When people think of summer, some of the first things that come to mind are the hot weather, sunshine and, of course, swimming at the pool. However, these opportunities wouldn’t be possible without the people who work there, who are predominantly teens. Several students at Yutan High School worked as lifeguards or as swim instructors this summer, which helps keep these establishments open.
This year, junior Charley Weeder worked as a lifeguard at a family friend’s pool on Monday through Saturday, which also included babysitting their kids. Weeder appreciated the environment and how much their hours aligned with her summer schedule, which are the main reasons she will be continuing this job in the future.
“I liked this job because I got to be outside, which I loved, and the parents were very flexible, which made it easier for me to work,” Weeder said.
Weeder also enjoyed the specific tasks she had to complete, which included supervising the pool and teaching lessons.
“It was fun to be a lifeguard for children and help them stay safe. I also liked getting to teach them because they are passionate about swimming and are different ages,” Weeder said.
Another person who had interesting experiences while lifeguarding was senior Nicole Wacker, who worked at Twin Rivers YMCA as a lifeguard for the first time.
In order to be a lifeguard, Wacker needed to have special training to be qualified for her position.
“The training [to be a lifeguard] was that you first had to pass the swim test once and then start over and do it again. Then there was another training, which was basic skills, but the main thing was passing the swim test,” Wacker said.
The swim test for Wacker’s training consisted of six down and backs across the pool, treading water, pulling up a brick from the bottom of the pool and going back up without using her arms or touching the walls. After Wacker finished her intense training and passed her swim test, she was able to start working for $13.50 an hour.
“I got to the YMCA 10 minutes before my shift, so I’d be there at 10:45 since we opened at 11. If there are two lifeguards, we switch off every 30 minutes because five hours at once is a lot, but if there weren’t two lifeguards, then I would have to work for five hours straight,” Wacker said.
Wacker enjoyed lifeguarding, but her favorite part of the job was creating lifelong memories with her coworkers.
“The thing I enjoyed most about being a lifeguard there was that I enjoyed the people that I worked with since I knew them from close schools such as DC West and Mead,” Wacker said. “I liked getting to know them more and talking to them during breaks.”
Feeling a sense of belonging is a common reason for students to enjoy their summer jobs, which was also the case for sophomore Kinsley Smith, who worked as a swim instructor at Swimtastic Swim School.
“I usually worked about three hours a day from 3:45 to around 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays with my cousin, who worked on the same days as me,” Smith said.
Smith enjoyed working at Swimtastic Swim School because it included two of her favorite activities, working with kids and spending time with her cousin Mae.
“I love working with kids, which my cousin knew, so she told me that she was going to work there and asked if I wanted to also. It’s pretty fun getting to work with her because we get along and already knew each other when we first started, so it was less nerve-racking on the first day,” Smith said.
Not only did Smith enjoy her time working, but she also appreciated the pay of $13.50 an hour, which totaled over a thousand dollars between June and July.
“The biggest benefit of having a summer job is the responsibility and the income because if you want to do stuff over the summer, you have to work for it,” Smith said.
Even though there are many benefits to becoming a swim instructor, like the pay, there are also some challenges that come along with it.
“One of the biggest challenges I faced while instructing was facing parents’ criticism because sometimes you know what level their child is at while they don’t,” Smith said.
Smith had to learn how to face parents’ criticism, which helped her learn what she should do in those situations later on in life.
“While facing parents’ criticism, I answered their questions to the best of my ability, and if they thought their kid was ready to level up, I would tell them that next lesson I can test them again to see if they are ready,” Smith said.
Overall, these three students thought that their time at the pool was a great opportunity to work during the summer and that they would recommend it to other students who are trying to decide what summer job they should get.
“I would recommend working as a swim instructor because you learn a lot more about swimming than you thought. It is also a lot of responsibility and helps you learn how to manage your time, which you could use anywhere later in life,” Smith said.
