When kids first meet Lauren Gonzalez at the pool for swimming lessons, they may well be scared. Tight and tense, and with their parents watching nearby, most have never set foot in a pool before. Gonzalez uses the first 15 minutes to get them to relax.
"They are usually afraid of putting their face in the water," says Gonzalez, a Duke junior and varsity diver. "First, they have to feel comfortable and trust me. I always assure them that I won't let them go under. I don't want to put too much pressure on them too soon."
Gonzalez organized a free monthly swim clinic, "Swimming with the Blue Devils," at Wilson Recreational Center's pool on Duke's West Campus a year ago. She wanted to share her lifelong love of swimming with children who might not otherwise have access to lessons. Members of the varsity swimming and diving teams and other volunteers from Duke all experienced help with the instruction.
The young students, predominately black and Latino, were recruited from Durham's elementary schools, and have had limited, if any, experience swimming. Because of their limited experience, the two ethnic groups have a higher incidence of drowning nationally.
"I'm gung-ho about teaching them how to float on their back. I want it to be an instinct in case they get tired swimming," says Gonzalez, a psychology major who plans to pursue a career in pediatric physical therapy. Soon, she says, they are confident enough to use kickboards, splashing their way toward the deep end of the pool.
Gonzalez worked with Duke's athletic department and the Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership to recruit students from the Project H.O.P.E. after-school program for the swim clinic.
"I am so thrilled with how the program is expanding," says Liz Henderson, the Project H.O.P.E. program coordinator. "I know the children are delighted to have the opportunity to gain confidence in swimming."
The idea stems from Gonzalez's experience teaching children how to swim in her native South Florida during the summer. She began diving competitively at age 13 and was certified by the Red Cross as a swimming instructor at age 16. In her experience as a competitive diver, she noticed how few Latino and black students participated in swimming programs. Gonzalez saw a need for a free program to teach underprivileged kids basic water skills.
After a slow start, the program at Duke has become popular, growing from nine to 35 students. At present it is filled to capacity, helping kids improve their swimming skills even during the winter.
"People forget that there are indoor pools," Gonzalez says. "Even if you have a kid in the pool all summer, if you take them out of the water for nine or 10 months, there might be setbacks when they return, not just skill-wise, but confidence-wise."
The parents of the young swimmers notice how the confidence their children build in the pool carries over into other areas of their lives.
"They jump up and down and there is tremendous anticipation before each lesson," says Gabriel Mack, who has two children in the program. "My little boy has been getting a lot better in school because he knows when he does well, he gets to swim."
Mack says all the instructors are friendly, but his kids are particularly fond of Lauren.
"They love Lauren because they see her there on a regular basis. Because of her, they know more about swimming now than they did before," Mack says. "When my son Javon first started he was very timid. Now, every time he goes [to the clinic] he gets a little more relaxed."
The kids, excited about overcoming their fears, wave to their parents to celebrate milestones like swimming the entire length of the pool for the first time or jumping off the diving board.
Sometimes Gonzalez feels overwhelmed by her academic and extracurricular responsibilities, but once the clinic is over, she says her mood improves because she sees happy kids and grateful parents.
"I definitely get something out of it," Gonzalez says.
Other instructors do as well. David Kahler, a Duke graduate student, has been volunteering as an instructor with the clinic since its inception.
"Swimming has always been a big part of my life and it's wonderful to be able to share that with kids from the community," Kahler says. "The swim clinics always have a positive atmosphere. I think that's because the kids have a great time in the pool and all of the instructors have a great time, too."