Ready, Set, Swim
Tips for managing a swim program
By Jason Schaitz
Whether done on-site or on a trip, swimming can be one of the most challenging activities to host at camp. Not only does the environment have to be fun and engaging, but swimming must be done safely with large groups of kids—all of whom have varying swim levels. Here are some guidelines and items to consider when managing swimming activities at camp.
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Have A Plan
A plan is crucial for a program’s success. Everything should be planned out, including staffing and supervision, policies for swimming, evaluation, and management of swim areas. This approach should be part of the organization’s emergency-action plan and overall risk-management plan.
Start With Staffing
Safe and successful swim activities begin and end with staff members. Campuses with pools may have both certified lifeguards and counselors to manage, while others rely on counselors to manage swimming activities and work with the lifeguards at a location a group is visiting. When organizing policies and procedures for on-site swimming, consider the following for staffing:
Counselors should actively supervise in the water or on the banks in view of the kids. Hanging out at a picnic table or lying out in the sun while kids are swimming is unacceptable. Even with lifeguards on duty, counselors must engage with the kids in the water.
Certify all staff in CPR and basic first aid prior to camp. In-service training should be conducted for those with access to an aquatic facility.
Maintain at least a 1-to-10 staff-to-camper ratio, and even more with a group of younger kids.
Before entering the swim area, review the plan and policies with staff members to ensure expectations are set. This ensures that everyone will be on the same page so campers are safe and properly supervised.
Make sure staff members rotate positions to constantly put fresh eyes on the kids in the water. Each staff member should supervise a specific zone; do not allow a zone to become too crowded.
Be sure staff members are familiar with the campers’ swimming abilities, either based on a registration form from parents or previous experience with a camper. In this way, staff will know who needs an extra eye during swim activities.
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Outline Swim Policies
Swim policies should be outlined in the camp handbook. Here are some policies to consider:
Set different swim levels during registration, so parents can provide necessary information. Each level should have a different requirement of what a camper can or cannot do when swimming.
Swim-test each child prior to getting in the water. If the results are different than what the parents indicated at registration, make sure they are made aware, and the status will be updated before the next swim activity.
Non-swimmers should have U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets and should be prohibited from deep-end areas or places where one cannot see the bottom.
Don’t allow campers to swim anywhere without certified lifeguards present. It is not worth the liability and risk, regardless of how well-trained counselors may be.
Always review swim rules with campers before they enter the water; hold them accountable if they misbehave.
Use the buddy system to have campers keep tabs on each other.
Do not allow horseplay. Kids shouldn’t be touching each other, hanging on each other or the counselors, jumping in shallow water, running on the pool deck, etc.
Provide a supervised space for non-swimmers to play games or activities. There will always be kids who aren’t interested in going in the water, either because they cannot swim or don’t feel like it. Have a space for them to play in order to avoid their becoming bored or carelessly wandering near the water.
Find A Swim Area
Certain swim areas require higher levels of supervision depending on the challenges those spaces present. Consider the following when choosing a place to swim as well as what to avoid:
Avoid murky water. Always try to swim in areas where there is high visibility, such as a pool, spring, or clear lake. If you cannot see the bottom, keep swimming confined to shallow water.
Avoid crowded swim areas. Campers and non-campers together in high-density swim areas exponentially increase the chances of an incident.
Avoid beach trips, even when lifeguards are on duty. Swimming in the ocean, intercoastal waterway, or large lake brings on many more dangers that may be out of your control. Factors like the current, waves, water depth, water clarity, sea life, or the sheer size of a swim area make it more likely for an incident to occur.
Avoid wave pools and lazy rivers at water parks. Although these areas can be fun for a family or individual park goer, they generally become crowded and unpredictable when one is trying to manage a large group of campers.
Managing a swim program can be daunting, but having a plan, policies, and well-trained staff members to will ensure swim activities are safe and fun, which leads to success!
Jason Schaitz is a Parks and Recreation Director with 15 years’ experience managing camps and recreation programs. He also created and manages www.thesummercampsource.com with the goal of providing free resources for any type of camp, afterschool, or childcare program. Take your camp to the next level by visiting The Summer Camp Source and check out the Camp App, Camp Resources, Camp News, and Camp Administration 101 educational series.