Ask children the one thing that they look forward to about the summer, and many might say swimming every day.

But there is a majority of children in Troup County who don’t know how to swim.

JJ Kuerzi is doing something about that.

“Because of my love for the water and my certification as a lifeguard I spent my summers either lifeguarding or teaching swimming lessons,” said Kuerzi, facilities manager at the Mike Daniel Recreation Center and Special Olympics coordinator.

A call from Dexter Davis of the Boys & Girls Club of West Georgia piqued her interest.

“He contacted me back before the summer, wanting some information on swimming lessons and how to make it available to the kids at the club. I explained that we had lessons offered here and asked him how many he thought might participate,” she said.

She was surprised at his estimate.

“His number was way bigger than what we could have done here (at the recreation center’s pool). So I suggested we do a set of lessons just for the Boys & Girls Club with an emphasis on safety and basic water skills,” she said.

Kuerzi said about 350 lessons have been taught this summer.

“Our numbers were strong at the beginning of the season and have dropped as the season is ending, but that is expected, with vacationing and all. We average about 75 a week,” Kuerzi said.

Davis said, “Our kids had been enjoying free time and swimming, but it hit me, a lot of them didn’t know how to swim, and I just felt like we needed to offer them lessons.”

Kuerzi and her team of six certified instructors held six weeks of lessons for the Boys & Girls Club members at the Griggs Center.

“It is a wonderful pool, and in my opinion, there is not a pool in LaGrange that is more perfect to teach swimming lessons in,” Kuerzi said.

When DeNasia Martin, 6, began the swimming lessons, she said she was scared.

“I didn’t want to put my face in the water. I cried. My eyes were burning,” she said. “Then it started getting all better. I realized it was just me, and that there wasn’t any reason to be scared.”

DeNasia soon was putting her face under water and swimming.

Kerrigan Stanley, 9, said she really liked the swimming lessons.

“I had been in a pool before. I liked working on our breathing in the water,” she said.

Darian Tucker, 10, said, “The lessons really helped in new ways. I know how to swim. And I can jump in water now without being scared. I saw all of my friends doing it and thought I could. I panicked, but then I got OK.”

Parents also have a role in the training.

“I explain to the parents we can’t teach the kids to swim in two weeks, but we can teach them the skills but it is up to the parents to continue to provide them with the opportunity to practice and perfect what they have been taught,” Kuerzi said.

All her instructors are staff members and certified lifeguards, and Kuerzi is a certified water safety instructor. Gregg Hall, manager at the Griggs Center, is a certified lifeguard and instructs lifeguards through a program called Star Guard.

Lindsay Izisbell, 19, and Kobine Essandoh, 19, were Kuerzi’s co-instructors.

Izisbell was very proud of the students, and said, “I am kind of sad that the lessons are going to be over. We’ve come along way since we started.”

Essandoh hopes that parents will ensure that the children are able to practice what they learned in the water even after the lessons end.

“A lot of times, some of these kids don’t get a chance to get in the pool again, ”Essandoh said.

Kuerzi said she was pleased with the program She encouraged anyone interested in becoming a lifeguard to contact the local Red Cross at (706) 884-5818, the LaGrange College Natatorium at (706) 880-8018 or the Mike Daniel Recreation Center at (706) 883-1670.

Becky Holland may be reached at bholland@ lagrangenews.com and (706) 884-7311, ext. 229.