We often hear kids getting drowned or we usually read in the periodicals that some kids loss their precious life due to respiratory impairment during picnics in the river banks. KidsHealth.org. further claims that drowning is the second leading cause of death for people between five and 24. The Philippine Health Statistics reported 3,044 deaths due to drowning in 2010. Usually, these drowning incidents happen during typhoons and rainy seasons. These may be attributed to the inability to swim or to other factors such as lack of supervision obsolete and/or inadequate equipment. With the above statement, encouraging our children to embrace swimming as sports has significant benefits not only for their safety but also for their health and education.
By encouraging children to go to the pool, they will not only become stronger swimmers or competitive athletes, but also they will be equipped with enough experience in the water. This will greatly reduce the possibility of getting drowned when they accidentally fall in an unguarded pool or get pulled into the water.
Swimming is a more effective workout for it offers a total workout. It increases flexibility and improves strength. This sport is an excellent workout that promotes heart and lung health that is why we usually witness asthmatic kids and adults claiming that they are better after swimming regularly. It is also known that this sport increases stamina and improves balance and posture.
It prevents childhood obesity which when not taken seriously it will end to juvenile diabetes, an expensive and dangerous health problem. According to 24 Hour Fitness, swimming has a positive health impact to our mental and emotional state. This is due to the natural buoyancy of the water that can relax the body. Aside from being a non-contact sports, it can improve overall mood and help combat depression.
Meanwhile, children engaged in swimming from the beginning of training will learn to balance their time – for school projects, activities, after school works, and training. They will master the concept of time management. Most of the time, young swimmer bag most of the medals during the Cordillera Athletic Association Meet. During trainings and competitions, the sense of camaraderie is developed for they have to socialize with other athletes or swimmers of different schools. This camaraderie which they acquire during competitions is likewise needed for group activities in class. Young swimmers are trained to endure long course ladders. This will let the children realize that doing their routine saves time. Considering that this is a one-man team sports of course except for the relay, young swimmers acknowledge their success and failures alone and cannot blame someone else. They will internalize that their performance reflects their own efforts and sacrifices, which translates into the classroom. When they get low grades, they will take the responsibility and acknowledge that they could have done better rather than bla-ming their teachers. They will learn to be more self-reliant, more confident, and more powerful to face the realities of competitions. These attitudes gained by swimmers are carried in school and in the future as a good work ethic.
It is expensive to engage in swimming and difficult to train while in school, but for sure, swimmers will learn to balance these demands over years of practice. Likely, these sacrifices in swimming will mold children to become more resilient and more adaptive in their higher levels of learning. All the trainings, failures, and triumphs will let them accept the challenges and adversity of life especially when they reach adulthood.
May 14, 2024
