LIVINGSTON, NJ - Three-year-old Darwin Ecker would normally cling to the sides of the pool at his great-aunt’s house.
“He liked going into the pool but not without being in someone’s arms,” said his mom, Ali Ecker.
He was also reluctant to wear swim floaties. He went in the pool once during the summer of 2020, but before that, he hadn’t been in the water since he was 1 due to the pandemic, Ecker explained. She learned about the Safety Around Water program at the West Essex YMCA from a friend and enrolled Darwin.
During the free, five day program, offered each year during June, participants learn basic swimming skills that reduce the risk of drowning and help them to become more confident in and around water. They also learn a healthy respect for the dangers of being near bodies of water. Children like Darwin will now visit pools and beaches with a little more confidence to jump in and enjoy the water, rather than be scared of it.
Darwin was among 36 children participating in the West Essex Y program, which taught life-saving skills and strategies like how to safely enter and exit the water, basic swim skills like rolling and floating, and what to do if someone needs help, tailoring lessons to varying age groups. The West Essex Y was one of five Y branches from the Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges to offer the Safety Around Water program during 2021. The program is funded by USA Swimming Foundation grants and donations from the community.
His parents weren’t sure how Darwin would respond to the program, but “he absolutely loved it,” Ecker said. “He wouldn't stop talking about swimming.”
His family went to Ecker’s aunt’s house to swim not long after the SAW program. He swam around the pool on his own, wearing a flotation device designed for kids, for support.
Darwin is now enrolled in swim lessons twice a week at the Y.
“I”m really thrilled he has something he enjoys and we can actively take him to,” she said. “My husband (Jordan) and I are happy he found something he enjoys and can progress in the skill.”