By Lt. Ken Roland
Contributor to the Westside Gazette Newspaper
As the sun sets on another vibrant summer in Fort Lauderdale, the shimmering waters of our pools and beaches begin to quiet. But for student athletes across the city, the end of summer should not mean the end of swimming. In fact, it’s the perfect time to dive in with renewed purpose. Cross-training in swimming isn’t just a smart move for athletic performance, it’s a life-saving decision that directly impacts the health, confidence, and survival of our youth.
Drowning remains a silent epidemic. In the United States, it is the second leading cause of unintentional death for children under the age of four. But the statistics take an even more sobering turn when we focus on Black and brown children in our own community. In Fort Lauderdale and across the country, children of color are 5.5 times more likely to drown than their peers before the age of four. Among youth aged 10 to 14, that disparity increases to a staggering 10.5 times.
These numbers aren’t just statistics, they’re preventable tragedies. And they tell a deeper story of unequal access, generational fear, and systemic neglect when it comes to water safety education.
As a longtime advocate for youth swimming and founder of programs that have trained over 750,000 children in aquatic safety, I’ve seen first-hand how early exposure to swimming transforms lives. And now, as our young athletes prepare for football, track, basketball, and cheer seasons, I urge families, coaches, and educators to consider this: Swimming is more than a sport—it’s a survival skill.
Cross-training in swimm-ing reduces injury by im-proving cardiovascular en-durance, building full-body strength, and enhancing flexibility without the wear and tear of high-impact land sports. Swimming builds discipline and self-esteem, giving student athletes a competitive edge both physi-cally and mentally.
But most importantly, swimming saves lives.
The legacy of swimming must be reclaimed by our community. Too long have myths and generational fears stood between our children and the water. Fort Lauderdale—surrounded by canals, pools, and oceanfronts—must be a city that leads the charge in reversing the drowning disparities that disproportionately claim our children.
This fall let’s make a shift. Let’s flood our swim schools, rec centers, and high school pools with students who want to grow stronger, faster, and safer. Let’s encourage our coaches to incorporate swim workouts into training routines. Let’s empower our youth not only to compete—but to float, to swim, to survive.
We cannot afford to let another summer pass and another child slip beneath the surface, unseen and unheard. The time to act is now.
Swimming is not just a seasonal pastime. For the children of Fort Lauderdale—especially our children of color—it is a pathway to strength, safety, and success.
Let’s dive in together.
Lt. Ken Roland Water Safety Advocate | Founder, Swim Central International Swimming Hall of Fame Honoree Community Contributor to The Westside Gazette
