LMT Pool three-peats
in lifeguard competition
By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor
The results of the Delaware Valley Lifeguard Competition are in and the winner is Lower Makefield Township Pool Team A—for the third year in a row.
Hosted by Betty Hess and the Lower Makefield Township Pool on Edgewood Road on Aug. 5, the competition consists of relay races using the 2005 American Red Cross Lifeguarding techniques.
The fact that LMT’s ‘A’ Team compiled the most points—63—competing in six relay events means LMT Pool has the best lifeguards in the Delaware Valley--at least until next year’s competition.
Down from 13 teams that took part in the contest last summer, only 10 squads competed in the event the first Wednesday in August.
The teams missing from last year’s competition were Newtown and Sesame Place. Oh, those two facilities competed again this year but suited up only one squad; in years past, each had two.
Coming in behind LMT Pool-A was Somerton with 54 points. Winning third place was LMT Pool—B with 45 points. Northampton (38 pts.) and Newtown (36 pts.) took fourth and fifth places, respectively.
Pinewood placed sixth with 29 points and Oxford Valley, the last team to win the championship besides LMT in 2006, placed seventh this year with 27 points.
“The times were not as good this year but overall, the first two events were spotless; everybody did everything correct,” stated Hess, who is in her 17th year directing the competition.
“In the spinal injury event, the skill level has improved a lot; we didn’t impose nearly as many penalty points as we’ve had to in previous years.”
“The submerged victim [event], we had lots of problems with. That was sloppy; we need to work on that.”
The first two skills contests are simple, says Hess, measuring the rescuer’s ability to get to his or her victim quickly. While speed is important, the strokes the rescuer takes in his or her approach counts nearly as much, explains Hess.
Another exercise requires the rescuer to retrieve a tired or exhausted swimmer. Still another event—the active victim—is similar and requires the rescuer to tow a distressed swimmer on top of an inflatable rescue device.
While the lifeguards completed the spinal injury contest with ease, the same could not be said of the submerged victim, said Hess.
“We ran into problems going down and doing things correctly,” stated Hess. “We couldn’t get the tubes in going down and we couldn’t get them right coming back up.”
Phoenix Swim Club, Wedgewood—a lifeguarding team from Prospect Park and Sesame Place garnered eighth, ninth and 10th places respectively. While Sesame Place usually fields teams with names such as Grover and Cookie Monster, this year, the kids’ facility near the Oxford Valley Mall entered as the Caribbean Amphibians.
The winning lifeguards for LMT—A included Nicole Pocetti, Whitney Gould, Dennis Guest, Emily Rowley, Kathryn Young, Matt Schzanowski, Sean Corcoran and Brad Parker.
With rain in the lower Bucks forecast the night of Aug. 5, for awhile, it looked like Mother Nature might not shine so favorably on the water rescue skills competition.
“We were supposed to have heavy thunderstorms and the skies looked pretty ominous for awhile there,” stated Hess. “But then it cleared up and the moon came out and the night was gorgeous.”
As you might imagine, most of the lifeguards are young adults in their late teens or early 20s. Yet, Sesame Place entered with a lifeguard in his mid-50s. Hess, for one, found the idea refreshing.
“He was doing a real good, competent job; his techniques were solid,” stated Hess. “It’s nice to see that it’s not just young people doing this.”
It’s also nice to see LMT Pool put its money where its mouth is. Once again, it boasts the best lifeguards in the Delaware Valley.
Sports Editor
The results of the Delaware Valley Lifeguard Competition are in and the winner is Lower Makefield Township Pool Team A—for the third year in a row.
Hosted by Betty Hess and the Lower Makefield Township Pool on Edgewood Road on Aug. 5, the competition consists of relay races using the 2005 American Red Cross Lifeguarding techniques.
The fact that LMT’s ‘A’ Team compiled the most points—63—competing in six relay events means LMT Pool has the best lifeguards in the Delaware Valley--at least until next year’s competition.
Down from 13 teams that took part in the contest last summer, only 10 squads competed in the event the first Wednesday in August.
The teams missing from last year’s competition were Newtown and Sesame Place. Oh, those two facilities competed again this year but suited up only one squad; in years past, each had two.
Coming in behind LMT Pool-A was Somerton with 54 points. Winning third place was LMT Pool—B with 45 points. Northampton (38 pts.) and Newtown (36 pts.) took fourth and fifth places, respectively.
Pinewood placed sixth with 29 points and Oxford Valley, the last team to win the championship besides LMT in 2006, placed seventh this year with 27 points.
“The times were not as good this year but overall, the first two events were spotless; everybody did everything correct,” stated Hess, who is in her 17th year directing the competition.
“In the spinal injury event, the skill level has improved a lot; we didn’t impose nearly as many penalty points as we’ve had to in previous years.”
“The submerged victim [event], we had lots of problems with. That was sloppy; we need to work on that.”
The first two skills contests are simple, says Hess, measuring the rescuer’s ability to get to his or her victim quickly. While speed is important, the strokes the rescuer takes in his or her approach counts nearly as much, explains Hess.
Another exercise requires the rescuer to retrieve a tired or exhausted swimmer. Still another event—the active victim—is similar and requires the rescuer to tow a distressed swimmer on top of an inflatable rescue device.
While the lifeguards completed the spinal injury contest with ease, the same could not be said of the submerged victim, said Hess.
“We ran into problems going down and doing things correctly,” stated Hess. “We couldn’t get the tubes in going down and we couldn’t get them right coming back up.”
Phoenix Swim Club, Wedgewood—a lifeguarding team from Prospect Park and Sesame Place garnered eighth, ninth and 10th places respectively. While Sesame Place usually fields teams with names such as Grover and Cookie Monster, this year, the kids’ facility near the Oxford Valley Mall entered as the Caribbean Amphibians.
The winning lifeguards for LMT—A included Nicole Pocetti, Whitney Gould, Dennis Guest, Emily Rowley, Kathryn Young, Matt Schzanowski, Sean Corcoran and Brad Parker.
With rain in the lower Bucks forecast the night of Aug. 5, for awhile, it looked like Mother Nature might not shine so favorably on the water rescue skills competition.
“We were supposed to have heavy thunderstorms and the skies looked pretty ominous for awhile there,” stated Hess. “But then it cleared up and the moon came out and the night was gorgeous.”
As you might imagine, most of the lifeguards are young adults in their late teens or early 20s. Yet, Sesame Place entered with a lifeguard in his mid-50s. Hess, for one, found the idea refreshing.
“He was doing a real good, competent job; his techniques were solid,” stated Hess. “It’s nice to see that it’s not just young people doing this.”
It’s also nice to see LMT Pool put its money where its mouth is. Once again, it boasts the best lifeguards in the Delaware Valley.
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