MURFREESBORO, Tenn. —
MTSU’s Campus Recreation Center and Murfreesboro-based nonprofit Howard’s Hope have built a special
partnership in two years’ time.
The university’s large indoor pool is perfect for Howard’s
Hope, which provides swimming lessons to underserved youth in Murfreesboro, Rutherford County and other areas in Tennessee with a mission of
combating accidental drowning among children and youth.
With Memorial Day, the opening of the MTSU outdoor pool and
the first of three, two-week Howard’s Hope “Flying Fish” swim lesson sessions
nearing, MTSU aquatic coordinator Pam
Footit acknowledges “a critical need” to hire more American Red
Cross-certified lifeguards.
“Howard’s Hope has so many great stories — from children
overcoming the fear of water to learning swim strokes and possibly becoming a
member of a swim team — but we are desperate for lifeguards,” Footit said. “We
typically have 25 to 30 lifeguards by this time, but we still don’t have the
numbers. If we don’t have lifeguards, we can’t offer the program.”
Footit recognizes the shortage of lifeguards at both local
and national levels. It stems from the American Red Cross implementing a more
“rigorous, stringent” course nationally starting Jan. 3, making it tougher for
prospective guards to become certified.
In March, she reached out to area high schools regarding the
Flying Fish program and the need for lifeguards. A current American Red Cross
certification class ends May 31, with only three projected lifeguards expected
to graduate.
Flying Fish summer swim lessons at MTSU are scheduled for May 30-June 9, June 12-23 and June 26-July
7 for potentially 120 children ages 6 to 12. The lessons are free or
needs-based depending on parents’ income. No lessons will be held Tuesday, July
4, because of the holiday.
To learn more about the Howard’s Hope swim lesson
opportunities, visit http://www.howardshope.org/ or email
admin@howardshope.org.
Howard’s Hope founder and executive director Steve Reeves said many people do not
realize drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children younger
than 5 and the second leading cause of death for children younger than 14.
“Studies indicate a significant number of juvenile drowning
victims, particularly those from low-income households, have never had access
to safe water and have never learned how to swim,” he said.
“The partnership between Howard’s Hope and MTSU addresses
both of those issues by providing organized swim lessons, in a controlled
environment, for needy children in Rutherford County,” he added. “It’s a goal
of both organizations to be proactive in the area of juvenile drownings and
work toward reducing the number of Tennessee children lost each year in aquatic
accidents.”
Swim lessons for underserved youth “are a burden on his heart,”
Footit said. “He and his wife have a child who nearly drowned.”
Reeves said they “almost lost our 4-year-old daughter in our
family’s pool during a birthday party. I saw her lying on the bottom of the
pool and jumped in to pull her to the surface.”
An MTSU Department of Aerospace flight simulator instructor,
Reeves is also an entrepreneur. He is a retired airline pilot and an MTSU
student working toward his master’s degree in aviation management.
Howard’s Hope has partnerships with Vanderbilt University and the University
of Memphis, and the parks and recreation departments in Nashville, Memphis, Chattanooga, Clarksville, Shelbyville and Tullahoma,
Tennessee.
Reeves has recruited a number of sponsors to pay for water
safety instructors, Footit said.
For more on MTSU’s aquatics program, including pool hours,
swim lesson opportunities and more, visit http://www.mtsu.edu/camprec/aquatics/index.php.
The Campus Recreation Center, which is a part of the Division of Student Affairs, is in the
Student Health, Wellness and Recreation Center. Ray Wiley, Campus Recreation Center associate director and 23-year
MTSU employee, serves on the Howard’s Hope board of directors.
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