by Sandy Oldfield

Cody Waddington has the quintessential teenager’s summer  job – lifeguarding. And he knows what a good thing  he has going. As a matter of fact, it’s his fourth summer on  staff at the Coquille Community Pool. “It’s a dream job!”  says Cody. “The best thing about it is working with the  other guards who I didn’t know before but who have  become my really good friends.”  In order to qualify for one of the eleven positions, Cody  took a lifeguard and first aid course, for which he must be  re-certified every couple of years. Although he is trained to  save a drowning swimmer and to deal with medical emergencies,  including performing CPR, he has never had to use  those skills. Always vigilant, he keeps an eagle eye out for  kids who are floundering and has pulled a few from the  pool.  Two people staff the large pool at all times and a third  will be added to guard the wading pool when that opens,  hopefully next week. At the moment, they are awaiting a  part to repair that pool, which is dedicated to kids up to  eight years old, who cannot swim.  The main pool was full of children on a chilly, breezy  Saturday afternoon, the first weekend since school let out.

Cody says that the kids are great and usually respond well  to requests to change behavior. Occasionally, he has to ask  a child to sit out for 10 minutes or, if that doesn’t work, talk  with parents. There are lots of kids who attend regularly  and he gets to know them well and watch them grow up,  summer after summer. His cheerful, easy-going manner  makes him a natural to work with youngsters. Sitting on  his high perch, he whistles to himself and calls out greetings  to new arrivals, all the while keeping a careful eye on  swimmers.  In addition to life-guarding duties, Cody and the other  staff must keep the pool, grounds and building clean and in  working order. They learn how to test and adjust the pool  for chemical balance and check on the systems. “The heating  system is pretty old and doesn’t work really well,” he  notes.

The worst part of the job, he says, is cleaning up  messes the kids leave in the pool changing/restrooms.  While the pool is popular with young people, Cody says  that it is underutilized by adults. “There’s a core group of  lap swimmers but it would be great to have more people in  the community using the pool – it’s such a great resource.”  He explains that there are summer passes available for $65  or family passes for 20 swims for $55. Or you can just  come for $3 a day.  Currently a student at Western Oregon State University,  Cody was only 15 when he began life-guarding. Born in  Coquille, he is a life-long resident and loves it here. “I love  this town and the people. It would be my dream to come  back here to live and teach.” He is considering majoring in  education, but hasn’t declared yet declared his major.  When he’s away at college, he never uses the pool. “I get  enough of that in the summertime,” he declares. Still, he  confesses that his favorite place to hang with his friends is  the beach!