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GuardStart
American Red Cross GuardStart: Lifeguarding Tomorrow is a program for youth that provides a foundation of aquatic and leadership knowledge, attitudes, and skills for future successful completion of the Red Cross Lifeguard Training course.
Objectives of the course include:
- Prevention. Learn about the causes and ways to prevent drowning and diving accidents, learn how to supervise others around the water, and learn how to recognize when someone is in trouble.
- Fitness. Improve swimming stroke mechanics, endurance, strength, and physical fitness level for the skills necessary to become a lifeguard.
- Response. Demonstrate, with prompting, how to perform self-rescue, how to assist others in trouble in the water, and how to provide basic-level first aid and CPR.
- Leadership. Learn about leadership characteristics and skills necessary to become a lifeguard, including how to communicate effectively, make informed decisions, be an effective leader, be part of a team, and provide good customer service.
- Professionalism. Learn how to search and apply for a job and prepare for an interview, and understand the importance of providing quality community service.
Prerequisites for this course include:
- Ability to swim the front crawl for 25 yards continuously while breathing to the front or side.
- Ability to tread water for 1 minute using arms and legs.
- Ability to submerge and swim a distance of 10 feet underwater.