Water Safety Tips

Vickie Kourtelis
Rye YMCA Aquatics Director

May is National Water Safety Month. The Y Aquatics Department is dedicated to making sure that all children learn to swim and learn water safety skills that prevent any injury or drowning in the water. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “Every day, about ten people die from unintentional drowning. Of these, two are children aged 14 or younger. Drowning is the sixth leading cause of unintentional injury death for people of all ages, and the second leading cause of death for children ages 1-14 years.”

 With the summer season right around the corner we would like to share some helpful tips to make sure that you and your families enjoy the summer and practice safe summer fun! No matter what age or swim ability, children need continuous supervision around the water. Young children especially can drown in less than two inches of water so it is very important that caregivers keep a close eye on them while they are swimming! The smallest distraction is all it takes for a child to become part of a horrible statistic, all too many times we hear stories beginning with, “I was only gone for a minute…“or, “I received a quick phone call and a few seconds later…” Please take water safety seriously this summer and feel free to contact us with any questions you may have or any additional support we may be able to provide you with, email us at Vickie@ryeymca.org or call (914)967-6363 ext. 108. Below are some tips that may help you and your families this summer.

 CAREGIVERS
 -Let kids know that they should contact an adult or a lifeguard if there is an emergency. If you are traveling to a pool or beach, point out the lifeguard to your child before you begin swimming.  

 - Communication between adults supervising the pool area is key! If you are going to be walking away from the water for a quick second communicate that with other adults so that somebody is supervising the children in the water.

 -Review pool rules with your children and make sure they know what to do in case of an emergency. Teach them to remain calm and YELL for HELP if they find themselves struggling in the water or in case they see somebody else struggling. Go over emergency procedures with the children (while in the car driving to the water, eating a snack, applying sunscreen, right before entering the water, etc.)

 -Children should NEVER serve as the lifeguard. If they see somebody needs assistance their job should be to FIND help, not jump in and help the person themselves. Distressed swimmers and active drowning victims can become uncontrollable and violent in the water which can lead to drowning or injuring the person helping them.

-Never assume that a child is safe in the pool, even if they are a great swimmer. All kids should be supervised in the water as at any given time something can happen and they may need assistance. Even an experienced swimmer can suffer or worse, drown in the water.

 -Practice makes perfect!!! Set aside 10 minutes every other day to do a mini lesson or just a couple of times during the week. Children like to PLAY in outdoor pools, not practice their freestyle, backstroke, etc. If you stay committed to the learning process throughout the summer then they will improve a great deal.

-If at a pool with a diving board make sure to stress to the kids that they can’t jump until the person that jumped before them is at the wall and that there is nobody in their way.

-Practice swimming without goggles for a little bit each day so that they are comfortable swimming without them if there should be an incident when they fall in the water.

-Be at arm’s reach of your child in the water to provide a helping hand as soon as they may need one. Provide your child a life saving floatation device if they are a non swimmer.

-Teach children never to swim alone.

 -Learn CPR in case of an emergency, CPR saves lives and the faster you respond to a situation using CPR if needed the more likely a chance of recovery. Only trained CPR professionals should practice this skill. Classes are taught here at the Y!

 -Enroll your child in swim lessons. The Y’s summer session will begin on June 23 and registration starts June 13. (Click here for swim schedule)  Swim class is a great way to reinforce pool rules and have children practice their skills in a learning encouraging setting.

 HAVE A POOL AT HOME?
-Never allow your child to swim unsupervised.

-Have 911 posted by the phone so kids remember who to call in case of an emergency!

-Having a pool party? Make sure to assign parents to pool duty, have parents in the water with non swimmers, or hire a lifeguard to come and keep a close watch on the kids.

-Stay away from distracting tasks while supervising your child while they swim. Jump in with them and cool off, play games, or teach them some skills.

-Fence off your pool area and make sure that gates are self closing and self latching, out of children’s reach.

-Remove any toys or objects in the pool at the end of your swim activities as children can fall in by trying to grab them.

-Empty all water out of inflatable pools.

-If your child is having a play date make sure to find out whether they will be doing any water activities. If so, be sure to find out what kind of supervision there will be in the water no matter what swim ability your child or their friends may have.

-Be sure to swim test children visiting your pool before you allow them to swim. Swim tests should be done with an adult in the water at arm’s reach to provide assistance if needed.

