CURRENT ISSUE | CLASSES & EVENTS | ARCHIVES | ADVERTISE | CONTACT US
 |
 In the 15 years that I’ve been poolside as a lifeguard or pool director, I’ve seen a lot of great sights—children learning to swim, seniors exercising with youthful enthusiasm, record-breaking young athletes. The pool is a positive place in so many people’s lives. It’s a place to bond with their kids, get in shape and relax their minds. However, in my years of guarding, I’ve also seen what happens when things go wrong. Although the majority of poolside medical emergencies involve giving out Band-Aids, I’ve come to realize that the most valuable part of my job is preventing accidents from happening in the first place. Besides promoting fun swim programs, I’m constantly looking for ways to make the Bellevue Club a safer environment for the enjoyment of members. We teach all our professional lifeguards the latest proven rescue skills, just in case. Knock on pool tile—I’ve never had to perform CPR on the job, but I’m glad that I’ve learned the tools to save a life. Besides our lifeguards, it takes personal responsibility to keep our safety record top notch. Especially with the outdoor swimming season upon us, it’s more important than ever for parents to be diligent in pool safety with their young children. As a safety measure, we require all kids under age 6 to be accompanied by an adult. Let’s keep the medical emergencies to those colored Band-Aids. Besides the safety aspect, we’ve added some amazing swim instructors to our staff, who bring fresh enthusiasm and a wealth of knowledge to our new swim lessons program. They are challenging children to swim stronger and more comfortably than they ever have before. If you haven’t noticed, we’ve revised our swim lessons program to mirror the American Red Cross program, which focuses on water-safety topics along with perfecting each of the six strokes. We’re now focused not only on feeding our world-class Bellevue Club Swim Team, but also nurturing a water-safe community because, let’s face it, we’re not all going to swim like Michael Phelps—although coach Klaas Schenk can get you pretty close. While we are all kids at heart, we offer more than just swim lessons for kids. Come try our energetic water-exercise classes led by knowledgeable instructors. Don’t forget, water-exercise classes are part of the GPX program. Join us for daily adult fitness swimming, or for all you former high-school or college swimmers, come out for one of the best Masters swimming programs in the region. Both programs are led by experienced coaches and offer a customized workout like you wouldn’t believe. Have a fun, safe summer. I’ll see you at the pool. Melissa Stepp Aquatics Director |
 |
|
||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||
|
Bellevue Club REFLECTIONS | 11200 Southeast Sixth Street Bellevue, WA 98004 | 425.688.3161 | reflections@bellevueclub.com
Copyright © 2012 by Bellevue Club. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without express written permission is prohibited.