The Ludlow Boys and Girls Club will host a Red Cross lifeguarding course the week of April 13th and costs $225 for Boys and Girls Club members and $250 for nonmembers. The Monday through Friday classes will be from 4:00 p.m to 8:00 p.m, and Saturday 8:00 a.m until 4:00 p.m.

You don’t have to be a competitive swimmer to become a lifeguard. The only prerequisite for the class is that you have to be able to swim three hundred yards in under 12 minutes.

The course includes multiple written tests and real-life scenario testing. In the scenario tests participants will be put in real-life situations and the instructors will test them on how they respond to the situations. For example, you will have to save someone who is drowning.

Those who complete the course will be certified to work at public pools.

“It’s a flexible job while in school,” says Boys and Girls Club lifeguard Paige Mullins, “It helps you learn responsibility.”

This certification class doesn’t involve waterfront training, which is meant for lifeguarding at ponds, lakes and oceans.

“I’m excited to get my certification,” says LHS Junior Andrea Taylor, “I think this will be a good job for me considering my background in competitive swimming.”

Locally, lifeguards with this level of certification could apply for jobs at the YMCA in Wilbraham, The Boys and Girls Club in Ludlow, Whitney Park in Ludlow, or any other public pool.

Registration is now open. Go to http://ludlowbgc.org/html/aquatics2.htm if you have any questions.