Hey WATERFRONT STAFF

[runrachrunn]

There is a good possibility that I'll be heading up swim at camp this summer, and wanted to find out some stuff: the more info, the better guys - I know you all love to share

1) What was the activity/program that you felt was the most successful down at waterfront?
2) what types of pre-camp training did you do (either as an entire waterfront or in individual activity areas - swim, canoe, sail etc)
3) What did you feel was the biggest challenge of working on waterfront?
4) How was this challenge dealt with?
5) What kind of support did you have from senior staff?
6) Any other comments or questions...

Thanks guys... I am a little overwhelmed at the prospect of actually leading other staff for the first time in my life. But I figure, the more prepared I am, the better it will be.

r

[speedx5xracer]

1. At our lake the rave trampoline and iceberg.
2. LG cert for every one WSI for pool guards, and WFLG and small craft safety or river canoe for lake guards.
3. staff taking the job seriously and knowing when to have fun and when to be serious.
4. 2 staff were fired for incompetance and 2 were not asked back 3 of us were asked back.
5. Senior staff helped us when they could. They werent afraid to inform my boss of the incompetance.
6. any questions u wnat to ask me IM me on this name

[CAMPFRIEND]

I think the the biggest thing is to make sure that you have the right certs. for your staff at the waterfront! I know that a lot of the time staff love to be there on the hot days but make sure that all of the staff know that it's your waterfront and they need to follow the rules just like the campers. Make sure if doing swimming lessons that you have staff that enjoy teaching them. And remember that the waterfront is most directors biggest fear. Make sure that you don't let staff mess around. You don't want anything to happen down there!

Good luck!

[camper]

1. our most successful program...hmmm...our waterfront in general is successful. for the younger kids, we are really great at getting kids into the lake that don't want to go in. we use puppets a LOT. we also do little things for the kids like "adjusting the sun dial" and a "cloud watch" depending on how sunny it is. for everyone, we have the lake trampoline, iceberg, teeter totter, blob, slide, etc. also, we happen to have a great competitive swim team but we built that over time.
2. our waterfront orientation for the waterfront staff consists of helping the waterfront director set up all the boats and floats, plus a general lifeguarding review and recertification. for everyone, we have a "mock emergency" and we go through all of the emergency waterfront procedures.
3. biggest challenge is safety in general. the waterfront is the most dangerous place at camp.
4. having about twice as many lifeguards as the ACA requires for a waterfront of our size, going over safety stuff often, making sure the lifeguards are confident.
5. our waterfront staff has all the support they need from everyone! everyone loves the lake!
6. have fun and don't be paranoid, b/c while you need it to be safe it also needs to be fun!

[rhiannond87]

1) What was the activity/program that you felt was the most successful down at waterfront?
I think that sailing or waterskiing was the most successful. Our equipment is pretty good and the staff are pretty knowledgable in their subject area.

2) what types of pre-camp training did you do (either as an entire waterfront or in individual activity areas - swim, canoe, sail etc)
Everyone on waterfront is put through Red Cross Lifegaurding (not all pass), this is done prior to specialist training and every year, we have to redo our CPR and swim test. Then the whole waterfront do some activities together, eg powerboat driving, safety etc. Then last year we split up into three groups to gain qualifications; sailing, waterskiing and canoe instructions. I did sailing and it involved three days of sailing and theory. (The returners last year did a course that they hadnt done the year before - not sure what I will do this year!).During pre-training, theres only the waterfront and ropes staff so even though we make friends there is a kind of rivalry between the two groups.

3) What did you feel was the biggest challenge of working on waterfront?
Getting everything packed away in the short amount of time! Also, we are majorly responsible for these kids and we have to make sure that they have fun but are ultra safe as well!

4) How was this challenge dealt with?
We had team chats every morning - this worked well as we could talk through some ideas etc.

5) What kind of support did you have from senior staff?
We had a WF and an Assis WF Directors who were really good and helpful, also the owner of the camp was an extremly good waterskiier and so went through a lot of training with us.

6) Any other comments or questions...
I loved bein on the WF and going back this year to work there!We had a real sense of team work and bonded really well! During WF training, they took all the sailing instructors out on the yacht at sunset - it was awesome. As a treat, they also took us early morning waterskiing - it gave us a major boost!

[IceCube]

Hey, it looks like we're in the same boat so to speak...I'm looking towards my first year as a waterfront director as well, so your thread has sparked my interest as well.


Previous years, we have had success with boating in general, although most of the kids liked windsurfing the best (we have a non-motor pond, so that's the closest thing they have to going fast and getting wet)

During staff training, ideally, all of the lifeguards are supposed to re-certify their LG certs (we finished all of the requirements last year sometime in august I believe) and have basic orientation to the lake with the rest of the staff.

Most of the time, our biggest challenge was getting the counselors to participate in the safety end of bringing their kids to the waterfront...they had no problem swimming with the kids or even doing lessons with them, but they didn't want to stand on the docks with us and 'watch'. That and getting the kids to stay interested in lessons.

Our waterfront director kind of took charge of making sure the counselors were watching as well as keeping their kids in line, but basically we took the approach of quiet reminders and a lot of compromises (staff swims are always a plus), and with the kids and lessons, the more games they can play while learning, the less they realize they're being taught.

Our waterfront director was in charge of three waterfronts in various parts of the state, so a lot of the time problems were dealt with by the head lifeguard (me) and if that didn't work, one of the other ad-staff members was always willing to sit down and mediate discussions.

Good luck! That's the best comment I can give you, as I don't have much experience in the waterfront director's position yet...being head lifeguard gives you a sense of what is in store, but I won't be at the same camp this summer that I have been in the past, so we'll have to see what happens...just remember that while safety is always foremost, the kids are right up there over anything else that may come along, and make sure your staff knows that too...they tend to forget sometimes when they've been standing up staring at the same water all day...it's always new for the kids, even if it's playing Marco Polo for the tenth time for the staff.

[clarabelle1985]

only spend one year at waterfrount and work at a small camp so most of the people that work in waterfrount are also councellors with the exception of the watertfrount director and one/two waterfrount staff a week.

1) What was the activity/program that you felt was the most successful down at waterfront? Every thursday night we had a beach party wich was great fun incorperated food, free swim, games that got all campers envoved regardless of swimming ability
2) what types of pre-camp training did you do (either as an entire waterfront or in individual activity areas - swim, canoe, sail etc)
some of the staff did there red cros certificate, there was a whole camp waterfrount session on the diffrent acticvities and emergency situations
3) What did you feel was the biggest challenge of working on waterfront?
wet/thunder days and with the kids whist waiting on activity ie waiting on there turn ont he tube
4) How was this challenge dealt with? imagination of coucnellor comming up with things to do. Might have been good to have a procedure in place tho
5) What kind of support did you have from senior staff? ok always knew what was going on due to moring meeting etc but sometimes felt they forgot doing councelling and lifegaurding
6) Any other comments or questions...
what do other camps do in bad weather during swim time what other watefrount activities can u do with just a lake and some canoes? new ideas would be great

[gabor85_hungary]

I just want to share one beloved activity in our camp: swimming under the water. We do this kind of competition in 50 meter long swimming pools. Some kids can be under the water up to 2 minutes. :)