Lifeguard training: a great opportunity for motivated swimmers

Daniel Howse began training to become a lifeguard when he was only 12 years old.

“It wasn’t my decision,” remembers Howse. “It was my mom’s. She thought it would be really good for me.”

Howse enrolled in THPRD’s Junior Lifeguarding program, the first step toward becoming a certified THPRD lifeguard.

“I loved it. It was awesome,” said Howse. “They said as soon as I was able to be hired, they’d get me squared away and get me a job.”

He was hired by THPRD at 16.

“I’ve always been around pools,” Howse said. “In high school, I played water polo, I was working here and doing school work. It was a lot to balance, but it worked out because I needed a job.”

Now 20, Howse hasn't had to look hard for work like many of his peers. Besides, he says, the rewards of lifeguarding go well beyond the paycheck.

“When you help someone, and they thank you, you can see they’re thankful from the bottom of their heart,” Howse said. “It makes me really happy.”

He recommends lifeguarding to anyone who enjoys being the water and who can handle the responsibility.

“They don’t necessarily have to have all of the skills when they start,” Howse said. “It’s helpful to have babysitting experience or something that requires a little responsibility because at the end of the day, you are responsible for taking care of people.”

Enrollment is now underway for junior lifeguard training, Dec. 21-30. To enroll your motivated young swimmer (ages 12-15), register here.