The USA Swimming Foundation today announced the renewal of its Affiliate Partnership with USA Triathlon, where the two organizations will collaborate to increase drowning prevention and learn to swim opportunities nationwide.
The USA Swimming Foundation’s Affiliate Coalition is a strategic network comprised of national community-based organizations and non-profits who share the common goal of promoting the importance of learning to swim and water safety.
“Learning to swim is a critical life-saving skill and also the foundation for anyone to enjoy any aquatic sport for life,” said USA Swimming Foundation Executive Director Debbie Hesse. “Informing thousands of children and families through USA Triathlon’s Splash & Dash Aquathlon events is an important step within USA Swimming Foundation’s mission of drowning prevention.”
As an Affiliate partner, USA Triathlon will provide age-appropriate water safety and learn to swim materials at its fourth annual Splash & Dash Youth Aquathlon Series. In partnership with the USA Swimming Foundation, the organization will develop pre-event collateral to educate participants and their families on safer water practices and adequate swim skill preparation. The series features nearly 50 swim-run events nationwide for children ages 7-15.
For the 2015 partnership year, USA Triathlon will work closely with Splash & Dash race directors to connect them with Make a Splash Local Partners and promote their learn to swim programs at USA Triathlon events. Visit usatriathlon.org/splashanddash for more information on the series.
“We believe multisport is accessible to everyone with the appropriate training, and this partnership with the USA Swimming Foundation allows us to share necessary resources with those looking to get started in the sport,” said Rob Urbach, USA Triathlon CEO. “By educating our youth members on the importance of water safety with help from the USA Swimming Foundation, we are helping children realize their potential in the sport at an early age.”
For more information about the USA Swimming Foundation, visit: www.usaswimmingfoundation.org.
Sobering Drowning Statistics
· Approximately 10 people drown every day in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with nearly 25 percent children younger than 14
· 70 percent of African-American and 60 percent of Hispanic/Latino children cannot swim, according to a national research study by the USA Swimming Foundation and the University of Memphis
· Only 13 percent of kids who come from a non-swimming household will ever learn to swim, the USA Swimming Foundation found
· African-American children drown at a rate nearly three times higher than their Caucasian peers, the CDC reports
· Drowning is a silent killer—most young children who drowned in pools were last seen in the home, had been out of sight less than five minutes, and were in the care of one or both parents at the time, according to the Present P. Child Drowning study
About the USA Swimming Foundation
The USA Swimming Foundation serves as the philanthropic arm of USA Swimming. Established in 2004, the Foundation works to strengthen the sport by saving lives and building champions— in the pool and in life. Whether we’re equipping our children with the life-saving skill of learn-to-swim through our Make a Splash initiative, or providing financial support to our heroes on the U.S. National Team, the USA Swimming Foundation aims to provide the wonderful experience of swimming to kids at all levels across the country. To learn more, visit www.usaswimmingfoundation.org.
The USA Swimming Foundation’s Make a Splash initiative is a national child-focused water safety campaign, which aims to provide the opportunity for every child in America to learn to swim. Through Make a Splash, the USA Swimming Foundation partners with learn-to-swim providers and water safety advocates across the country to provide swimming lessons and educate children and their families on the importance of learning how to swim. The USA Swimming Foundation has invested millions of dollars to provide grants to qualified Local Partner learn-to-swim programs, to spread national awareness, and to bring together strategic partners to end drowning. To date, more than 2 million children have received the lifesaving gift of swim lessons through the USA Swimming Foundation Make a Splash Local Partner network, comprised of more than 600 qualified lesson providers across the nation. To learn more, visit www.makeasplash.org.
Swimming New is courtesy of the USA Swimming Foundation.
