Junior Lifeguard Club development session a big hit at Balga

Royal Life Saving Society WA's Junior Lifeguard Club program aims to increase children’s participation in swimming & lifesaving activities. It's an aquatic education alternative to traditional swimming lessons for children who want to learn new lifesaving skills, and is supported by the Department of Sport and Recreation.

Leisure Park Balga recently held a development session, aimed at introducing new participants to their Junior Lifeguard Club. These sessions are run by Royal Life Saving staff, and provided free of charge. 19 students participated, taking part in a range of events using lifesaving equipment, including manikin tows and rescue tube relays.

Angie Davies, Swim School Coordinator at Leisure Park Balga and Terry Tyzack Aquatic Centre says "The response to the session was great. The Junior Lifeguard Club is a fantastic alternative for children over the age of 8 who want to do more than just swim squad training. It allows them to learn advanced aquatic and lifesaving skills."

Royal Life Saving Society WA provided many Junior Lifeguard Clubs across the metro area with new equipment cages late last year, to enable them to host more of these development sessions and increase participation in the sport of pool lifesaving.

Pool lifesaving is the sport of lifesaving conducted in a controlled pool environment. Participating in other Royal Life Saving programs such as Swim & Survive, Bronze Rescue and Junior Lifeguard Club can lead to a pathway of competition. Competitions in pool lifesaving are conducted at club, state, interstate and international levels. Competing allows participants to aspire to being a member of the Junior Barras (under 16 Australian Team), Silver Barras (under 19 Australian Team) or the Aussie Barras (Open Australian Team).

Leisure Park Balga's regular Junior Lifeguard Club sessions are held on Thursday each week, from 5.30 - 6.30pm, while Terry Tyzack Aquatic Centre holds two sessions each week, on Monday and Wednesday from 6pm.

Participants in Junior Lifeguard Clubs across the metro area will have an opportunity to test their skills, with the State Titles to be held at Terry Tyzack on Sunday 19th June.

For more details on Junior Lifeguard Clubs in your area click the link below.