Hello JG Families,

Our last day at Junior Guards was one of the most bittersweet.  Its a day that begins with our annual Patch Swim, in which the JGs participate in a distance swim to earn their Refugio Junior Lifeguard patch.  Many JG veterans will proudly display their collection of patches, sewing them onto trunks or sweatshirts.  After we enjoy an extended lunch of pizza and watermelon, we have our Awards ceremony, in which a handful of JGs are recognized for standout achievements during the session and all JGs receive their certificate of completion (while the instructors, namely Steve Kistler, struggle to hold back the tears).

Another summer has come and passed with many memories the JGs will cherish always.  They excelled in all areas of of our program, meeting each challenge with abundant enthusiasm and positive attitudes.  Thank you to all JGs and parents who make this program what it is.  We hope very much to see you all back next summer!

P.S. - Here are some photos from Thursday's Fun Comp.

P.P.S - For all those impressed with instructor Evan Schu's statuesque balance and composure, yes, he will be back next summer.

Hello JG Families,

We've had some action packed past few days.  Tuesday we took a field trip down to Hurricane Harbor in Valencia.  The weather was hot and the JGs cooled off zooming down slides or taking a trip down the infamous Lazy River.  Overall the day was a success and the JGs loved it.  Today we held program at El Capitan.  The we were fortunate enough to score yet another beautiful day as well as some decent waves to play on.  After a solid morning vitamin (the B and C group workout was especially noteworthy), the groups took a nature walk around El Capitan point.  The A group also got a chance to check out the El Capitan Lifeguard Headquarters, allowing them an excellent vantage point to spot rip currents.  Afterwards we had plenty of time for free time full of surfing, boogie boarding, and surfing.

We can't wait for the Fun Competition tomorrow as well as the Patch Swim and Awards Banquet on Friday.  That being said, the summer is coming to a close all too fast for our liking.

Hello JG Families,

We had a beautiful sunny day at Refugio Beach.  There was also an informative and important lecture by instructor Evan Schu on endangered species.  JGs now understand concepts such as conservation, food webs, and carrying capacity and how important certain species are to the promotion of biodiversity.  After the lecture we enjoyed the sunshine with activities and workouts.  The A group took some of their Little Guard buddies kayaking and later played some volleyball.  The Little Guards also got a chance to do some mock rescues later in the afternoon.  The C group enjoyed a 'modified' taplin relay as well as the much anticipated 'bonus' afternoon workout.  The B group also had an afternoon workout and some extra free time.

We can't wait for the fun day at Hurricane Harbor tomorrow as well as some surf time at El Cap on Wednesday.  Session 2 is wrapping up all to quickly and the JGs look forward to enjoying these last activities to their fullest.

Hello JG Families,

We ended this week with an awesome showing at the Fiesta Competition at East Beach.  Our JGs ran, swam, and paddled with seemingly boundless energy and determination.  We were one of many JG programs in attendance and we represented Refugio professionalism extremely well.  Many of our JGs placed in relays and individual events.  More importantly all of our JGs got a chance to compete, had lots of fun, and stayed true to our values of hard work and sportsmanship.  Great job today, Refugio!

Now that the competition has passed, we turn our attention to the final week of the session.  Next week is packed with fun activities, such as our Hurricane Harbor field trip, Gaviota Day, the Fun Comp, and the Awards Banquet.

Hello JG Families,

We had an important lecture by instructor Adrian Evarts on environmental awareness today.  Our JGs now understand the importance of taking care of our beaches as well as how they can minimize their impact on the planet as a whole.  Also on the agenda were last minute preparations for the competition tomorrow.  The A and B group practiced paddle relays, while the C group and Little Guards did a Run-Swim-Run to stay sharp for tomorrow's events.  Even though we were in competition mode, we still had time for many fun activities, such as water flags, snowy plover wrestling, and a healthy dose of free time.

Tomorrow's competition is at East Beach in Santa Barbara.  JGs should be at the beach at 8:30am and the competition kicks off with the distance paddle at 9:30am.  Families are more than welcome (and encouraged) to come down to cheer on our JGs.

Hello JG Families,

Despite the strange weather, we had a great day at the beach.  After a brief lecture on Chumash Indian culture and history by instructor Evan Schu, we continued with our preparations for the Fiesta Competition.  The A and B groups held run relay time trials and played water flags.  The C group and Little Guards played beach flags to establish their competition team.  The C group paddle relay teams also practiced their hand offs while the Little Guards played water flags.  All groups found time for a solid run and swim workout to stay sharp for Friday.

Hello JG Families,

Today featured a fun lecture by instructor Terra Dressler, who taught our JGs about the diversity and wonder of marine life.  JGs learned about the different zones of the ocean and what kind of creatures live there.  In addition to the lecture today, all group workouts and activities were designed to prepare the JGs for the competition coming up this Friday.  The A and B groups played beach flags to establish their flags team for the comp.  The C group and Little Guards held time trials for the paddle and run relays.

While the Junior Guard competitions allow our JGs to prove the physical skills against kids from other programs, we still find time for some impromptu fun amdist the hard work.  Today's highlights were most definitely the C group 'Mustache Contest' and the Little Guard 'Ninja Minion Training Session'.