One of the reasons I hate swimming in outdoor community/development pools is the lifeguard glare you get when you come in with all your gear, prepared to swim and hour or two. :banana: I've been swimming outside for 25 years in the summer, and find that the guards are mostly all the same - texting, playing ball, sleeping, eating. Heaven forbid, they have to sit up and watch a swimmer. I feel like they really hate when I walk in because they have to actually do their job. I've treated them to lunch, ice cream, treats and some are fine, but overall, they are mostly very lazy. I tell them I had a guard cert, (I can swim better than almost all of them!), and they don't have to sit in the chair, or even watch, but I still feel the glare. I've even encountered a few occasions when the sun was shining and guards claimed they heard thunder. What happened to the good old days when guards sat in the chair and did their job without resentment? I only see that type of mentality at the indoor pools. On rainy days, they really give me the evil eye. :badday:
I have spent a lot of time trying to explain to the early morning lifeguards the importance of watching the pool (seriously). Many mornings, at 5:30 am, I am the youngest person swimming (50 today!) so I think the safety issues are obvious. Nevertheless I found myself explaining how you can't sleep, shave, text, read, or wander off while guarding. Eventually, I pass it upwards. Eventually the lifeguard gets replaced and a new comes to do the same thing.
I do think it is hard to many young people to see it from the safety side. Also, the non-present aquatics director doesn't help. I always try to put it in terms of safety and liability when discussing it with Y leadership.
I have spent a lot of time trying to explain to the early morning lifeguards the importance of watching the pool (seriously). Many mornings, at 5:30 am, I am the youngest person swimming (50 today!) so I think the safety issues are obvious. Nevertheless I found myself explaining how you can't sleep, shave, text, read, or wander off while guarding. Eventually, I pass it upwards. Eventually the lifeguard gets replaced and a new comes to do the same thing.
I do think it is hard to many young people to see it from the safety side. Also, the non-present aquatics director doesn't help. I always try to put it in terms of safety and liability when discussing it with Y leadership.
