“We first teach them to float”. Rémy Lambert coordinates this “I’m learning to swim” course at the Castellane swimming pool. And for him the stakes are high: “too many children do not know how to swim after 6 years. On the _150 children we receive, 90% cannot swim_, and more than half of them are afraid of water. The idea is, through small games, to show them that we float naturally. The goal is not to make them swimming champions, but to teach them how to react if they fall into the water. Let them not panic, let them know how to get to the edge. And once they know how to float, we teach them propulsion“.
It takes several 45-minute sessions for toddlers to feel totally comfortable in the pool, but it’s often quick and easy. Lucas, for example, learned in a few hours: “at first you’re scared, you think you’re going to sink. But once we show you, you learn quickly, first with the fry, then with a board. Now I know how to breaststroke, crawl and even swim on my back !”
During these Easter holidays, 5 swimming pools host this operation free of charge, with the participation of the National Sports Agency: Busserine, Frais Vallon, Castellane, Pont de Vivaux and Louis Armand.
For the sports assistant of the city of Marseille, Sébastien Jibrayel, this is an essential operation: “_35% of students entering 6th grade do not know how to swim in Marseille_. In the second city of France, on the shores of the Mediterranean, this is not acceptable“.
Extended hours in 6 swimming pools for the public
To reinforce the aquatic offer of Marseille during these Easter holidays, the city has decided to open 6 swimming pools to the public : La Granière, Vallier, Saint-Charles, Bonneveine, La Martine and René Magnac. The hours have been extended (8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.) to allow as many people as possible to come and swim.
A total of 11 swimming pools will therefore be open during these school holidays, 3 are closed for work and draining (Saint Joseph, la Bombardière, Desautel). A good way to prepare for the sunny days ahead. Last year 168 people died in accidental drownings in France.
– Fabien LEDU