News: Jones Beach Junior Lifeguard Tournament
(Long Island, N.Y.) A tournament was held yesterday at the Jones Beach State Park for participants of Junior Lifeguards groups across Long Island. Monday’s event was opened to participants between the ages of nine and seventeen. Three different groups competed, allowing participants to compete against those within their specific age bracket.
Three different races and courses were also set up for the competitors and an estimated two hundred junior lifeguards participated. The Jones Beach Junior Lifeguard organization takes place over the summer and is a part of a training program for kids and teens. The program occurs over eight weeks, taking place on Sundays at eight in the morning.
Sessions usually last for two hours and begin on June 26th. They terminate on August 7th and the program accepts any form of sponsorship. According to their website, the program offers company logos printed on their issued uniforms and also takes sponsorship to fund the tournament.
Part of the tournament requires running, swimming, and mock rescue drills. Relay races and exercises are also a part of the competition. The goal is to prepare the kids and teens for real jobs as lifeguards in the future and to teach beach safety to the youth of Long Island.
Monday’s event attracted junior lifeguard participants from as far as East Hampton Beach and Long Beach, along with members from Jones Beach and the Town of Hempstead beaches. Many claimed that the competitors take the tournament very seriously, as they learn life skills that can’t be taught anywhere else. In addition to learning more about teamwork and sportsmanship, participants are taught to develop a respect for authority and discipline.
The junior lifeguard programs and tournaments are also a good way to keep kids and teens in shape while giving them firsthand experience with the water. They learn how to run into the ocean and dive safely into the waves. They are also taught sun safety and about the aquatic dangers of oceans and pools.
The participants compete for a shot at the regional and national competition along with bragging rights for their junior lifeguard division. The top five competitors receive trophies. Many attribute Long Island’s junior lifeguard programs as some of the best in the country.
Many of today’s paid lifeguards at Long Island beaches were once participants of junior lifeguard programs. Most programs cost about a hundred dollars or less and include training sessions for the Jones Beach State Park Junior Lifeguard Tournament. Many programs train hard and urge participants to remember that they will only postpone practice in the case of heavy rains. Participants and instructors both agree that the program is a fun way to learn about the ocean.
