By Barbara Graff, Falls Connection,
Jeff Gershe, swimming coach at Pembroke Falls for the past 12 years, recently traveled to Jamaica to teach inner city children how to swim.
He has either been competing in swimming or teaching for the past 35 years. Jeff said, “I was very fortunate when I was growing up, I had an opportunity to swim and compete nationally and internationally.” Jeff has always wanted to teach lessons for those who could not afford classes, and on this visit, he had the opportunity.
He told me, “A few years ago he gave lessons to a family that lived in both Pembroke Falls and Jamaica. The family invited him to visit Jamaica and discussed the possibility to teach swimming. They became very good friends.
On Jeff’s recent trip to Jamaica which started out as a mini vacation, he asked his friends if they could introduce him to some swim coaches, because he would like to help teach some classes there if he could. One of the coaches, who he knew from competition many years ago, had put together a program for children that could not afford the cost of lessons. Jeff is developing a program where he can come to Jamaica and assist him.
Jeff said, “Drownings occur worldwide; they are not isolated to just Florida or the United States. If we can prevent any child, from anywhere in the world from drowning, then we are moving in the right direction. From speaking to people in Jamaica of why some kids do not learn to swim, it’s because their parents do not swim; they have a fear of letting their children take swimming lessons because of their own fears. And that cycle continues. Some have told me that 90% of the people in Jamaica do not know how to swim.”
Jeff has been swim coach at Pembroke Falls since the opening of the clubhouse in 1998, and has taught children as young as 2 to adults over 65. His swimming experAse that he has shared with our community has resulted in teaching over 500 children and adults.
Most of these children in the inner city do not have access to swimming pools. “The coach that I worked with” said Jeff, “picks the children up at school, drives them to a pool, and gives them swimming lessons. After the lesson is over, he takes them back in his van to the school.” The children were school age, 4 to 6 years old. Jeff went on to say, “There were ten children in a class with the instructor. Most never had th eopportunity to go to a pool. The kids were great. They had a lot of fun, and the parents that I met were thrilled that someone from the United States came to teach.”
I asked Jeff if he would go back to Jamaica and do it again. Jeff said, “Absolutely. In fact my goal is to take my other instructors with me. The plan would be for us to raise money to fly to Jamaica and the instructors would volunteer their time to teach. It’s a win-win situation. We would teach lessons for children that could not afford classes, and the instructors would get to enjoy Jamaica and also teach the children a life long skill.”
Another question I asked is what about other areas where there is a need for teaching 
children to swim that cannot afford lessons. Jeff said. “There is a need right here in Broward County and I am looking forward to participating with those programs too.”
Jeff has been swim coach at Pembroke Falls since the opening of the clubhouse in 1998, and has taught children as young as 2 to adults over 65. His swimming expertise that he has shared with our community has resulted in teaching over 500 children and adults.
