Local lifeguard keeps Odessa pool cool

ODESSA - A local teenager is spending her second summer as a lifeguard at the Odessa Pool, balancing long hours in the sun with the responsibility of keeping swimmers safe while also competing for the Odessa High School Tigers.

Ella Schlomer, 16, of Odessa, said she took the job because she loves being outside and near the water. It also works well for younger teens who cannot yet drive long distances.

In addition to lifeguarding, Schlomer plans to play volleyball and golf in the spring and basketball in the winter for the Tigers.

The training was intense but valuable.

"It was hard," Schlomer said. "The training was very intense, but it was good for me to learn all that and it was a good experience."

What has surprised her most is how often children ignore instructions.

Her most memorable moment came when a child she knew cracked his head open.

"It was very scary, but we all handled it well and were able to get him the help he needed," Schlomer said. "I was proud that I was able to handle that situation well."

The job has changed how she views water safety.

"It made me realize how important it is," she said. "As a kid I was one of the ones who was messing around and didn't listen, but now that I'm a lifeguard I see how important it is."

Her main safety advice for families is straightforward.

"Please listen to the lifeguards, and please walk," Schlomer said. "There have been so many incidents where kids have slipped and sliced their leg or cut their leg from not walking after we told them to. Just walk."

The hardest part of the job is sitting in the chair all day in the heat. She stays focused by drinking plenty of water and listening to upbeat music.

What she enjoys most is meeting new people who visit the pool and watching local kids have fun.

"There's so few of us, so we're able to keep it open," Schlomer said.

She recommended the job to other young people in Lincoln County.

"Yes, I would," she said. "It's a very good starter job. It makes you learn responsibility and how to go through interviews and things like that."