A junior lifeguard is a young person between the ages of 9 and 14 who participates in a local lifeguard association’s swimming safety program. Students learn about water safety, basic first aid, and CPR during this type of program (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). They frequently engage in a variety of activities that foster their desire to one day work as lifeguards. Certified lifeguards teach the classes.
Learning first aid and CPR is one of the most common activities for a junior lifeguard. At the beach or in the pool, the junior lifeguard learns how to care for an injured person. He or she will also learn how to perform CPR, which is a life-saving technique for people who have stopped breathing.
Junior lifeguard programs are designed to pique people’s interest in working as a certified lifeguard in the future. As a result, lifeguard instructors teach kids how to rescue themselves. Junior lifeguards learn how to save people who are drowning, how to determine whether a swimming area is too dangerous to enter, and how to use a paddleboard or throw device to rescue people. Junior lifeguards are also taught how to avoid accidents in and around the water.
When it comes to junior lifeguarding, water safety, first aid, and CPR aren’t the only activities available. Young swimmers have the opportunity to participate in water activities as well. They might participate in water games, surfing, or bodyboarding, for example. Junior lifeguards on the beach may also learn about the effects of pollution on the ocean or about marine biology. Of course, a junior lifeguard program usually includes some time for kids to swim informally.
Children who want to be junior lifeguards must be good swimmers. Each program has its own set of admissions requirements, but most require applicants to be able to swim 100 yards (91.4 meters) in under two minutes. Young swimmers may also need to be able to swim for at least 10 yards underwater to participate (9.14 m). To safely participate in a junior lifeguard program, they must be in good physical condition.
Children’s day camps and workshops are sponsored by local lifeguard associations to teach them water safety. They provide such programs in the hopes of encouraging trained junior lifeguards to apply to become certified lifeguards once they are old enough to work. Lifeguard associations train people at a young age because it is difficult to find trustworthy employees who want to stay with an organization. If the junior lifeguards enjoy their work in the water, they will be more likely to apply to become certified lifeguards in the future. This provides lifeguard agencies with qualified, trained personnel who are committed to the water recreation facility.