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Aquatics Newsletter | March 2014 | VBgov.com/Parks
Get a Job That's Fun!

 

Lifeguard We're routinely hiring for: 

- Lifeguards

- Swim instructors 

- Before & after school
  program staff

- Clerical support

- Facility management staff

- Group fitness class instructors

- Parks & landscape
  management staff

- Personal trainers

 

Learn about:

- The online application process

- Tips for completing and 

  submitting applications

- Interview tips & trends

- A typical day on the job

 

Upcoming Job Fairs:

April 8 | Bayside Recreation Center | 12 - 4 pm

April 15 | Great Neck Recreation Center | 12 - 4 pm 

Learn Water Safety at April Pools Day

Saturday, April 5 | 1 - 3 pm | Southside Aquatics Center

  

Life Jackets We're excited to partner with the American Red Cross and the City of Norfolk to bring free water safety education to kids age 5 - 15. Open to the public, the event will be held at the Southside Aquatics Center in Norfolk (1750 Campostella Road) and features sessions on beach and pool safety, proper use of life jackets, and canoe and small watercraft safety. Register the day of from 12 - 1 pm. For more information, call the Norfolk Aquatics Hotline at (757) 441-1605

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Upcoming Events

3/21 |  Movie in the Pool  
Williams Farm 
 
4/13 | Float-a-Rama | Bayside

Princess Anne's Own Named NFL Play 60 Super Kid

 

Thomas with Steelers' Troy Polamalu and father, Shannon
Thomas Brown, a swimmer for the Princess Anne Recreation Center swim league, was chosen as the 2014 NFL PLAY 60 Super KidHe won the opportunity to travel to Pittsburg to meet his favorite NFL team and tour the Steelers facility - spending time with players and the Steelers president. He also won the chance to attend Super Bowl XLVIII and hand the game ball to a game official moments before kickoff.  

 

Thomas entered the contest by pledging to be active for 60 minutes a day and answering questions about what he thinks it takes to stay healthy. Princess Anne Swim League Supervisor, Andrew Carter, spoke to Thomas about his thoughts on the experience and how he plans to stay active and healthy now that the contest is over.

 

How did you react when you learned that you won?  I was so excited when I was notified by email that I won. I celebrated the news with my parents, who were also very excited.

 

What motivated you to enter into the contest? I knew I would win, so I entered and then prayed I would be notified as the winner.

 

How will winning the contest shape your view of sports as you move forward? This contest has taught me to keep on going and to stay active.

 

How long have you been swimming? I have been swimming for four years on both the Princess Anne Piranhas and the Oceana Summer League swim teams.

 

What do you like about swimming? I like seeing improvement in my swimming and when I come in first. I enjoy participating in meets and the fun of racing.

 

What's your favorite stroke? Backstroke, I can swim any distance.

 

How does swimming play into a healthy lifestyle?

Swimming is great exercise and something I enjoy to do. If you don't exercise, your bones will not stay strong and could break because they're too weak.

Do you plan to keep swimming? Yes, definitely. It's a fun way to get 60 minutes of activity. 

 

Swim on, Thomas!
Swim Tip Video Clip: The Roll Technique 

  

Rolling from front to back (or back to front) may seem like a simple concept, but in swimming it is an important safety skill. It is especially useful for new swimmers to learn how to roll from front to back. During freestyle the body is in a prone position with the face in the water; learning to roll over into a supine position offers a break if you become tired. While on the back, you may decide to float in place to rest, or use a combination of arm and leg actions to move to safety while the face remains out of the water.

 

View this video clip to see the roll technique demonstrated. While swimming on the front, exhale slowly into the water and then lower one shoulder and turn the head in the opposite direction. The swimmer in the video lowers his left shoulder and reaches his left arm across his body to his right hip. The momentum from the stroke helps complete the roll in a fluid motion.

 

Once on the back, the most important thing to remember is to RELAX. Lay your head back until your ears are in the water and gently arch the body at the hips. The swimmer in the video clip demonstrates what happens to body position when the knees are up - the center of mass changes and the body is driven down under water. When the swimmer flattens out and extends his legs, the body moves back up to the surface. In addition to flutter kicking, this swimmer is using his hands to scull.

Spend Spring Break at Your Local Pool
  

Indoor Pool No plans for spring break? The recreation centers are a great place for the kids to get some exercise, learn new skills and have some fun. Here is a quick look at the activities our Aquatics Unit is offering April 14 - 18.

  

Float-A-Rama | Bayside | April 13 | 1:00 - 4:00 pm | Free with membership or day pass; Open to all ages, but those age 9 and under must be directly supervised by someone age 16 or older.

  

Lifeguard Training | Age 15 & up | Get ready for that summer job at the pool! This class teaches the swimming pool lifeguarding skills and knowledge needed to prevent and respond to aquatic emergencies. Eligibility swim April 1 @ 6:00 pm

Seatack | April 14 - 17 | 8 am - 5 pm | $150 | Register 

  

Junior Lifeguard | Age 10 - 14 | Classroom and pool instruction provides youth with the knowledge required to become a Junior Lifeguard. Participants swimming skills must exceed Level 4 of the American Red Cross Learn-to-Swim Program. Eligibility swim April 4 @ 6:00 pm

Kempsville | April 14 - 17 | 9 am - 12 pm | $30 | Register 

  

Water Polo Tournaments

Great Neck

Age 10 - 13 | April 14 | 6 - 8 pm | $7 | Register 

Age 14 - 17 | April 15 | 6 - 8 pm | $7 | Register 

Age 18 & up | April 16 | 6 - 8 pm | $7 | Register 

 

Competitive Swim Clinics

Princess Anne | Age 6 - 17

All Strokes | April 14 - 17 | 10 am - 12 pm | $60 | Register 

Freestyle | April 14 | 10 am - 12 pm | $16 | Register 

Backstroke | April15 | 10 am - 12 pm | $16 | Register 

Breaststroke | April 16 | 10 am - 12 pm | $16 | Register  

Butterfly | April 17 | 10 am - 12 pm | $16 | Register 

Please Note Our Upcoming Facility Closures

 

Bow Creek Recreation Center is closed for a long-term modernization project

The gym at Great Neck Recreation Center
will be closed March 24 - April 6 while moveable walls are sanded and repainted.
 
The gym at Bayside Recreation Center will be closed April 21 - May 4 while moveable walls are sanded and repainted. 

  

Don't forget that your membership is good at all Virginia Beach Recreation Centers! If your usual center is closed, take the opportunity to visit another center. Use this locator to help you find one!

Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation believes all of our diverse citizens have a right to participate in community recreation and we are committed to creating equal access for everyone who may have a challenge or barrier. If you or your child requires additional support, we can help. Learn more about our accommodation and inclusion services.
We welcome your comments and questions. Feel free to email us at [email protected].
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Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation is accredited by CAPRA,
the certifying agency of the National Recreation and Park Association.