It’s as close as you can get in this world to becoming a superhero: leaping tall buildings, stopping speeding locomotives and going where no man has gone before. While immunity to bullets and x-ray vision may be exempt from your list of superpowers, flying through mid-water (as opposed to mid-air) with the greatest of ease is certainly within the scope of abilities of superhero swimmers.

Setting aside for a moment your secret identity (as a landlubber, of course), the question we pose for aspiring swimmers and watery superheroes in the making is why should you take swimming lessons?

While we at Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club don’t normally take to the skies to thwart nefarious schemes by masked villains, we do point our law-abiding citizenry (and occasionally paddle along with them) to the cool waters of our resort-style swimming pool.

And it doesn’t take x-ray vision to see that the Golden Ocala pool, perfect for therapeutic relaxation, is the greatest place under the Florida sun to unwind after a harrowing day of bringing truth, justice and the American way to a battered world: refreshing fountains, shady areas overlooking picturesque golf course views. This sprawling body of water has shallow lounging for lazy splish-splashing around and a dedicated children’s area.

Drowning is the 2^nd Leading Cause of Death of Young Children

According to the American Red Cross, drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death of children ages 1-14. More than 10 people die per day from unintentional drowning. Two of those 10 are children under 14 years old, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The National Swimming Pool Foundation states that the financial impact of drowning on American society will reach $100 billion during the next 20 years.

Safety experts with the American Red Cross say the best way to prevent and drastically reduce the incidence of drowning is simple: Teach children to swim. In fact, the earlier children are taught to swim the better, research shows; children who do not learn to swim by the age of 8 likely never will.

Today’s Parent provides five tips to help teach children to swim:

• Tell your children to “talk” to the fish. The children can blow bubbles and stick their ears in the water to pretend to listen.
• Teach children about holding their breath. Have the children put their faces in the water and blow bubbles.
• Sitting or standing next to your child in the shallow part of the pool, have your child try to catch the “fish” with their hands. This teaches them to begin front crawl arm movements.
• Building faster, stronger arm motions is important. Teach your child to keep their fingers together so the little “fish” can’t escape.
• The motorboat front float is the next step that begins to simulate the swimming movement. Hold your child under their arms – facing you – and begin moving backwards. Vary the “motorboat’s” speed; the faster you move the more your child will get into the front float position.
• Once the child is familiar with the arm movements, let the child hold onto your neck and move backwards. Children begin getting familiar using their feet and legs to swim.
• Have your child practice kicking their legs in the water with games like “red light, green light.” Make sure your children learn to point their toes.
• Next comes the short sprints. Crouch about 2 feet from the pool’s edge in the shallow end and have your child jump from your knees to the wall. This teaches independent swimming. Gradually increase the distance from the wall and remind your children to use their hands “to catch the fishes.”
• Most drowning accidents involving children under 5 occur during unsupervised swimming. Adult supervision is paramount to children’s safety, according to Lifesaving Society.

Golden Ocala offers a variety of elite memberships with exclusive benefits. Contact Donna Snow, our Membership Director at 352-402-4343 about becoming a part of the Golden Ocala experience.

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