WATE-TV’s Erica Estep produced a story (below) yesterday on the new swim program, called “im,” which was developed in partnership with KidsHealth.org and the Michael Phelps Swim School and offers water safety lessons, recreational aquatic activities and health, wellness and goal-setting instruction.
WATE-TV Story on Michael Phelps Grant at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley
The program, named in recognition of Phelps’ signature event, the Individual Medley, and as an abbreviation to the self-affirming “I am,” is based on the same basic techniques and principles that Michael Phelps has implemented throughout this swimming career.
“I was first introduced to the sport of swimming through water safety,” said Phelps, a 16-time Olympic medalist and Founder of the Michael Phelps Foundation. “I hated to get my face wet so I began to learn how to swim on my back, but with proper instruction, I learned to be comfortable and confidant in the water and my passion for swimming grew with each visit to the pool. Now, with the support of the Boys & Girls Clubs and KidsHealth.org, we are able to offer children a program that will help them become water safe, teach them to set and achieve goals, and live healthier, active lifestyles.”
“We are so proud to have the ‘im’ program here in Knoxville,” said Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley (BGCTNV) Aquatics Director Sydney Pennington. “This curriculum is so much more structured than any other program we’ve used and it’s proven to be very effective.”
Pennington traveled to Baltimore, Md. earlier this year to meet Phelps and his childhood swim coach, and also participate in training for the “im” program. The “im” grant has afforded BGCNTV the opportunity to hire two additional aquatics staff members.
The “im” program includes week-by-week illustrations so the participants will know in advance what they will learn each week during swimming instruction, Pennington said. Participants also take healthy eating and goal-setting classes and earn medals as they advance through the curriculum, with the opportunity to earn eight medals upon completion of the entire program.
“Most of the participants in our program do not come from swimming households and would not have the opportunity otherwise to learn how to swim,” said Pennington. “Swimming is a necessary life skill and drowning is preventable. These lessons are invaluable to the participants.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death for children under the age of 15 and is the leading cause of accidental death for children ages 1 to 4. A study released last month by Pediatrics, the official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, revealed that one child dies every five days from portable pool submersions during warm weather months.
A 2008 survey conducted by USA Swimming and the USA Swimming Foundation determined that two key barriers preventing children from learning to swim were fear of injury or drowning, and the lack of parental encouragement. Further, the USA Swimming study found that nine people drown each day in the U.S., youth drowning rates in ethnically-diverse communities is 2-3 times higher than the national average and that six out of 10 African-American and Hispanic/Latino children do not know how to swim, which is nearly twice as many as their Caucasian counterparts.
Highlights of the “im” pilot program include:
- Clubs averaged 120 participants and 180 hours of programming
- More than 75% of the participants received swimming instruction (safe) for the first time in their life
- 98% of the successful participants felt confident they could now effectively set and achieve goals for themselves
- 80% of the program participants were of African-American, Latino/Hispanic descent
In addition to developing the program, the Michael Phelps Foundation provides each Club with financial support to assist with overall program costs including staffing, training, supplies and equipment, pool access and maintenance, and administrative expenses as well as official posters, medals, member handbook and assorted prizes.
To learn more about the Michael Phelps Foundation or to make a donation, please visit www.michaelphelpsfoundation.org.
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About the Michael Phelps Foundation
The Michael Phelps Foundation is a nonprofit organization focused on growing the sport of swimming and promoting healthy and active lives, especially for children. Fourteen-time Olympic Gold Medalist Michael Phelps established the Foundation with the $1MM bonus he received from long-time sponsor Speedo for winning eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Games. The Foundation’s first initiative was a nationwide tour to share Phelps’ Olympic experience and promote his message of Dream, Plan, Reach with members of the Boys & Girls Clubs. Since then, the Foundation has developed and launched the program, helped establish Level Field Fund-Swimming, a grant giving program that provides funding to uniquely talented swimmers in need of financial assistance, and offers autographed swim caps for charity auctions through Caps-for-a-Cause. For more information, please visit www.michaelphelpsfoundation.org or http://www.facebook.com/MichaelPhelpsFoundation.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley
Boys & Girls Clubs currently serves more than 5,600 members, ages 5 to 17 years old throughout the Tennessee Valley region. The organization also provides 404,401 USDA hot meals and snacks annually for members free of charge. The Clubs serve a variety of members, more than 80% of whom live with a single parent, foster parent or other nontraditional guardian. There are 16 Club locations strategically placed throughout Knox, Blount, Loudon and Northern Anderson Counties. The organization employs more than 260 trained, professional, caring staff and welcomes more than 1,200 volunteers annually. It is a charter member of United Way.
