33 www.ReadMPM.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.MountPleasantPodcast.com Mount Pleasant is surrounded by water, whether rivers, tidal creeks or lakes. Beaches lie a short drive over the bridges and pools abound. Learning to swim is a critical skill to master no matter where you live, but it takes on even greater significance here. Sometimes, it can be a matter of life and death. That’s why Mount Pleasant Town Councilmember Gary Santos launched the WATER program in 2008, a Mount Pleasant Recreation Department initiative that teaches young school-aged children how to swim. Santos, a passionate youth recreation advocate and former rec coach who has served 25 years on council, established the program in response to two children drowning in an area formerly known as “Creature Beach” in Mount Pleasant. “It broke my heart,” recalled Santos. He hoped that WATER might prevent any more tragic drowning deaths. Jessica Walsh, aquatics coordinator with MPRD’s Aquatics Program, originally served as an instructor with the WATER program from 2013-2021, and now manages it. Offered in spring, WATER teaches introductory swim lessons to pre-K, kindergarten and first grade students from Belle Hall and Whitesides elementary schools at RL Jones Center, and to Carolina Park and Laurel Hill students at MPRD’s Park West facility. The eventual goal is getting every Mount Pleasant school with elementary-age children involved, said Walsh. Each participating student group is given a two-week session featuring eight lessons, with 30 minutes of swim instruction per day, Monday-Thursday during consecutive weeks. “You can really see the progression, because of the repetition of it,” explained Walsh. They average seeing 240 children a day over the course of a couple hours. Some kids have never seen a pool or set foot in one, others have a little knowledge and some can already swim. To accommodate varying skill levels, instructors swim test children and split them into more manageable groups according to ability, said Walsh. There are kids who initially feel out of their comfort zone and fear the water, but they gradually come around. “So, to see that progression from day one — let’s say to day eight — it’s a milestone for them. Whether it’s just being able to put their face in the water and blow bubbles,” noted Walsh. Teaching the safety aspect is key. “That’s what the program is all about,” Walsh added. “We want them to be safe in and around the water.” The WATER team generally comprises six to seven instructors who help guide and monitor the students. Upon program completion, Watson said they strongly encourage that children continue their swim lessons whether through MPRD or another organization. “Just because it is a life-saving skill. I feel like it’s our duty as a town and a municipality to get that word of water safety out there. No child or no person should ever drown because they don’t know what to do.” Santos observed a WATER swim lesson recently and was pleased to see so many children participating in the program he created. “It has grown so much,” he said. Santos, a recipient of MPRD’s 2011 “Volunteer Coach of the Year” award, has established countless youth sports programs as councilman, including wrestling, running and football. “I want them to have options that they can excel in, but it’s also good for their health,” noted Santos. Santos is happy to see kids learning to swim at a young age, and he hasn’t heard of any drownings since WATER started. “The WATER program is probably my favorite program because it’s saving kids’ lives,” Santos added. BY COLIN MCCANDLESS Making a Splash Town’s WATER program teaches swim lessons, saves lives our town Photos courtesy of Mount Pleasant Recreation Department Aquatics.
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