-Make sure to separate the deeper end with a divider in the water so that all kids and adults no if there is a change in depth.

 HEADING TO THE BEACH?
 -Make sure to wear sunscreen. Wear hats, drink plenty of water, and don’t forget to reapply sunscreen regularly!

-Keep cool when you can.

-Practice the buddy system. Nobody is allowed by the water without their buddy.

-Point out the lifeguard so the child knows who to approach in case of an emergency.

-Do not allow children to swim in large waves.

-Teach kids that if they are caught in a rip current or undertow they should swim parallel to the shore or tread water and yell for HELP.

These are just a few tips to help create a safe environment for you and your families this summer. Again, we urge you to remain focused on water safety this summer. Keeping an eye on your children or making sure they are properly supervised is key to providing a safe and fun environment for all. ENJOY, STAY COOL, AND BE SAFE!

As easy as riding a bike...

Vickie Kourtelis
Rye YMCA Aquatics Director

“It’s as easy as riding a bike." Funny! For so many years I thought, “if that's the case, I'm doomed!”

After a few failed attempts at mastering a two wheel bike on my own, I had sworn off the activity. At 7 years old, I was left with a broken arm after being jolted off my bike by my brother, who had "accidentally" knocked into my back tire. Soon after, I attempted to ride again and crashed into a tree, busting my lip and chin open and cracking my two front teeth. I have the scars to prove it! I would never get on that thing again! Clearly it just wasn't my sport! So you can see why I thought getting on a bike again would be the scariest thing.

Then, almost a year ago, I was visiting family in Virginia and they encouraged me to give cycling another try.  I went from a small bike that belonged to my 9 year old cousin, to a bigger bike within hours. My entire family questioned my abilities, but with my father holding the back of the bike and the handle bars I slowly mastered the peddling. You can imagine how ridiculous that must have looked, a 24-year old woman getting assistance from her dad on a bicycle. I was nervous, but finally he let go and I realized it wasn't so bad...until I had to stop. Nervously I'd throw my feet down before realizing all I had to do was slowly brake using the brakes on the handle bars. That weekend, after a few hours of practice, I rode a few miles up the road with my 13 year-old cousin. A non biker to a few miles— outrageous!

Returning home to New York, my first stop was at my local bike store. New bike, check...helmet, check…fanny pack to hold my belongings, check! All set for my first NY bike ride. On my first ride I got a flat...called Triple A (a.k.a my dad) and had the tire repaired. On my second ride, not far from my house, I was faced with what I call “huge” hill with a 4 -way stop sign at the bottom. Unable to stop, and nervous with a consuming fear of crashing into a moving vehicle, I threw myself off the bike midway down the hill into a tree. I stood up, looked around, laughed, collected my water bottle and bike from the middle of the street and walked down the hill. I went to the park to clean off my bloody knees and elbow, climbed back on the bike and rode home.

I'm petrified every time I get on that bike, but I will get back on every time. It's a strange thing learning something as an adult. Fear takes over but you have to just let go and go for it! So it's pretty funny that I just learned, right? Well, here's a challenge...find that thing you’ve always wanted to do, make yourself a little uncomfortable, let go and go for it!

Our 9+1 Adventure

All Roads lead to the 2013 NYC Marathon
Laura Tiedge,
Rye Y Senior Director of Healthy Living

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. – Chinese Proverb

I met Alex a little more than 9 months ago when I interviewed her to be a part of our LIVESTRONG at the YMCA pilot program. At the time, she was an 18-month ovarian cancer survivor with steadfast Irish determination to get back in shape. Little did I know that I had just found a terrific new friend.

Alex approached the LIVESTRONG program with a great deal of commitment and a positive attitude. About six weeks into the 12-week program she said she wanted to set a goal to do a triathlon. It was too late to join the Rye Y Tribe, our beginner women’s triathlon team, but there was enough time to get ready for The Westchester Triathlon’s mini-sprint called the Meek and Mighty. Alex registered, started preparing for the race, and sure enough she finished! I was there that day, along with her husband Michael! She was beaming with pride – Alex had found her inner athlete.

