"WALK PLEASE!"- The real duties of lifeguards

If you know swimmers then you know that almost all swimmers are lifeguards. It just comes with the sport. We spend most of our days at the pool, so why not spend even more time there but getting paid?!

Many believe that lifeguarding can be one of the simplest jobs out there. All you do is bask in the sun and yell at kids to walk. Although that is a part of it, do you really know what the job requires? Do you understand the skills that it takes, the pressure, the legal considerations, the instant decisions, the severity, and the importance of the fact that you have other peoples lives in your hands?

First off, in order to become a lifeguard you have to undergo specific training and become CPR certified. Along with this, depending on the pool that you want to work at, other obligations may apply such as, other work facility training and required qualifications.

"To fulfill the responsibilities of a professional lifeguard, you must be mentally, physically and emotionally prepared at all times to do your job" (Markenson 3).  

What are some characteristics of a lifeguard?

According to The American Red Cross Lifeguard Manual, there are certain qualities that are expected in a lifeguard:

- Knowledgeable and skilled

- Reliable

- Mature
- Courteous and consistent
- Positive
- Professional
- Takes care of yourself in order to be properly ready for the job: exercise, eat and hydrate properly, get enough rest, and protect yourself from sun exposure (Markenson 3).


So what are some responsibilities of lifeguards? Getting our tan on isn't all what it is lived up to be. There is more to be done when you aren't out on the chair. Some duties that are listed from The American Red Cross Lifeguard Manual are:
- Monitoring activities in and near the water
- Preventing injuries
- Enforcing facility rules
- Recognizing and responding quickly
- Administering first aid and CPR
- Working as a team
other secondary responsibilities:
- Testing the pool water chemistry
- Assisting patrons and coworkers
- Cleaning and preforming maintenance (even the gross stuff)
- Completing records and reports
- Performing opening and closing duties or facility safety checks and inspections
- Attending staff training (Markenson 2).

There is so much more that people don't see to the job of lifeguarding.

 It is an extremely important job because you are responsible for hundreds of peoples lives, it is your duty to protect them. You have not only adults lives in your hands but children, as young as newborns, lives too. Lifeguarding isn't just about what's happening in the water, the entire surrounding area is your responsibility. This can mean that if a child slipped and hit their head and are bleeding you assist, if a child is lost you don't stop until they are safe, if an adult has a seizure on the side of the pool or in the water you are there to help, if there is throw up in the middle of the walkway you clean it up, if an infant is choking you do what you are trained for. You are responsible to help. You are capable of helping, so why wouldn't you? If you could do something to save someone's life, wouldn't you do it? This is what it is like everyday for a lifeguard, some days more intense than others, but you always have to be prepared and willing to take the needed actions.


Your training and qualifications don't stop the moment you step out of the facility after a days work. You are always certified, its not something you just put on and take off like a work uniform. If you were to run into a situation that requires skills from CPR and other training that you are certified and trained for, you can help. Lifeguarding can be beneficial to you and those around you at all times of the day.

Have you ever dreamed of being a lifeguard just sitting on a beach doing what seems like nothing? If you've considered this, have you ever considered the possible consequences and hard decisions that actually come along with the job of being a lifeguard?

                               

Markenson, David, comp. Lifeguarding. Washington, D.C.: American Red Cross, 2012. Print.



It's All In Your Head

One of the most important parts of swimming, or really of any sport, is your attitude. Your attitude, thoughts, confidence, and how you handle pressure can influence your performance and can either help you or break you.

In Developing Swimmers, Michael Brooks explains that "Swimmers who work hard and smart in daily training, who are used to setting goals and working to reach them, and who are getting better every day will generally be confident in their abilities" (Brooks 181). It is important that you set goals and work for them. You have to believe that you can do it in order to actually give yourself a fighting chance. Don't get in your head too much, make it fun and enjoy it, but also know when to be serious and when to push yourself.

Throughout this book, certain rules are listed in order to help the swimmer perform to their best ability such as, expect to swim fast, get tougher for tougher conditions, race hard and finish the job, and learn from experience (Brooks 185,186).


Expect to swim fast: When you have low expectations of yourself and begin to overthink everything that may have gone bad leading up to your race like, you didn't get enough sleep, its not your best stroke anyways, you ate junk food, its almost the end of the season so why try along with other things, you trick yourself into believing all of it and psyching yourself out. The moments before your race are the most crucial. Stay positive and accept the challenge of the race and push yourself.  "Swimmers have to walk to the blocks having already said to themselves, ' I have trained my guts out and I'm going to do whatever it takes to swim fast, no matter what.' A focused laser beam will cut through anything in its way" (Brooks 185).


Get tougher with the conditions: Swim meets can be unpredictable, especially when it comes to the weather. Swimmers may use the weather as an excuse to not perform their best but it is up to them to decide if it will make them or break them. They can easily decide if they will let it affect them. "The worse the conditions, the more champions step up, prove their championship qualities, and separate themselves from the crowd. They focus at the task at hand, don't worry about what they cannot control, and don't waste their effort thinking up excuses for not swimming fast" (Brooks 184).

Race hard and finish the job: Many athletes set goals for themselves throughout the season. Never give up on those goals. Some may come extremely close to a goal only to barely miss it and then they immediately give up and feel that they have failed. If a goal is slightly missed, you should change that failure into a reason to try harder. You were clearly close to reaching your goal so you know you're capable of it, so never stop and push yourself harder.

Learn from experience: A race is never wasted. You can always improve and learn from yourself and how to be better for next time.  Just because you failed once, twice, three times, or maybe ten times doesn't mean you can give up. Use each race to your advantage, learn from it, change and improve. You have to work to be better, so put in the time.

 "Swimmers with dreams of greatness must be willing to confront their weaknesses and improve them" (Brooks 186).

For any sport it is important to trust yourself and what your capable of. Believe in yourself and you are already half way there. It is hard to live up to not only your teams expectations but your own, so just take time to remind yourself why you do it and never forget to have fun!

When you compete do you overthink and sometimes begin to doubt yourself? What are some things you do to stay positive, confident, and relaxed?

Brooks, Michael. Developing Swimmers. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2011. Print.