An open letter to the parents

Thank you for considering Morro Bay Little Guards for your child’s summer. It has long been a dream of Kennedy and mine to begin this program and we have been fortunate enough to have the support of a community like Morro Bay to make it a reality. I am writing this open letter so that anyone reading it can gain the feeling and an understanding of our vision for the Morro Bay Little Guards program.

Our motivation is simple, we both grew up around the ocean and have witnessed first hand how it can both transform and inspire the people who choose to spend their time in it. As an instructor for the Morro Bay Junior Lifeguard program I was fortunate enough to watch 9 and 10 year-olds go from being terrified by the ocean on the first day to quite literally needing to be dragged out of the water at the end of the three week session. Nothing feels better than watching kids enjoy the simple pleasures that the ocean has to offer, to watch them interact with a space devoid of electronics, social pressures, and any of the complications of the material world.

As I said before, the community of Morro Bay has been extremely supportive of the development of this program, especially the Harbor and Recreation Departments. Through them we have been granted access to the beach inside the North Jetty, known colloquially as Widdle Walls, for the entire summer. This is the perfect location for this program. The water is shallow and is void of any current and there are high spots surrounding the beach which make it the ideal location for constant supervision. Perhaps best of all, the prevailing northwesterly winds are blocked by both Morro Rock and the North Jetty, leaving the beach warm and sunny all day long.

Morro Bay Little Guards gives kids the opportunity to learn about the many aspects of the beach and ocean, marine life, the ‘Lifeguard for Life’ philosophy, the importance of teamwork and fair play, and the list goes on. However, the most important thing, and the thing that I know I got out of the Junior Lifeguard program when I was a kid, is the feeling of belonging to something greater than themselves. 

Being a part of the ocean community of the Central Coast has given me so much throughout my life and I aspire to give any kid who wants it the same opportunity.

Best Regards,

Shane Crockett

Program Director

Morro Bay Little Guards