By: Mary Ellen Zangara – Special Writer
Young swimmers show their skills
MANVILLE – Esther Williams would have been proud of the show put on Saturday at Memorial Pool by graduates of the summer’s swimming lessons.
The show culminated the seven weeks of lessons for swimmers as young as 6 months, which began in July.
"It’s basically a little show for the kids to show their parents what they worked on all summer," lifeguard Jen Janovsky, who has been teaching the swim classes for the past six summers, said. "Each class got to demonstrate what they learned and how far they have come."
More than 40 participated in this year’s lessons, with classes of 10-15 participants ranging in age from 6 months to 11 years old.
Other lifeguards helping with the classes were Elizabeth Roche, Corrine DeSantis, Tara Covert and Nick Abood. Tyler Alpizar helped Ms. Janovsky the day of the show.
Each of the levels gave themselves a name – such as the sea turtles, piranhas, fishes, clownfish, starfish, seahorses and giant squids.
According to Ms. Janovsky, the classes presented the skills they learned for the show, so, for example, the "beginner one" class for 4- to 6-year olds, learned how to dog paddle. The water babies class – called "Mommy and Me" – was for infants and toddlers, helping them learn to not be afraid of the water when they get older.
Five- to 7-year-olds made up the "beginner two" class, and the students learned the beginning of free style and arm strokes. The advance swimmers, ages 7 and up, were able to maintain themselves above the water and began learning to backstroke, breaststroke and perform dives.
After the show was over, certificates of completion were given to each participant and everyone enjoyed cake.
Ms. Janovsky enjoys teaching the swim lessons and says if she is here next summer, she will do it again.
"They have really come far and do a lot of stuff and it is just enjoyable to watch the ones who were very afraid of the water are now more than willing to jump in the water," she said. "It is great to see their progressing through the summer and especially through the years.
"Some of the kids in my advance class, I have been teaching them since beginner one," Ms. Janovsky added. "Just to see them progress is very enjoyable to me."

