Baywatch Casting: A View from the Seats
Athens 18.02.20206. On day 1 of the module “Applied Lifeguarding”, the Athens University students were told and gained priceless lessons from the life of Greg Bonann, while at the same day and time, the casting for the Baywatch reboot was taking place in Los Angeles.
The first day in each module in the university is special. It is when the teacher seeks the attention of the students, so they will chose the module and embark into a fruitful semester. This year, I celebrate my 10th anniversary as a teacher in the School of Sport Science and Physical Education at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.
I avoid to be a sterile academic. I like to help young people reveal their potential so they will benefit their athletes, students and bathers as coaches, physical educators and lifeguards respectively. To achieve that, I use role models.
During the first lecture, I speak about two great individuals whom I admire. The first is Lucas Bistarakis, the “father” of Greek professional lifeguarding, who is a well-known figure in my country. The second is Greg Bonann, the legendary creator of Baywatch.
I asked: "Who is Greg Bonann?" Silence in the class. "Do you know Baywatch?" Everyone raised their hands, despite that the show was aired, while they were unborn. "Today and exactly now, there is a casting for the Baywatch reboot in Los Angeles. Would you like to know about the life of its famous creator?" Everyone nobbed "Yes." So I started narrating Greg's life, that is a goldmine of moral lessons and the best way to introduce a university module about lifeguarding. Below are some of the numerous comments my students made:
"I was most impressed by the story of the creator of the series, who faced serious health problems at a young age. Through swimming, he managed to become stronger and change the course of his life! He proved that a difficulty can become an opportunity for development and lead to something great."
“I was very impressed that a show that was considered a failure, through the stubbornness of its creator, became the #1 in the world and an incentive to become a lifeguard.”
“I was impressed that lives have been saved thanks to the knowledge people gained from the show.”
“Bonan is a role model. Despite the difficulties one may face in life, with perseverance and hard work one can succeed and positively impact countless lives!”
"Even though he had health issues as a child and the series was canceled, he didn't give up."
"I liked that Greg hwasn't just a lifeguard, but became much more. Most importantly, he wanted to show the world, wherever there was television, that anyone can save lives, as long as they acquire the appropriate knowledge."
“He got love and support by his parents!” “Α word can change the world!”
"It was impressive that a show like Baywatch improved viewers' perception of lifeguarding and how useful and difficult it is to save a life. Baywatch taught free first aid."
"The lesson I got was that despite the difficulties, if there is strong will, everyone can achieve everything!"
"Over a billion people watched it in too many languages."
