YMCA of Coastal Georgia Hosts Annual “Lifeguard Rodeo” for Lifeguard Training and Development

The YMCA of Coastal Georgia announces its annual “Lifeguard Rodeo,” a crucial event dedicated to ensuring the highest safety and emergency response standards among our lifeguard staff. This year’s event will take place on Sunday, June 9, at the Islands Family YMCA on Whitemarsh Island. While this event is not open to the public, it represents a significant investment in the safety and preparedness of our aquatic staff across all branches.

The Lifeguard Rodeo is an intensive, day-long training session designed to maintain and enhance lifeguard skills and standards. According to Camille Stone, Membership, Fitness, and Aquatics Director at the West Chatham YMCA and Chair of the Aquatics Cabinet for the Association, this annual event is crucial for ensuring our lifeguards are well-prepared for the busy summer season. “We close all the pools in our association on this day so that all our aquatics staff can attend and participate. It’s essential that our training is to the highest level possible, ensuring uniformity and maintaining high standards across all branches,” said Stone.

During the rodeo, lifeguards will engage in a variety of training exercises and scenarios, including emergency extrications, active and passive rescues, and team responses to emergencies. These drills are designed to help lifeguards become more comfortable with their roles in high-pressure situations and ensure they can effectively work as a cohesive team. Stone emphasizes the importance of this training, stating, “It’s all about maintaining standards and ensuring we have the strongest team possible. This allows us to have a consistent program in place across the association. A lifeguard from one branch could step in at another without missing a beat, ensuring seamless safety and service for all our members.”

The event will feature several training stations covering CPR, pool chemistry and chemical handling, active and passive rescues, and spinal extrications. Lifeguards will rotate between acting as rescuers and those being rescued, gaining hands-on experience in each scenario. In addition to these critical skills, there will be an emphasis on stress response, communication, and team building.

One of the highlights of the day is “Aquatic Bingo,” an engaging activity designed to reinforce learning in a fun and interactive way. Lifeguards will complete bingo sheets with scenarios that promote safety and customer service, such as helping a stressed swimmer, staying hydrated, and reviewing emergency action plans. Prizes will be awarded to those who complete their sheets, adding a competitive and enjoyable element to the training.

The day will culminate in a relay contest, pitting branches against each other in a friendly competition that reinforces teamwork and the practical application of skills learned throughout the day.

The YMCA of Coastal Georgia is always looking for dedicated individuals to join our aquatics team. We offer comprehensive training and certification as part of the hiring process. If you are interested in a rewarding career as a lifeguard or aquatics personnel, we encourage you to submit your resume and become part of our committed team. For more information about the YMCA of Coastal Georgia and our programs, please visit our website at ymcaofcoastalga.org