RRSpin - Leading them to water: Program helps conquer aquatic fear

Thursday, 19 January 2017 13:05

Leading them to water: Program helps conquer aquatic fear ^Featured

Written by Lance Martin

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Lifeguard Holli Parks helps a student.

Some took to it quickly. Others had to be coaxed and one still has to be convinced there is nothing to fear.

Today marked the first day students from Wendy Tickel’s exceptional children’s class at Belmont Elementary School came to the Aquatic Center for the 10-week program.
“We’re introducing the kids to water and getting them comfortable being around water,” Roanoke Rapids Parks and Recreation Director John Simeon said. “Eventually we want to teach them elements of swimming so they can have the opportunity to be around aquatic settings.”
It is something Simeon and Tickel discussed long before the students came to the Aquatic Center and something Assistant Parks and Recreation Director Kelly Manning and the center’s supervisor, Megan Browder, planned out ahead of time.
“We take a lot of field trips and a lot of them involve water,” Tickel said, holding one student who was simply terrified of the water as other students sat on the edge, letting the water cover their toes. “Our next field trip will involve getting in water.”
It is a matter of getting some exposed to something they’re not used to, something outside their norm, she said. “Some have been exposed.”
Discussions of the program began a few years back when Tickel and her students were grand marshals in the Roanoke Rapids Christmas Parade. “I asked if there was something we could do. He’s (Simeon) been really good and open.”
To prepare some of the children for the program, “We had to do a lot of preparation,” Tickel said. “We’ve been talking about this since October.”

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The one student most terrified of the water reacted to the snow the same way, Tickel said. It took time getting her used to the snow and by the end of the class today she sat with her feet in the water, clinging to her teacher as she did so. “I think a lot of it is exposure,” the teacher said.”It takes time for them to see something outside their environment.”
Tickel tries to get her students involved in activities such as 4-H and Special Olympics. “My goal is for the ones who are not comfortable to get them to be comfortable. For those who are comfortable, the goal is to get them to learn swimming strokes.”
Simeon said Manning, who has a background in therapeutic recreation, took the lead in the program. “We teach beginning swim lessons so this is not something new for us.”
Manning said the recreation department and the Aquatic Center made up the lesson plans for the children.”We’re trying to get them comfortable.”
Manning hopes once some of the children conquer their fears, they will dive into swimming lessons. “We want to teach them to not be afraid. We have to work on it a little at the time. It’s something that will help them be more independent in the water.”
Belmont Assistant Principal Tad Merritt said, “It’s extremely exciting to have this offered. It’s a great partnership between the school system and the city. It’s just a continuation of what Ms. Tickel’s classrooms are known for.”

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