Excellence In Aquatics

Parks & Recreation, Nov, 1998 by Mark Richwine

Bolingbrook Park District's indoor aquatic complex features an activity pool with spraying attractions.

As competition from lavish waterparks increases municipalities have been forced to examine how they can best provide expanded aquatic services for their patrons Five cities recently received recognition from the National Recreation and Park Association's National Aquatic Section for meeting those challenges head and making a positive impact on the communities they serve. Hopefully their stories will lend assistance to other communities that are attempting to revitalize and renovate their aquatic programming.

Gone are the days of the 25-yard, three-foot-minimum-depth, six-lane swimming pool, which offered only open swim, swim lessons, and swim-team practice. In an effort to meet the growing needs nd desires of citizens' municipalities are rethinking the "typical pool." There is greater competition for participants, and any cities need to provide for basic needs and increase their cost recovery as budgets get tighter.

To this extent, recognition is given annually for cities that have provided aquatic facilities and programs in the face of numerous challenges. NRPA's Excellence in Aquatics Award offers the highest recognition available in the aquatic profession for quality planning, design, operation and programming of diverse aquatic opportunities. The highlights from each of the five winning communities provided below illustrate ways to meet the changing needs of citizens.

Class I

Portland, Oregon

Portland residents are fortunate to have swimming pools with a lot of shallow water. Most of the pools start at one-and-one-half feet of water depth, with spacious areas leading up to four feet. This provides for excellent water depths for teaching swim lessons and for recreational swimming. Portland Parks and Recreation operates six pools and eight outdoor pools. It owns 10 of these pools, two are school-district pools, one is a community-college pool, and one belongs to an athletic club.

Four basic program interests are provided at both the indoor and outdoor pools: recreational, instructional, fitness, and competitive programming. Citizens of all ages -- infants through senior citizens -- participate in these programs. The majority of the more than 960,000 annual visits take place in the summer months when the weather is warmer and the outdoor pools are open.

In 1997, more than 21,000 students participated in the summer swim-lesson program. Portland also provided free swim lessons at the beginning of the summer for some 3,000 students. The Junior Lifeguard Program had 504 participants, while the Junior Swim Instructor program attracted 255 participants. Special events drew 3,700 people to the pools, and more than 600 youth participated in the Summer Competitive Swim League.

The citizens of Portland passed a $59 million bond program for improvements to the park system in 1994. Eight of the aquatic facilities are receiving improvements from this bond measure. Renovation of the pools' mechanical systems and the addition of drop slides, water slides, and interactive play equipment are making the facilities better and more exciting places to recreate.

Two community centers will open new indoor facilities in Portland within the next two years. Portland Parks and Recreation is continuing to look toward future growth in facilities and programs to serve its community's needs.

CLASS II

Lakewood, Colorado

From toddlers being introduced to the wonders of the water to older adults enjoying active lifestyles, the Foothills Aquatics Program in Lakewood, Colorado, has kept with its motto of "Quality, Community, and Service" by offering something for everyone.

Their four outdoor pools and two indoor pools serve a community of nearly 160,000 residents including at-risk and special-needs citizens. All facilities are designed and constructed to comply with ADA standards, and both indoor pools are equipped with ramps or lifts to accommodate accessibility needs.

The Foothills Parks and Recreation District's main priority, as identified by a community task force, is to maintain existing facilities to keep them safe and modern. This is evidenced by the $180,000 installation of a new stainless steel gutter return system, a new filtration system and upgrades to float valves, and the conversion of gas chlorine at all facilities.

Staff training is also a top priority, with 40 hours of additional specialized development for managerial staff and 20 hours of additional training for lifeguards and instructors to assure the community a safe and fun experience at the pools. Examples of management training include ropes-course team building; customer service; policies, procedures, and operations; universal precautions; pool chemistry and mechanics; and supervisory skills. Training for all aquatic staff includes water tests, risk management, instructor expectations, skin-cancer information, and customer service.

On a year-round basis, the Foothills district provides professional development in the areas of presenting a professional image, defusing angry patrons, preparing performance appraisals, and encouraging personal motivation. In addition, regular audits of the entire aquatics staff -- including emergency drills and facility walk-throughs -- are performed. Efforts in training have resulted in a 90 percent return rate of employees.