a daunting task for those with little to no experience.
To make this process easier, the San Angelo Municipal Pool is offering children ages 4-12 the chance to dive into swim lessons from July 24-27 and July 30- Aug. 3 at 18 E. Avenue A #6902.
"So far the kids are progressing very well and seem like they're having a great time," San Angelo Parks & Recreation Recreational Coordinator Belen Castro said.
These $60 sessions will take place from 9-9:45 a.m., 10-10:45 a.m. and again from 11-11:45 a.m. depending on the specific group.
Each class welcomes six children in the following categories: preschool, level 1, level 2 and level 3.
In a typical preschool session, participants will learn basic skills like blowing bubbles and becoming more confident in the water.
Levels 1 and 2 will also help with confidence and paddling while level 3 includes side breathing, swimming longer distances and incorporating specific strokes.
"All of our lifeguards are Red Cross certified so they know about the water and stuff like that so all of them [the participants] will be with lifeguards and stuff like that so we don't want the parents to worry about not having certification or anything like that," Castro said.
Castro herself has utilized her knowledge as a water safety instructor to teach the lifeguards what they need to know.
After five years without sessions, the pool now has enough lifeguards to continue to offer this program, teaching water safety skills to a new generation.
"I think that a lot of people don't have respect for water and especially with us, yes, we live in West Texas and there's not a lot of water [here]," Castro said. "But there is water everywhere and some people don't understand the power water can have."
Go to the COSA website to sign up or learn more.
