This weekend was our first trip out to Maroubra Beach to learn about the Nippers, as well as the Maroubra Surf Life Saving Club. I was surprised at how many parents were helping out in order to teach these kids about beach and water safety; it’s amazing how many people are willing to donate time and money. I’ve never seen a program run like this, and I think it’s a great idea; I teach swim lessons to children at home in the summer, but it’s not nearly as popular as the Nippers. It seems to be a great community outlet at such a young age for kids to be social, learn, and stay physically active.
The Surf Living Saving Club also seems to be a great organization. Being that the age range is young teenagers on up, there are a lot of people that participate and join the club for a variety of reasons. I found it understandable that most of the younger kids join as a social outlet, because I would probably have joined for the same reason. It was also interesting hearing how much a sense of community is felt after longer periods of time, and that’s why people continue to join, year after year. The members may pay a small fee, but the atmosphere and sense of belonging that they get is worth the price.
Seeing both Nippers and Surf Living Saving Club enforced that being around the beach and participating in sport is not only for social interaction, but for a stable, supportive environment for both kids and adults.
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