Most sport and fitness clubs and groups wouldn't be able to function without volunteers like these. Their get-up-and-go helps others stay healthy, make friends, enter competitions and more. Read on to find out what inspires them to make it happen for others.

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Wednesday Jan 17, 2007

Splashing into 2007

Firstly I need to apologise.  This blogging thing is new to me and I need to get myself motivated!

At the swimming club I attend we had two weeks off over xmas.  Just before the holiday break all the children were treated with a massive inflatable assault course. Massive fun! Once the course is finished you have to slide down into the water. Lots of screams from the younger ones!  They were also treated with a great big bar of dairy milk each. Nothing like starting chrissy hols with a mega sugar fix.

Now it is back to the usual.  Unfortunately it is incredibly quiet.  It should pick up soon with new recruitments.  There are only three groups in the big pool:

beginners
medium
strong and confident.

I have been taking the medium group but one of the volunteers who recently qualified as a swimming instructor has decided she would like to take over.  I had tactfully pointed out that some of the group had less grace than a hippo in water.  Just for the pure comedy factor they have been a great joy to teach.

This left me surplus to requirements and I have just been needed to watch over things.  (Basically one extra body poolside).

The first week I watched the strong and confident swimmers.  All boys in their early teens.  They got me very generously wet which caused one of them to pass comment "Oh look, you look like you've wet yourself"

I decided to take my own sweet revenge and set them the task of trying to remain boyuant in the water with their arms by their sides and their legs held together.  On their fronts they had to wriggle.  

This set off fits of giggles from the medium group.  (All girls of primary school age).  The boys all then resorted to sullen scowls and exclamations of "It's not fair!" and "I'm not doing it!"  I quickly let them off and they went to play dodge ball in the baby pool.  

The second week in I was given three beginners.  I had one boy who was extremely capable and was ready to join the next group.  I pointed this out to him but he shied away from the idea as he realised the next group were all girls.

I then had a young girl who when I first told her what she should be doing shouted over to her mum "Did you hear that? Tell her I can't do it!"  I offered for her to go back to the original teacher.  She soon decided to swim!

My third child was also a girl.  She could barely hold her stroke and was continously stopping.  When I asked her to do back stroke she told the pressure of laying on her back gave her a headache and
she would not do it.  I asked her what she would like to do instead.  She replied with breaststroke.  I asked her to do the equivalent of two lengths.  She barely managed half.

By this time I was feeling thoroughly frustrated and each minute that passed was beginning to feel like an hour.  I decided to do the terrible thing of giving in and gave them an extended playtime.

Oh well, hopefully I will have a more enthusiastic group this coming week.  Fingers crossed! x

Posted by Louise ( 11:00 AM )
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