Louis Hightower Aquatics

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the Hightower Aquatics is to train elementary, middle, and high school student swimmers. Our goal is to train swimmers both physically and mentally and to develop their appreciation for teamwork and desire for achievement through consistent effort and skill development. We ask that our students come to practice with a smile on their face and the desire to put forth their best effort.

Statement of Purpose

Hightower Aquatic Center shall provide aquatic programs that will enrich the lives of the students, faculty, staff, parents and community members of Scotland Independent School District"

School Aquatic Program Goals and Objectives

Physical Education Instructional Swimming

Ð'* Promote water safety awareness

Ð'* Develop fundamental swimming skills to be water safe

Ð'* Enhance the aquatic skills at all proficiency levels

Ð'* Improve personal safety and basic rescue skills

Ð'* Develop lifetime fitness

Intramural Swimming

Ð'* Provide opportunities for students to engage in a variety of aquatic activities

Ð'* Develop aquatic skills for lifetime activities

Ð'* Provide for a competitive and noncompetitive aquatic outlet in a non-threatening environment

Interscholastic Athletic Swimming

Ð'* Provide opportunities for students to demonstrate their swimming and diving proficiency through competitions

Ð'* Provide an opportunity for students to excel and experience success

Ð'* Promote and apply concepts of teamwork, fair play, sportsmanship, respect for others, and high standards of conduct in competing with honor

Ð'* Enhance the proficiency level of swimming and diving skills of all athletes

Highlights

Ð'* We teach swimming and water safety skills to over 5,300 students every school year.

Ð'* Our Health and Physical Education Curriculum includes swimming and water safety instruction

Ð'* Every third and fourth grade student participates in five days of swimming instruction during the school year.

Ð'* Arlington is the only school system in Virginia offering both elementary and high school swimming programs

Ð'* Over 60% of the students participating in swimming instruction begin classes as non-swimmers

Ð'* We use the American Red Cross Learn to Swim Program

Ð'* Over 350 Secondary Students participate in Competitive Swimming and Diving Events.

Drowning Prevention Steps and Layers of Protection

Never leave a child unattended near water in a pool, tub, bucket or ocean. There is no substitute for adult supervision.

Designate a "Water Watcher" to maintain constant watch over children in the pool during gatherings.

The home should be isolated from the pool with a fence at least 60" tall, with a self-closing, self-latching gate. The gate should open away from the pool, and should never be propped open.

Doors and windows should be alarmed to alert adults when opened. Doors should be self-closing and self-latching.

Power-operated pool safety covers are the most convenient and efficient. Solar/floating pool covers are not safety devices.

Keep a phone at poolside so that you never have to leave the pool to answer the phone, and can call for help if needed.

Learn CPR and rescue breathing.

Keep a lifesaving ring, shepherd's hook and CPR instructions mounted at poolside.

Do not use flotation devices as a substitute for supervision.

Never leave water in buckets or wading pools.

Remove toys from in and around the pool when not in use.

If a child is missing, always check the pool first. Seconds count.

Instruct babysitters about potential pool hazards, and emphasize the need for constant supervision.

Responsibilities of pool ownership include ensuring children in the home learn to swim, and that adults know CPR.

Do not consider children "drownproof" because they've had swimming lessons.

Importance of the Program

The main emphasis of a swimming program should be to teach as many people as possible beginning swimming. The values derived from participation in aquatics include: pleasure and satisfaction, esthetic values, contribution to physical well being, beneficial values. The resistance supplied the body by water is adequate during swimming to hinder most movements.

Swimming is among the oldest sports in the world.

The Ancient Egyptians as far back as 2500BC swam for pleasure. 2,000 years later, the Greeks and Romans used swimming as part of warrior training. The Romans also listed diving into the sea from the cliffs as one of their sporting pastimes. In 1BC swimming competitions were held in Japan.

During the middle ages (5th - 15th centuries), however, immersion in water was associated with recurrent epidemic disease and therefore swimming was discouraged. Witchcraft was rife at this time, and one test of a witch was whether they would drown if submerged in water. It's understandable, therefore that swimming did not become popular again until the 19th century.

Swimming is now one of the most popular sports in the world.

Over 100 years getting in the swim in New Zealand

Swimming New Zealand was formed in 1890, then called