Fostering the development of a healthy lifestyle in children is so important, and it seems like many Burnaby parents can agree with me. Growing up, two of the most popular sports programs that parents were enrolling their children in were swimming and skating. Almost all of my classmates in school have experienced classes in at least one of the two.
The reason for the popularity of these two programs is definitely the convenience for signing up. Since they are both linked to the Burnaby Leisure Guide, anyone can pick up the free monthly book and read about the classes. Word of mouth and the clear views through transparent windows in each of the recreation centres also help to advertise the sessions.
Reese, Greg. “Ice Skating.” 2017. JPG file. / Pixabay
From what I remember as a child, skating has eight different levels which evaluate your ability to be proficient on the ice. Ranging from basic standing to doing jumps on ice, it’s surely not at figure skating levels but it will still make you sweat with the knee paddings and thick jackets for the cold arena. You don’t even need to own a pair of skates, as each of the recreation centres that offer this program have free helmet and skate rentals for every lesson. These lessons are surely a recommended prerequisite to anyone who wishes to pursue ice hockey as well. The beginner-friendly environment starting from level one is a major attraction for eager parents that wish to give their kids a healthy lifestyle.
For swimming, it is divided up into more tiers for evaluation, and even goes into first aid towards the last few levels. But the core swimming lessons that many Burnaby children enjoy are the Swim Kids series. Ranging from pre-school levels all the way up to Swim Kids 10, the value of knowing how to swim is well worth the price for lessons. Since all the instructors and lifeguards at the recreation centre pools are employed by the city, they are all extremely well trained for any situation.
ID 12019. “Swimmer.” 2012. JPG file. / Pixabay
I’ve personally gone all the way to the highest level of the swimming program, the National Lifeguard class. I can say for certain that this has not only improved my physical lifestyle, but has taught me essential skills for saving lives on both land and water.