January 14, 2026: Is this a transaction or a human interaction?
Good Afternoon,
It's a been a slow news week (below), and I'm ok with that! In next week's newsletter (January 21) I'll be sharing my outlook for aquatics in 2026. If you have any specific trends or questions you'd like me to address, please anonymously enter them here.
I wanted to share an incredible book I've been reading: Happy Campers: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults by Audrey Monke & Tina Payne Bryson. It's meant for parents, but with 283 highlights on my Kindle so far (and I'm only 60% through the book), I can confidently say there's a ton of takeaways for anyone who manages a team or mentors young people.
Each chapter is one topic that can be read as a stand alone concept, with easily-implemented strategies and solutions. Sub 'employee' for 'kid' and you're off to the races. Here's a few recent highlights:
“ABC”: Acceptance + Belonging = Connection."
"If we consistently pester our children about shortcomings and neglect to highlight the strengths they naturally possess, we risk raising kids who dislike themselves, which does not promote happiness. I’m not advocating constantly telling our kids how great they are. Instead, I propose we help them learn to celebrate their strengths while also acknowledging their weaknesses; we can flip the conversation and make strengths and “what went right” the focus. We can talk about the gain (how far we’ve come) rather than the gap (how much further we have to go). By doing these things, our kids can learn to see themselves."
"Whether we present consequences as punishments or privileges, the outcome is the same for kids. They’ll get the same answer, and we’ll get the same result."
"What we learned was that in most cases, these negative people didn’t perceive themselves as negative or see the impact they were having on others. Instead, they viewed outside forces as the source of their negativity."
"Many kids have mastered the art of hesitating, because they’ve had good results in the past. Frustrated adults often just jump in and do the task themselves rather than finding the extra patience required to encourage the kid to step up and act, but we teach our counselors to stand back and let the often painfully."
In the same vein, I've started thinking about every personal interaction (colleague, friend, client, etc.) as either a transaction or a interaction. Someone might be complaining to me because they have a personal need for a human interaction (they're lonely & tired), whereas as someone else might be coming to me for a work transaction (CPO certification). The sooner I determine which type of situation I've encountered, the better I can meet that person's needs.
Before I jump into this week's aquatic industry news, I want to take a second and say that I read - and vet - every single article I include in this newsletter. It's got to be real information & truly worth your time. I say this because I just opened a newsletter with an article that was a not-so-thinly-veiled sales pitch.
You don't come here for ads, you come here for knowledge. I spend 5-10 hours each week reading industry news. If there isn't much to report, there isn't much to report. I'm not going to pulp it out with filler and waste your time; you trust my judgement and I want to respect your time.
Lifeguard dies after diving to retrieve tourist's wedding ring at Wet'n Wild.
This is being reported as a suction entrapment. The article is in Portuguese. If your internet browser does not offer automatic translation, use Google Translate.
‘I just burst into tears’: Nine in 10 public pool workers face threats, harassment and violence
This is a rapidly increasing problem in our industry, and something I intend to explore further in a future newsletter.
My local pool feels like a cultural refuge – a small, steamy world where accents mingle and minds reset
Free personalized aquatic therapy sessions available
Love, love, LOVE this idea! Think about it like offering a private consultation with a personal trainer to tell you what to do solo, rather than enrolling in an entire program or class session.
Meridian man pleads not guilty to felony charges for alleged assaults at Roaring Springs Waterpark
Jury trial begins in international swim organization antitrust case
Amsterdam is building tiny staircases to help cats exit its canals
Toronto mom sentenced to 3 years in prison for manslaughter after baby’s drowning
The Camp Mystic Parents Demanding Accountability
When I lived in New Mexico, I discovered Texas Monthly. It's not a well-known magazine outside of the region, but the quality of their journalism is second-to-none. This is a longer feature.
Woman on dating apps while daughter drowned, faces 15 years to life
Transport Canada reposts safety recall on pontoon style boat following capsizing, drownings
Has visiting America’s premier theme parks now become a luxury vacation experience?
Building on the article "Theme Parks’ New Strategy: Smaller, Cheaper and Shorter" I shared last week.
City of Boston Announces Over $300,000 in Swim Safe Grants to Expand Free Swim Lessons for Youth
Sister of British man who drowned in Thailand says beach lifeguard ‘couldn’t swim’
My Son Was Showing Us His Swimming Skills. Our Lives Changed Forever in an Instant
An older article, but one I like resharing periodically.
Mother charged after unsupervised toddler drowns in container of water on front porch, deputies say
Hawaii Reviving Task Force That Places Warning Signs at Dangerous Beaches to Prevent Drowning
Maryland town greenlights weather alert sirens after teen drowned in flooding
The World Conference on Drowning Prevention (WCDP) will be in Colombo, Sri Lanka October 8-10, 2027.
This post I shared on Instagram regarding removing the head packs and hanging them off your shoulders during spinal boarding was very controversial.
If you have a few minutes, there are some incredible statistics for American poolies in this source.
Thanks for being here with me & I'll see you again next week!
Katie Crysdale
Lakeview Aquatic Consultants Ltd.
PS. I just recorded the YouTube Live of last week's newsletter, so that will be up on our YouTube channel within 24 hours.