So I've been waiting and waiting and waiting for the new rec center up the road to open. I've been thinking how cool it will be... walk a mile and a half to the pool, work out, walk a mile and a half back... think of all of the calories burned! Think of the workout to be had!
Didn't really think they'd rip me off on the pool.
When they said "warm water fitness pool," I thought "25x25 pool warm enough to keep the blue hairs happy." I did not think "warm puddle just big enough to wave around your pool noodle." After all, all of the high schools in the area have swim teams and they use the rec center pools for practice. It would only seem logical to have a pool of an appropriate size to use for that purpose. Um, no.
What we have is a warm puddle (which I didn't even bother getting into) then we have a kiddie pool with all of the accompanying stuff to climb on, and then we have this "current area" (that's what they call it) which is sort of like a thin lap lane that winds around and through the kiddie area, and has a current to it, to add to your workout when you're walking around with your pool noodle.
Of course, sticking the "current" area in the middle of kiddie land makes absolutely no sense, being that the blue haired ladies don't like to get their hair wet... and being in the kiddie area ensures that you're going to get wet!
I was pondering the merits of trying to swim against the current, but it's not really a wide enough channel to pull that off. Not to mention that I'd probably get whacked with a noodle if I tried that.
Oh well, I guess I'll just go back to the old pool. At least it's quiet and generally noodle-free.
Originally posted by Frank Thompson
Same thing happened in Dearborn except they have a bigger water park.
Hopefully they didn't tear up the old 50m outdoor pool in Dearborn. I have good memories of swimming long course meets in that pool for many years as a kid.
Hi Kirk:
No, they have not done that and will not do that. I have been running masters meets since 1985 there and its one of my main training pools in the summer. In fact this past year they built a new pump house which cost almost a million dollars so with that kind of investment spending it will be around for a while. I am very fortunate to train with a good group of swimmers there over the summers. This pool was the host of the 1979 Long Course Nationals, which was the last AAU Masters Nationals before USMS was a separate entity.
The other pool I train at had the biggest set of pools in the world when it was first built. Its called the Brennan Pools and its run by the City of Detroit. It was the host of the of the 1948, 1956, and 1960 US Olympic Trials. In fact this is where Jeff Farell swam after his operation and its covered in the book "Six Days to Swim". This also is the pool that Bill Mulliken qualified in to swim the 200 *** in the 1960 Olympics.
They have three 50 meter pools. One is used for recreation but can be used as a competitive pool and one is used strickly for competition. They both are 9 lanes wide with 7 foot lanes. The other pool is 50 meters but its 27 ft. deep and has 1, 3, 5, and 10 meter diving towers. I don't think these pools will ever be leveled because they have put major reconstruction in them and are used to the max. They are only open from mid June until the end of August. A lot of people might remember these pools because they used to host one of the largest AAU meets in the country called the Water Wonderland Meet. I think the meet stoped being held in the late 1970's.
That's funny because I swam all over Michigan as an age grouper and never even heard of that Detroit complex! This was mostly in the '80s, though. We always had our long course state meet at the 50m pool in Southfield. I think they now use EMU.
Aw, Memorial pool looks like Sholem did, sniff, and the cost to repair was very much like Sholem which was leaking like a sieve.
I pay that much in swim team fees now, without having a 50 meter pool to support.
I am going to provide links to three great aquatic complexes that I have seen that have provided muti purpose to the community.
Holland Aquatic Center, Michigan - www.hollandaquaticcenter.org
Ind - www.fwcs.k12.in.us/Natatorium/about_natatorium.php
City of Lawrence, Kansas - www.lprd.org/aquatics.shtml
Here's one more. Whistler, BC: www.whistler.ca/.../Meadow_Park_Sports_Centre.php
They've done a good job providing aquatic opportunities for all. I've dropped in at a couple of their masters workouts when I've been up there skiing.
Here are some more interesting links of what is being provided around the country.
www.aquaticsintl.com
www.chah20.com
www.sportsmgmt.com/expe_aqua.html
Ask a Lifeguard about the zero depth entry pools. I've been told it's alot harder keeping the real little ones from wandering into too deep water. (Parents tend to equate Lifeguard with Babysitter) Most of the designs of these pools that I've seen go from zero depth to 36" and they're all one pool linked to the lap lanes, which means a diaper accident at zero depth closes the whole pool.
Denver has one of the most progressive recreation dept. in the US.
Denver is progressive? Is that in a future thinking we see the trends stay up to date etc. or progressive in the liberal/socialist political sense? The government within the City and County of Denver limits is probably the later, but alas I can’t discuss that or I’ll get kicked off the board. As far as Denver Rec pools go, I stay away, as most are dated and overheated. However Denver Rec recently built a new center in what was once an old Air Force base called Lowry. It's quite nice; it has a family area with big slide, lazy river, zero depth entrance to pool etc. and a separated 6-lane by 25 yard lap pool. They are running a small age group team out of the facility. This seems to be typical of what there building in the suburbs of Denver. Family areas, with separate competition/lap pools. One recently built pool called The Ridge in southwest burbs has a 25 yard by 25 meter competition pool attached to the family area.
To get a brand new 50-meter pool competition pool, demographically I believe you need an affluent family area, basically a lot kids, whose parents can afford the $120 month average age group swim team fee plus all the other little ancillary fees that go with etc. If you can get 200 to 300 kid age group team paying those kinds of dues you can start to justify a 50-meter pool. And the reality is even with those numbers without a significant private fund raising I’d say the likely hood of a 50-meter pool is low.
Lucky for me I swim at the University of Denver’s (DU) 50-meter El Pomar Natatorium finished in the Fall of 1999. Fortunately we have a strong masters program with about 15 workouts a week. They run masters program like private fitness club. $48 a month auto debited from your credit card or checking acct. At one time we had about 200 members, do the math, $ money talks. Plus they (DU) benefit from the fitness club effect, members paying dues but who aren’t actually swimming. Let’s face it the fitness club industry wouldn’t actually be in business if everyone they sold a membership too actually used the facilities, as they’d be way too small. By the way speaking of fund raising, The “El Pomar” natatorium was built with a grant from the El Pomar foundation. Gotta love those college campuses every building is just a giant tombstone
We provided our park district on information about the Holland pool, and there is a pool in Bowling Green Kentucky that looks neat. Did not do any good. It was a smile, thanks for the info, but we cannot afford this......
