Yesterday, March 13th, was the first field trip to Maroubra Beach to see a group of children aged 5-12 years old called Nippers. These children join Nippers to gain confidence, learn about the water, and have a fun filled morning in a safe beach environment.
When I first got to Maroubra Beach, I instantly spotted the Nippers who were having a friendly competition along the beach. Each of these children either had a white cap or a green cap on with their names written legibly on the side. Back home in Huntington Beach, California, there is something that kids aged 8-16 years old participate in called Huntington Beach Junior Lifeguards. In Huntington Beach Junior Lifeguards, the children and teenagers learn about the ocean and ways to get out of trouble if something unexpected happens while swimming or being on the beach. Nippers reminded me a lot of the program back home, because it pretty much had the same goals for these children and teenagers. I think that Nippers is a lot better than the program back at home because it is strictly run by volunteers. These volunteers do it not only because they have community spirit, but they did Nippers as a young child and want to give back to others. Since Australia is surrounded by ocean and the majority of the people live on the coast, it is really important for all kids to learn how to swim and be comfortable with the ocean. For example, one of the parents told me that they pour buckets of water on the kids heads (the 5 year-old group) to get them comfortable before going out into the ocean. The mentality of Nippers is that everyone is a winner and is meant to be fun. All of the parents come out and cheer the kids on, which makes the children want to continue with Nippers up until the age of 12. The goal of the program is by age 12, these children can go out by themselves into the ocean and "ride the surf" while being perfectly safe. I had an amazing experience being exposed to my first Australian sport.
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