June 16, 2025
Swimming's Local Initiatives Must Drive Downing Prevention and Water Safety Awareness
Heavy Or Not - The O.G. Swim GuideAbout this episode
#38 Navigating the Complexities of Drowning Prevention in a Changing Political Climate - part 2 with Sue and Mick Nelson The critical issues surrounding swimming, coaching and community recreation is water safety, and less so the making of gold-medal champions. The challenges faced by aquatic facilities today are on the rise. Closing pools. Indifferent politicians. Tighter budgets. Busy families. Covid too. Discover the trends, obstacles, and solutions in the world of swimming and drowning prevention. The impact of COVID-19 on drowning statistics and swimming lessons. Challenges in maintaining and operating commercial swimming pools. The shortage of qualified lifeguards and its implications. The role of local organizations versus national support in drowning prevention. The importance of educating communities and politicians about the value of aquatic facilities. Half of Americans don't know how to swim, yet they're the ones making decisions about our pools. It's time to educate our communities and politicians on the true value of water safety." - Sue Nelson Key concepts: Drowning prevention, data analysis, CDC, Consumer Product Safety Commission, trends, COVID impact, swimming pools, lifeguards, aquatic programming, local advocacy, ethnic disparities, pool closures, maintenance issues, swimming lessons, community education, USA Swimming, private sector, public sector, water safety, Mick Nelson, Sue Nelson, Mark Rauterkus, podcast, aquatics, governmental challenges. Notes of Merit Data Usage and Comparison Difference between data usage by Mick Nelson's organization and the CDC. Importance of current data for local advocacy and marketing. Trends identification and the limitations of data collection. Impact of Political and Economic Changes Effects of layoffs and budget cuts on data collection and analysis. The role of local organizations versus national support. The importance of local action plans in drowning prevention. Trends in Drowning and Water Safety The impact of COVID-19 on drowning statistics and swimming lessons. Increase in backyard pools and their safety concerns. Ethnic disparities in drowning rates, particularly among Hispanics. Swimming Pool Closures and Maintenance Issues Tracking of commercial pool closures and reasons behind them. Challenges in pool maintenance and the role of trained personnel. Financial constraints and their impact on pool operations. Lifeguard Shortages and Training Difficulty in recruiting lifeguards and the reasons behind it. The need for qualified lifeguards due to increased recreational facilities. The impact of work ethics and financial incentives on lifeguard availability. Community Education and Political Influence The lack of swimming skills among Americans and its implications. The role of community and political education in valuing aquatic facilities. Misconceptions about the financial operations of swimming pools. Future Discussions and Podcast Continuation Introduction to upcoming topics in the next podcast episode. The need for increased swimming education and awareness. The role of the private sector in addressing aquatic needs. Learn more Link to the business of Sue and Mick Nelson, Total Aquatic Programming, https://TotalAquatic.llc Heavy Or Not podcast International Swim Coaches Association Heavy Or Not #37, and Part 1, and Introduction to Sue Nelson's Career Journey on Substack.