Lifeguarding is a class that has been around for quite a long time, but about two years ago, it was put under new management. After the retirement of Health and Lifeguarding teacher Elizabeth Bocks, the class was set to be taken over by two men who know their way around the pool: Ian Hewett and Ian Kobes. Ian Hewett is one of the school's social studies teachers who teaches US History and Government. Hewett is also the Girl’s Water Polo coach, and has been coaching the team since 2017. When he began teaching at the school approximately two years ago, he was also allowed to take over the Lifeguarding class, teaching it alongside Ian Kobes. Kobes, other than teaching Lifeguarding, is not a teacher. Instead, he works at the school as the swim coach for both the boys and girls teams, whose members typically make up a large majority of the class. 

This class teaches students valuable life-saving skills, such as CPR, AED training, and lifeguarding. As a part of lifeguarding, students learn how to make in-water saves, how to address and care for head, neck, and spinal injuries, and how to care for common injuries both in and out of the pool. Another interesting aspect of this class, which is not common for many schools, is that students in the class get to teach swimming lessons to elementary aged children, which helps them learn to interact and work with other students. Based on the skills taught in this course, students are able to become CPR and Lifeguard certified, which could help them get jobs in the future as lifeguards, swim instructors, pool managers, etc. Even if students are not looking for those types of jobs after completing the class, those skills can also be beneficial in everyday life, since an emergency could occur at any time.

In regard to the difficulty level of this class, both Hewett and Kobes agree that students tend to do quite well as long as they are willing to put in the work, so this class might be difficult for those who do not work well independently or with a team, or who are not extremely comfortable in a pool setting. There are also requirements in order to take the class which include swimming 300 yards, treading unassisted for two minutes, and retrieving a five-pound brick from the deep end. 

“Hudsonville is one of the few schools in the state that offers a class like this, so if students are looking to be certified in either Lifeguarding or CPR, then I would highly recommend that they take this class…if students are looking for a way to have a positive impact in their community, then taking lifeguarding could be a great opportunity to do that” said Hewett. “If you enjoy being in a class that has a practical approach to future employment, this is the class for you.  Students in this class really work hard and there is a possibility at the end of the course that they easily find a better paying job.” agrees Kobes. Overall, this class is one that allows students to learn new skills and possibly be able to get a job from their certification.