In his role as Aquatics Director at the Warren County YMCA, Tom Sparkman is responsible for developing a certified corps of lifeguards for both the indoor and outdoor pools.
As Sparkman explains, the training required to become a successful lifeguard involves a combination of expertise, both in the classroom and in the pool:
“From start to finish — because we have a couple of different formats — a complete lifeguarding class takes 40 hours of training,” Sparkman said. “It can be reduced, if I do a blended learning format with some online training — which is how we do some of courses now.
“But we still need 24 hours of training in class, in the water, and it’s a significant commitment.”
Sparkman said lifeguard training is ongoing, even with guards who are already Red Cross certified.
“Once we hire lifeguards, we train all the time.” Sparkman said. “We have a mandatory in-service training every month. In addition to the in-service and classroom training, we have a responsibility to develop our young people, so I typically engage with our lifeguards on a daily basis.”
If you — or anyone you know — is interested in learning how to become a lifeguard at the Warren County YMCA, contact Tom Sparkman at (309) 734-3183.
