Frustrated with how our swim team takes over the pool

[Anonymous]

OP Our pool has reciprocal arrangements with three other pools that our members can use if we are closed for a meet. Maybe your pool has this, you might ask. My pool has afternoon practice but it usually only three lanes, we are an eight lane pool with separate well and shallow end. We also have a huge brand new baby pool. Our minis have 40 kids this year. We do not close for team building, we have Friday night Pep rallys but they are just in one area. Our team party only closes the pool to the membership one hour early on a Sunday night. We have a hour over 18 Swim on Sundays and early morning adult lap swim.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pool board member here and enthusiastic swim team parent. Say something,

Send a kindly worded email to the board (not a rant) with a list of suggestions for how to reduce conflict that you’ve heard have been successful at other pools and ask that it be discussed at the next meeting to see if any of could be implemented this season or next. Include low hanging fruit as well as more major things? At our board meetings we really do try to consider perspectives of all pool members and find solutions (for example! We have afternoon practice but only a couple lanes and coaches remind families they are only for those families who really can’t make the morning). I’d include things like designated area for swim team families to leave stuff during practice so can’t take over pool grounds before opens to public, no bullhorns while pool is open to public, latest morning practice is for teens [added bonus is this makes it easier for more younger families to do morning practice and camp), and limiting lanes for afternoon practice. Like anything, speak up, offer reasonable solutions, and you may see change.

Oh I really wish our pool would do this. I think they prioritize teens being able to go to summer jobs after practice but it's really challenging to get my ES kids to a 1030am practice. The swim lessons are all mid-day too. You pretty much have to have a parent home or a nanny. I think it's just always been this way and the board is resistant to change.

[Anonymous]

That seems excessive.
Before school is out, our pool closes at 6pm for practices Mon - Thur.
Once school is out, lap swim is 6-7am instead of 6-8am. Pool opens at 10:30 instead of 9am.
Meets close the pool for 3-4 Mondays at 4pm instead of 9pm.
Pool opens at 12pm instead of 10am for 3-4 Saturdays.

That’s it. Doesn’t seem that disruptive to me, especially when 1 in 5 member households have a child on swim or dive.

[Anonymous]

Your pool closes for practice at 6pm before school lets out? Completely closed? So four out of five families cannot use the pool after 6 pm for those weeks? What if they are working families who don’t get home till after 5? Do those families get a discount for those weekdays they don’t get to use the pool?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your pool closes for practice at 6pm before school lets out? Completely closed? So four out of five families cannot use the pool after 6 pm for those weeks? What if they are working families who don’t get home till after 5? Do those families get a discount for those weekdays they don’t get to use the pool?

DP
What time does yours close before school lets out? Ours is open 3:00-7:30.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your pool closes for practice at 6pm before school lets out? Completely closed? So four out of five families cannot use the pool after 6 pm for those weeks? What if they are working families who don’t get home till after 5? Do those families get a discount for those weekdays they don’t get to use the pool?

DP
What time does yours close before school lets out? Ours is open 3:00-7:30.

Same. Ours does not close for evening swim practice but the pool is always cold those first couple weeks and I would be fine not getting in lol. It always seems to me like most of the families there are there for the swim practices.

[Anonymous]

As a full dues paying member, I’d be annoyed if I only got to use the pool 2/3 of the time it’s “open” before school closes. Especially the later hours (6-7:30 or 8) which is when working people can get to pool during the week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a full dues paying member, I’d be annoyed if I only got to use the pool 2/3 of the time it’s “open” before school closes. Especially the later hours (6-7:30 or 8) which is when working people can get to pool during the week.

Sounds like you should look into the hours and policies before joining.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a full dues paying member, I’d be annoyed if I only got to use the pool 2/3 of the time it’s “open” before school closes. Especially the later hours (6-7:30 or 8) which is when working people can get to pool during the week.

Sounds like you should look into the hours and policies before joining.

Sounds like I would be annoyed if that’s how it worked at our pool. But it isn’t. Thanks for playing though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your pool closes for practice at 6pm before school lets out? Completely closed? So four out of five families cannot use the pool after 6 pm for those weeks? What if they are working families who don’t get home till after 5? Do those families get a discount for those weekdays they don’t get to use the pool?

Not a lot of families use the pool Monday - Thursday evenings between May 15th and June 15th. Many of those evenings it’s pretty chilly. It’s open Fridays and weekends. I guess a few nannys and toddlers are there 4-5pm, but any time I’ve taken my kids to a private swim lesson prior to swim practice, it’s practically empty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am wondering if our pool is unusual or this is truly how all summer swim teams work.

Pool opens at 11 (swim team morning practice is before then on weekdays). When you arrive at the official open of the pool, nearly every covered table has already been claimed by a swim team family who was there for practice.

Pool is not closed but largely taken over by both swim and dive team afternoon practices M-Th from 3:30-7:15 (multiple age groups so it takes a long time) and a shorter one on Fridays.

In addition, the pool is closed or partially closed for meetings every week at least twice for multiple hours.

Also there is a LOUD pep rally every Friday afternoon at the end of the short practice. This happens even in the middle of other events announced to the community.

The pool is closed other times for other special team building events.

It is frankly hard to find a time the pool won’t be over run by some sort of swim team event which generally involves a lot of bullhorn usage. It seems to increase every year and this year it’s just reached a tipping point for me this year. I have very fond memories of summer swim growing up but it was just a couple hours every morning and one meet a year.

Is this the Westleigh Pool? If so, yes, I agree. It's generally poorly run. Can't wait until my kid outgrows it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That seems excessive.
Before school is out, our pool closes at 6pm for practices Mon - Thur.
Once school is out, lap swim is 6-7am instead of 6-8am. Pool opens at 10:30 instead of 9am.
Meets close the pool for 3-4 Mondays at 4pm instead of 9pm.
Pool opens at 12pm instead of 10am for 3-4 Saturdays.

That’s it. Doesn’t seem that disruptive to me, especially when 1 in 5 member households have a child on swim or dive.

Pool completely closing at 6pm before school lets out actually seems pretty annoying to me. I wouldn’t even be able to use the pool the first few weeks on weekdays. 1 in 5 is just 20%, so not actually that high where I feel like it would be fine to say that people wouldn’t mind the closure.