So it came as no surprise when Alex signed up for the Tribe and her first sprint distance triathlon. However, she was struggling to get back to an exercise routine and asked if she could join me on my runs. Alex was new to running, but was an avid long distance walker, having twice trained for and completed the 2-day Avon Walk for Breast cancer. We set about becoming runners using the Jeff Galloway run-walk method, which would ease us into injury-free running. This was particularly important to me, as I had suffered a stress fracture in 2010 while training for a half-marathon. I never wanted to repeat 8 weeks on crutches and moving around the Y on my scooter again!

Before we knew it, Alex and I were run-walking three days a week. On one of our walks I mentioned that I was planning to run nine races and volunteer at another through New York Road Runners (NYRR) in order to get an auto-entry into the 2013 NYC Marathon. I could see the wheels turning in her head and by the end of that run, she had decided to join me in the 9+1 adventure.

At that point, our training took on new meaning – we had races to choose and register for. There was no slacking now that we were committed to this lofty goal! That said, each of our runs are a gift, filled with Alex’s affirmations mixed in with her signature phrase/complaint, “Oh, THANK GOD” when the Gymboss (our run-walk interval timer) indicates that we can finally walk for a minute!

Our running routes usually bring us to Rye Town beach and the calming waters of the Long Island Sound. Along the way, and on every run, I will hear Alex say each of these phrases at some point -- Isn’t it just great being out here -- What a gift this day is – It’s good to be alive. She reminds me with each of these affirmations that I need to remain in the moment, clear my mind of stress and worries, and not sweat the small stuff. I need this from Alex as much, if not more, than she needs me to help her stay on track – we need each other!

Until April, we had been successful with one of our main goals – staying injury-free. And then Alex began complaining about rib pain. Thinking this was a flare-up from a previous broken rib, she ran through the discomfort. But it was getting too painful and I insisted she go to the doctor. No orthopedic issues, but it turns out she had a mild case of shingles! So, Alex had to take some time off and I was left to run alone.
span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">While she was recuperating I stuck to our routine, but it wasn’t the same. I had experienced the joy of running with a friend, which made my solo runs more work than fun. Aches and pains set in, and a week before our race I felt the familiar discomfort of shin splints. Alex was ready to come back to running, and while I joined her, I was sure to apply R.I.C.E. – rest, ice, compression and elevation – after our runs to insure I’d be ready for our first race on May 12^th.

Fast forward to race day. We arrive in Central Park on a stunningly beautiful NYC spring day. Cool air, warm sun, blue skies and no humidity. We do a short walk to warm-up and then find our way to the back of the line where the slower runners and walkers await their approach to the starting line. As we walk toward the start, I turn on the Gymboss. NOTHING happens. After I reassure Alex that I did really change the battery, she whips off one of the pins used to attach her race number to her shirt and finds the reset button. We are back in business. Have to love the practical Irish woman! As we near the starting line, we hear the announcer say “Time to get your jog on people”, and we’re off.

It’s not long before we hit our first hill. Central Park is known for having hilly courses, but after 13 years of living—and running—in Pittsburgh, the Central Park hills seem mild. Alex, on the other hand, hates when I make her do them on our training runs. I like to remind her that she’ll thank me later.

At two miles, we have definitely found our groove. As we cruise through Central Park we fall into casual conversation and musings about life. My shin is sore but nothing terrible, and I’m beginning to feel good about the race. Alex seems to be doing well too, with just a little lingering discomfort around her ribs. Then, just as we pass the 4 mile mark, Alex begins to slow down a bit. She asks if we could extend our walk time, so we do. As we walked I asked her what she ate this morning, “Oh, a banana and coffee. Figured this was a short race so I don’t need much”. Yep, she was bonking – her blood sugar was falling and her energy flagging. Oh well, rookie mistake – it won’t happen again.

We breeze past the 5-mile mark running. Alex mentions she is thirsty, even after hitting two previous water stations. I ask if she had any water before the race. “No, just coffee’’. She is dehydrated, adding to the slower pace. Rookie mistake #2! Now I am feeling bad. I had failed to prepare her as the coach. We had gone over running technique, training periodization, stretching and running shoes, but I had neglected to review Race Preparation 101 – nutrition and hydration. FAIL! Still, no time for admonitions; we have a race to finish.

