Sink or swim

Danette Goulet

* SCHOOL’S OUT is a weekly feature in which Daily Pilot education

writer Danette Goulet visits a summer camp within the Newport-Mesa area

and writes about her experience.

NEWPORT BEACH -- Sporting a purple-and-orange floral swimsuit,

7-year-old Cerise Castle boldly walked out to the end of the diving

board.

She stood poised for a moment, arms stretched above her head, one hand

on top of the other so they came to a point.

Taking a deep breath, she launched herself toward the water, striking

it with a full-force belly flop.

The swim instructor and I groaned in unison. That had to smart.

But when Desiree Delgadillo asked her pupil if she was all right, the

novice diver merely responded: “I meant to do that.�

I didn’t see Cerise attempt another dive that day, but she got full

points for toughness.

Cerise was one of many children in the Newport Harbor High School pool

who were beginning two weeks of swimming lessons. The classes meet for

two weeks, five days a week, half an hour each day.

Several group lessons were being conducted simultaneously in the

enormous pool. At one end of the water, children as young as 4 years used

paddleboards and noodles as they learned the basic crawl and backstroke.

These children were beginners in level two.

Next to them, the level three swimmers learned the crawl stroke with

breathing and kicking -- something pretty complicated when you’re first

learning.

The strangest thing was that even the ones who had it down -- stroke,

stroke, stroke, breathe, stroke, stroke, stroke, breathe -- couldn’t seem

to swim straight. They were all over the pool, crisscrossing one another.

I don’t think I could have done it if I tried. Were they kicking with

one leg at a time?

Regardless, their drive to swim was admirable. Swimming lessons

terrified me as a child -- I always thought they were trying to drown me.

As any swimming teacher will tell you, there are sinkers and there are

floaters. I was a sinker.

But even sinkers can learn to swim.

FYI

Who: Children of all ages and abilities

What: Swimming lessons

Where: Newport Harbor High School; also held at Corona del Mar High

School

Contact: Newport Beach Recreation Department, (949) 644-3151