TEAM WLSL™ Adding Virtual Events to Provide Water Safety Tips and Tools for Parents and Kids at Home

Facebook Live events begin at 10 AM CDT on July 16th with resources to help parents bridge the water safety knowledge gap for kids that can't participate in traditional swim lessons due to COVID-19.

News provided by

World Waterpark Association

Jul 14, 2020, 08:52 ET

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., July 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, organizers for the 2020 World's Largest Swimming Lesson™ (#WLSL2020) are reaching out virtually on July 16th to offer tips, resources, information and guided lessons that parents can do with kids at home. The online event is in addition to local lessons that are taking place at a limited number of locations.

3-time Olympic gold medalist, ESPN and NBC Sports analyst and WLSL ambassador, Rowdy Gaines, helps a young swimmer get comfortable in the water during a World's Largest Swimming Lesson event at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon.

A young swimmer works on opening her eyes underwater during the World's Largest Swimming Lesson. The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends swim lessons as a layer of protection against drowning that can begin as early as age 1. Parents can work to introduce good water safety habits and start building swim readiness skills at home.

Dozens of nationally recognized water safety and training organizations support the WLSL event each year. With day camps canceled and the delayed/limited opening of pools and waterparks this summer, TEAM WLSL is sharing their expertise with families at home to help bridge the gap for kids that have not been able to participate in traditional swim lessons.

Per the World Health Organization, drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional injury-related death, accounting for 7 percent of all injury-related deaths worldwide. In the U.S., drowning remains the leading cause of injury-related death for children ages 1 to 4, and the second leading cause for children under 14.

This year, as families head to the backyard and open water environments without the benefit of lifeguards or swim instructors, it appears drowning rates are increasing. In response, TEAM WLSL organizers are urging parents to take advantage of a wealth of free online resources to learn more about water safety and drowning prevention.

"Safety is always the first priority for our aquatics community," said Rick Root, President, World Waterpark Association. "And, working to help families access water safety and learn to swim resources is more important than ever in our current environment. Whether they participate at a live WLSL event in their community or join us online, we want kids to learn how to Be Water Aware and parents to understand the crucial importance of learning to swim as a key layer of protection for drowning prevention."

About The World's Largest Swimming Lesson™
TEAM WLSL® was created by the World Waterpark Association as a platform for the aquatics industry to build awareness about the fundamental importance of teaching children to swim to help prevent drowning. WLSL events have provided more than 159,000 hours of water safety training around the globe. Since its inception in 2010, more than 319,000 children and adults at 4,548 locations in 48 countries have participated in local WLSL lessons and the Swimming Lessons Save Lives™ message has been shared more than two billion times. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsYmk9iN1zI

Contact:
Aleatha Ezra
[email protected]
Phone: 913-599-0300

SOURCE World Waterpark Association