The last 1.2 miles fly by. 800 meters out, our pace picks up as we hear music playing. We cross the finish line to the cheers of the finishers and all of the terrific race volunteers. We did it – race #1 in the books, and just eight more to go! Time to stretch, revel in our accomplishment and find the closest Starbucks! You go girl!
To be continued…

Celebrating a Healthier Earth

Denise Woodin, Rye Y Director of Community Impact and Social Responsibility 

The Rye Y is a leading voice in our community for Safe Routes to School, so kids can walk and bike to schools; edible gardens so families can learn about healthy food choices, and Complete Streets, which make our roadways safe for all users: pedestrians, cyclists, vehicles and mass transit.  Our work fosters healthy living, stronger communities, and a sustainable planet. 

 And, if you can’t remember all that, just sing this Earth Day song to the tune of “My Favorite Things.” (You know, from “The Sound of Music”).

Thank you to our After School Adventures volunteers and Ellen Watermelon for singing the song with only a few moments notice!

The above video contains sound only.

Crosswalks and gardens and

Walking and biking

Safe Routes and sharrows and

Wide road diets

Stronger communities for one and all

These are a few of our favorite things!

Fitness and fresh air and

Vegetables growing

Nutritious eating and

No more car idling

Health for the planet and for ourselves

These are a few of our favorite things!

When the air’s foul!

When the cars speed!

When the kids complain

We simply remember the YMCA

And then we don’t feel so bad!

I’m Only Half Crazy

Ed Philipp, Rye YMCA Chief Operating Officer
You might have heard: I am running a half marathon on April 22^nd.  Up until six months ago, when I committed to running the race, I never would have thought I’d be running a half marathon.  Heck, I was still in denial until I started training 10 weeks ago.  Running just isn’t my thing.  It’s boring (especially on the treadmill) and it hurts.  I ran in the Rye Derby in 2007 and while that was only five miles, it might as well have been an ultra marathon.  I hadn’t run five miles at one time since junior high cross country and I don’t think that I’ve run further than 3.5 miles since that painful Derby day.  So why then am I jumping all the way up to 13.1 miles?  Easy, a friend double dog dared me.

OK, not really but close enough.  Last July I convinced one of my couch potato friends to participate in the Spartan Race with me later that summer.  A funny thing happened; he started training and fell in love with running.  So once he was done crawling through mud at the Spartan Race, he suggested that we run a half marathon.  How could I say no?  After all, I had talked him into the Spartan Race; it was the least I could do.  We rounded up a few more friends, including my wife, and now five of us will run the half marathon and another friend will run the 8K on the same day. 

The worst part of longer distance races is never the actual race; rather it’s the training and time commitment required before the race.  I have been following a 12-week program to get ready for race day and I am now convinced, after completing 10 weeks, that race day is going to be easy.  That’s only because of the time and effort that I have put in so far.  The plan calls for runs on three days a week and cross-training another two days.  In the beginning, even the short runs were painful.  But after the first few weeks, the three, four and five mile runs became “easy” and pain free.  I’ve increased my weekend runs by one mile each week starting with a three mile run in week one and reaching 12 miles by week 10.  I can’t believe that I now find myself saying things like “It’s an easy four- mile run today” or “this weekend is going to be easy; it’s only a five-mile run”.

I can honestly say this is not a challenge I would have taken on by myself.  Having my wife and friends train for the race at the same time has made all the difference.  It’s great having my wife support me and allowing me to spend close to two hours on a Saturday training.  In turn it feels good supporting her while she spends the same amount of time (maybe a little bit longer) training on Sunday.  It’s also a lot of fun to fire off a text message after completing a training run to my friends letting them know how I did.  Race weekend should be a bunch of laughs as well, starting with dinner the night before and continuing through the post race “party”.

So what’s next?  Well, now that running doesn’t hurt anymore, I think I am going to do a lot more of it.  I found a website where you can enter your miles and compete in challenges--just another way to motivate me and keep things interesting.  I just discovered a summer running series that consists of three, five, seven, nine, and 11-mile runs from June until mid-August that I think I am going to sign up for.  I still have two Spartan Races to compete in this summer, so I should be busy.
The same friend that caught the running bug last summer just told me today that next up is a full marathon to which I replied “I don’t think I will ever run a marathon because I’m not CRAZY, only half crazy…”

You can follow Ed on twitter @RyeYCOO

LIVING STRONG IN TEXAS

Ed Philipp, Rye YMCA Chief Operating Officer

Last week I was lucky enough to attend the LIVESTRONG Assembly in Austin, TX.  I was excited to attend as I had never been to Texas and I figured I would get to learn more about the LIVESTRONG Foundation and maybe even get to meet Lance Armstrong.  Up until this point, my only experience with the LIVESTRONG Foundation was through our LIVESTRONG at the YMCA 12-week physical activity program for cancer survivors. 

