Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater High with funding from the David R. Hayworth Foundation to again offer swimming lessons to its Club members this summer at the David R. Hayworth Swimming Center.  Every day, about ten people die from unintentional drowning.  Of these, two are children aged 14 or younger.  Drowning ranks fifth among the leading causes of unintentional injury death in the United States.

Between 2005 and 2009, the fatal unintentional drowning rate for African Americans was significantly higher than that of whites across all ages.  The disparity is widest among children 5-14 years old. The fatal drowning rate of African American children ages 5 to 14 is almost three times that of white children in the same age range.

Factors such as access to swimming pools, the desire or lack of desire to learn how to swim, and choosing water-related recreational activities may contribute to the racial differences in drowning rates. Available rates are based on population, not on participation. If rates could be determined by actual participation in water-related activities, the disparity in minorities’ drowning rates compared to whites would be much greater.

Taking part in formal swimming lessons reduces the risk of drowning among children aged 1 to 4 years. However, many people don’t have basic swimming skills. A CDC study about self-reported swimming ability found that:

• Younger adults reported greater swimming ability than older adults
• Self-reported ability increased with level of education
• Among racial groups, African Americans reported the most limited swimming
  ability
• Men of all ages, races, and educational levels consistently reported greater
  swimming ability than women.

During our 2018 swimming year:

• 168 youth registered for swim lessons.
• 75 of the participants can swim in the 5 ft. section of the pool.
• 30 of the participants are now comfortable swimming in any depth of the pool.
• 100% of participants learned basic water safety skills.
• Lessons were taught five days a week for five weeks.