Local teacher praised for commitment to coaching young people
A YOUNG woman with Down Syndrome from South Ayrshire has been praised for her passion in creating the next generation of safe and competent swimmers in Scotland.
Cerys McCrindle is inspiring young children to learn the vital life skill in Prestwick, teaching up to five Learn to Swim classes a week to create ‘Generation Swim’.
Teachers like Cerys are playing a vital role in creating ‘Generation Swim’ and are being celebrated across the countryas part of a Scotland-wide recruitment drive to encourage people to #Become A Swim Teacher.
The 22-year-old has become a role model at the Prestwick and Citadel Swimming Pools, helping children from age eight onwards across various ability groups gain confidence and competence in the water through Learn to Swim lessons.
Cerys took part in Learn to Swim lessons from a young age and has been competing since she was 11. She is now a competitive swimmer with Down Syndrome Swimming Great Britain (DSS-GB) and has raced competitively across the globe.
Cerys said: “I love swimming, I always have. I’ve been able to travel all over the world through my competitions. Being a swim teacher is great, I get to teach kids how to be safe in the water, as well as creating lesson plans.
“I became a teacher to pass on my knowledge and help other people feel confident in the water. Most importantly I want those I’m teaching to feel like they can just be themselves. Teaching is so much fun and so rewarding, I would encourage anyone to get involved.”
Cerys is now employed part-time with South Ayrshire Council and delivers Learn to Swim lessons to 50 children a week.
South Ayrshire Council pride itself in providing a supportive environment for teachers like Cerys to develop their skills and offer a wide range of opportunities for training, supporting, and employing swimming teachers.
The Learn to Swim National Framework – a partnership between Scottish Swimming and Scottish Water which is delivered by 38 aquatic providers across Scotland in more than 160 pools – is shining a light on the inspiring teachers involved in teaching the next generation of youngsters to swim.
Organisers have launched a nationwide drive to recruit a new network of poolside teachers, promising huge job satisfaction as they help children of all ages and abilities to become more confident, safer and competent swimmers.
The programme is open to everyone regardless of disability or skills levels, with the partnership committed to creating a supportive environment for all to learn and teach swimming.
Euan Lowe, CEO of Scottish Swimming, said: “Teaching others to swim is one of the most fulfilling careers, imparting a critical life skill. It’s inspiring to see instructors like Cerys share their passion while providing essential lessons.
“For any jobseeker wanting meaningful work – from students seeking part-time roles to senior career changers – swimming instruction presents tremendous opportunity. With positions nationwide, partners have openings for all backgrounds and ambitions.”
The National Learn to Swim Framework has already provided lessons to more than 100,000 youngsters, and aims to reach another 100,000 by 2025.
Brian Lironi, Director of Corporate Affairs with Scottish Water, said: “Cerys, and all the other swim teachers across Scotland, are a testament to the passion for developing the next generation of safe and competent swimmers – these enthusiastic, dedicated teachers delivering these lessons play such an important role in encouraging and supporting children of all ages and abilities to learn and enjoy swimming in a safe way.
“Becoming a swim teacher is an amazing opportunity for people to make a difference and be part of creating a meaningful legacy for Scotland to help children be safe in and around water.”
The Learn to Swim Framework helps to create quality Learn to Swim environments for children from birth upwards where they can learn the vital skills to become safe and competent swimmers, and also get to experience the wider health and social benefits that swimming can offer as they progress through the aquatic pathway. .
Individuals will be put through the Scottish Swimming Teacher Qualification (SSTQ) which is the industry standard for those who wish to teach unsupervised to groups of swimmers with a range of abilities and is essential for seeking employment as a swimming teacher.
Scottish Swimming support National Framework partners to develop their teachers with regular continued professional development and access to resources to help with their lesson delivery.
Learn to Swim aims to build a real legacy for Scotland – creating “Generation Swim” by improving water safety, and giving all children a real platform for success to achieve their full potential both in the pool and out.
For more information on the teaching courses, visit https://scottishswimming.com/events/events-calendar/qualifications
For more information on the Learn to Swim programme, visit https://www.scottishswimming.com/learn-to-swim
