Eric Matte is a full time lifeguard for the Westlake Recreation Swimming pool. He is 16 years old and will be a junior at Sam Houston High School. It is his first year to be a lifeguard.
“Now that I’ve been lifeguard for four weeks, I think I’ll do it for the next few summers,” Eric said.
“I was just looking for a job and this one involved water, so this is what I wanted to do. On the Red Cross website I saw SPAR was offering the course,” Eric said.
The American Red Cross Spring Break course at SPAR in Sulphur was composed of at least 30 hours of intense water training with drills for life saving. It cost $250. But the investment has already paid for itself and June is barely over. The American Red Cross course is not easy. No one wants a poorly trained lifeguard at a swimming pool, especially when children are the swimmers.
“We had to swim 300 yards--100 yards breaststroke, 100 yards freestyle and 100 yards of your choice. We had to retrieve a 10 pound weight from the bottom of the pool, that weight equaling the feel of a 100 pound person. We had to dive, retrieve, and bring it up in 1 minute and 20 seconds or less. We had to have CPR certification,” Eric explained.
Since all lifeguards must go through this strenuous training, not everyone makes it, at least not the first time around. But all who do achieve the certification have a certain bond.
“All lifeguards are fast friends. We do lunch together. We go in early making sure everything is cleaned up and ready for the next group.
“There’s usually around 20-25 in the pool at one time and they average around 9 to 10 years old. I know all the group that comes out to the pool. I learn their nicknames.The younger boys and girls at the pool ask me my name and how I became a lifeguard. I told them I had to pass a drug test.
“They said, ‘You mean you have to do drugs to be a lifeguard?’
“I said, ‘Nooo, you have to not do drugs!’
“I don’t know how I’d handle it if someone was hurt while I was life guarding. There are rules: no phones on stand and we rotate every 15 minutes. There are three of us lifeguards on duty usually, one for the shallow water and one for the deeper water. The third person is on break. We need to be always vigilant,” Eric said seriously. He did not seem to take his responsibility lightly.
“I think life guarding would be better than fast food service. It’s out in the sun. People like to get a tan, and people look up to you. I work 9 to 12 and then 1 to 5 on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. On Monday it’s 9 to 12. I’m off on the weekends,” Eric said.
Eric is a devoted member of the SHHS swim team. His best event is freestyle. He travels 50 yards in an impressive 27.25 seconds. From the first of September until November, the entire family is involved in approximately 15 meets as well as the weekly training.
Eric described the weekly routine of the swim team training.
“On the swim team we meet at 5 a.m. at Dynamic Dimensions in Moss Bluff and train until 6:30 a.m. before going to school on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. On Tuesday and Thursday we have dry land practice--cardio to built up endurance. SHHS has had a swim team about four years. This last year we had 20 to 25 members. State will be in New Orleans this year.”
Eric modestly reported wins this year at different events on relay team events and was Top 24 in District for freestyle.
“I’d like to go to college, maybe LSU or McNeese, and major in Sports Medicine. I’m interested in being a physical therapist,” Eric concluded.
Eric Matte is the son of Paul and Jeanelle Matte of Moss Bluff. He has a brother, Tyler, who is 14 years old and will be a freshman this year. He also will be on the swim team.
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Eric Matte is a full time lifeguard for the Westlake Recreation Swimming pool. He is 16 years old and will be a junior at Sam Houston High School. It is his first year to be a lifeguard.
“Now that I’ve been lifeguard for four weeks, I think I’ll do it for the next few summers,” Eric said.
“I was just looking for a job and this one involved water, so this is what I wanted to do. On the Red Cross website I saw SPAR was offering the course,” Eric said.
The American Red Cross Spring Break course at SPAR in Sulphur was composed of at least 30 hours of intense water training with drills for life saving. It cost $250. But the investment has already paid for itself and June is barely over. The American Red Cross course is not easy. No one wants a poorly trained lifeguard at a swimming pool, especially when children are the swimmers.
“We had to swim 300 yards--100 yards breaststroke, 100 yards freestyle and 100 yards of your choice. We had to retrieve a 10 pound weight from the bottom of the pool, that weight equaling the feel of a 100 pound person. We had to dive, retrieve, and bring it up in 1 minute and 20 seconds or less. We had to have CPR certification,” Eric explained.
Since all lifeguards must go through this strenuous training, not everyone makes it, at least not the first time around. But all who do achieve the certification have a certain bond.
“All lifeguards are fast friends. We do lunch together. We go in early making sure everything is cleaned up and ready for the next group.
“There’s usually around 20-25 in the pool at one time and they average around 9 to 10 years old. I know all the group that comes out to the pool. I learn their nicknames.The younger boys and girls at the pool ask me my name and how I became a lifeguard. I told them I had to pass a drug test.
“They said, ‘You mean you have to do drugs to be a lifeguard?’
“I said, ‘Nooo, you have to not do drugs!’
“I don’t know how I’d handle it if someone was hurt while I was life guarding. There are rules: no phones on stand and we rotate every 15 minutes. There are three of us lifeguards on duty usually, one for the shallow water and one for the deeper water. The third person is on break. We need to be always vigilant,” Eric said seriously. He did not seem to take his responsibility lightly.
“I think life guarding would be better than fast food service. It’s out in the sun. People like to get a tan, and people look up to you. I work 9 to 12 and then 1 to 5 on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. On Monday it’s 9 to 12. I’m off on the weekends,” Eric said.
Eric is a devoted member of the SHHS swim team. His best event is freestyle. He travels 50 yards in an impressive 27.25 seconds. From the first of September until November, the entire family is involved in approximately 15 meets as well as the weekly training.
Eric described the weekly routine of the swim team training.
“On the swim team we meet at 5 a.m. at Dynamic Dimensions in Moss Bluff and train until 6:30 a.m. before going to school on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. On Tuesday and Thursday we have dry land practice--cardio to built up endurance. SHHS has had a swim team about four years. This last year we had 20 to 25 members. State will be in New Orleans this year.”
Eric modestly reported wins this year at different events on relay team events and was Top 24 in District for freestyle.
“I’d like to go to college, maybe LSU or McNeese, and major in Sports Medicine. I’m interested in being a physical therapist,” Eric concluded.
Eric Matte is the son of Paul and Jeanelle Matte of Moss Bluff. He has a brother, Tyler, who is 14 years old and will be a freshman this year. He also will be on the swim team.
