Since August, I can genuinely say that I have had many new and enthralling experiences at my very own natatorium. Training at the beginning of the year was a horrid nightmare that I can gladly say I lived through. It was long, hot and very tedious-- thank god for bars...I would have never made it through.
Now, for what you have all been waiting for--another lifeguard revelation! During this past semester, I had the swim team shift. It's a rather interesting shift because you get to watch the whole swim team for 1.5 hours. When I say "get to watch (like it's a privilege?)," I actually mean: are required to "helicopter mom" them (If you don't know what a "helicopter mom" is, google it please). I'm sure those of you reading this are thinking, how hard can a shift be when the lifeguards barely have to do anything...do they even really have to watch the pool?
You are wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. We are required to hover over the swim team and accede to all of the teams requests and demands. Honestly, shifts during swim practice can be intense with all the appeasing we must do. It's a challenge of its own but it's all in a day's work of American Lifeguarding. Boy, I cannot WAIT until I start working swim meets shifts. Those are like swim practice shifts on super steroids...
