St. Lawrence Swimming Steps Up

Starting last week, the St. Lawrence University Swim and Dive team members began their annual swim lessons for children in Canton and Potsdam.

The program spans for two weeks for faculty and staff children and other kids in the community. The program benefits both students involved and those learning to swim as summer is approaching.

Members of the Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving teams teach these lessons, overseen by Rachel Curtiss and Carrie Robinson their coaches, and lifeguards at the facility.

The lesson program is also a fundraiser for the team for their training trip or any other necessary costs. In years past, the program has been advertised in emails and the North Country Now by the team’s head coach.

Those interested reach out to her to sign up and get the registration form, making it easily accessible. The athletes are the instructors, but with smaller numbers this year, the coaches are involved too.

“Swimming is a life skill that we need, and up here there’s lots of creeks and rivers, and I know people go on the lakes and the St Lawrence River itself,” says St. Lawrence swim coach Rachel Curtiss, “Being able to offer it to the community as a fundraiser but also teaching a skill, it’s just a really nice package all wrapped up.”

Curtiss hopes her athletes can better the community by sharing their skills with the younger generation while also raising money for their team.

It’s important to note the atmosphere the program creates, as described by Curtiss. “I think besides the fundraiser point, one of the benefits is just being able to help the community learn how to swim,” she says. “It’s a lifelong skill, but it’s also really good for our athletes to get to be part of that community service as well. The community gets this program, but then the students also get to develop their social skills, work with little kids, and help the community,” Curtiss continues.

While emailing and being represented in the paper are methods that work well, Curtiss shares the most important way to spread the word is by word- of-mouth. “People tell their friends, we have people from SUNY Canton, from Clarkson, who sign up their kids as well,” she says.

This process is also crucial as the program will possibly look to expand. Curtiss hopes it can grow in the next year, “Right now it is just the two weeks, but we’re hopefully, maybe next year, be able to expand to a swim camp over the summer, so just little steps,” she says.

While this program is for younger children, it teaches a foundational skill that should be practiced by all at St Lawrence. With late spring and summer approaching, the need to refresh ourselves

in the water is high, so Curtiss reminds us how to do this safely.

Curtiss highlights that while the pool is open, there are lifeguards to help you safely swim. “If you’re going to a lake or river” she says, “I always recommend never swimming alone because even as a strong swimmer, you never know what’s in open water.”

It’s critical to remember these practices as we celebrate the warmer weather.