The three-day Assembly was broken into two parts.  During the first part, each LIVESTRONG partner, in my case the YMCA, held their own workshops; the second part brought all of the partners and attendees together.  I spent the first two days of the Assembly working with approximately 60 other YMCA professionals who lead LIVESTRONG at the YMCA at their Y’s.  Currently, there are 200 YMCA branches that offer the program and we have served 6,000 survivors collectively.  Sharing and learning alongside other YMCA professionals was a great experience and we will be able to implement a few improvements to our program as a result.

The last day of the Assembly brought together all 500 attendees to explore ways we can collaborate with each other.  It was here that I learned about Camp Kesem.  Camp Kesem is a one-week residential camp run by college students for children who have had a parent with cancer.  The camp is free and seems like a great place for kids to have fun and be around other kids who have had similar experiences. Camp Kesem was founded around ten years ago at Stanford University and now has 37 chapters located at universities and colleges across the country.

The moment everyone was waiting for occurred on the second day of the Assembly during the State of the Foundation Lunch.  Lance Armstrong came out on stage and participated in a Q&A with the LIVESTRONG CEO.  Everyone in attendance was extremely excited to see Lance and hear what he had to say.  A common theme I heard from the many volunteers I met throughout the Assembly was that they were cancer survivors and had read Lance’s book while in treatment.  They, along with Lance, believe in the “obligation of the cured” and by volunteering for the LIVESTRONG Foundation they could give back to others.

On the last day, we were all asked to wear the yellow LIVESTRONG t-shirt we were given at registration.  It was pretty impressive to see 500 people wearing yellow t-shirts in the ballroom of the hotel.  However, I thought it was even more impressive to see all of the yellow t-shirts at the airport once the Assembly was over and everyone was headed home.  My flight out of Austin to Atlanta Friday afternoon had 13 of us wearing our yellow t-shirts and it was quite a sight.

For more information on LIVESTRONG got to www.livestrong.org and for more information on Camp Kesem go to www.campkesem.org. To find out about  LIVESTRONG at the YMCA and to view our video, please visit www.ryeymca.org/livestrong.htm

If you're following me on Twitter or passing me in the hallway, ask me about the thumb-wrestling story.

You can follow Ed on twitter @RyeYCOO

From Health Seeker to Healthy: The Journey Begins

Denise Woodin
Rye Y Director of Community Impact and Social Responsibility

I am a health seeker. 

When I started working at the Rye YMCA a few weeks ago, I didn’t know that there’s a term for people like me—those of us who are well-intentioned, health-conscious, if not health active, exercise wanna-bees, mean- to-bees, if only work, family and other responsibilities didn’t take so much time and energy.  We make New Year’s resolutions to lose weight, build strength and eat better.  In 2011, I was determined to lose 15 pounds by Memorial Day.  Like other health-seekers who swell gym membership rolls every January, I tried to find a routine that worked for me.  But when my village pool opened in June, my weight, not surprisingly, was unchanged. My solution?  To  buy a more flattering bathing suit.

(In 2012, my resolution was to know more about the origins of my food; to eat more healthily and humanely. I’m actually making progress on that front, but that’s another story.)

I have told myself that I’m not a couch potato because I go hiking and cycling and swimming with my young daughter.  But the reality is that my most of my career has been spent sitting at a desk.  And when winter sets in, I hibernate in the relative warmth of my apartment, content to watch a movie or play board games with my daughter.  Clearly, I needed to make some changes.

And then I landed an amazing job at the Y.  Sometimes life gives you just what you need when you need it.   As a health seeker, I have no more excuses.  In my brief time at the Y, I’ve been encouraged to take fitness classes.  I’ve gone swimming with my daughter on weekends, and once before the work day started.  Most importantly, I’ve found support for my goals and non-judgment about where I’m starting from.  In the “Let’s Move” class that started last Wednesday, JT and Diana pushed me, just a little, and cheered my panting efforts.

What I’ve learned is that the Y nurtures and supports health seekers. If you are a member, you probably know this to be true.  If you’re not, join me on a health seeking journey.  There’s no better place to do it.