Beach, But No Pool?

Beach, But No Pool?

As a beach community, WHB school district should have a swimming pool as it comes with many benefits for the students and the community.  Everyone should know how to swim in some way or another and the pool would be a great addition.

There is a “hidden” swim team that lurks at school.  No one knows about it, and the reason is that the there is no swimming pool.  Thus, the school doesn’t advocate the team.  WHBHS health teacher, Cody Hoyt, recently became the boys varsity swim coach.  Hoyt  states, “I am sure more students would be interested in swimming for the school if more students knew that we have a team and if we had access to a local pool.”  That’s yet another problem.  With the lack of a pool, the school hardly has anyone on the team which would make it hard for team relays (Peterson).

A pool, indoor that is, would solve the swim team’s problem of local practice.  It would also benefit the community as everyone could use the pool.  “Swimming is a great physical activity that provides multiple benefits for the body and health.  It is a great exercise enjoyed by people of all ages,” claimed Hoyt.  The pool would allow  community members a way to exercise and to have fun at the same time.  Student’s would not be the only ones using the pool, so would the community. Just about everyone would benefit from using a local pool.

Students would also directly benefit from the pool because then there could be a gym swim unit.  This would allow the students to learn how to swim and expand their skills in the water.  Water safety is a necessity where we live.  Introducing swimming at a young age all the way throughout high school gives students the chance to hone in on their skills.

Another reason why WHB should have a swimming pool is for anyone who wishes to join the Navy after they graduate.  “All Navy personnel must pass a swimming test” (Weinman).  With a pool that students can learn and practice swimming in gives students wanting to join the Navy training for the swim test.As stated above, there is a lack of members on the swim team.  With the pool, besides being local for practice, it also gives students another option of a school sport to participate in. Swimming would allow for so many more students to be active in school sports.

The pool would also mean the swim team wouldn’t have to wake up so early to get to practice. Now, there has been some talk, and according to the Riverhead News Review, a fitness center is to be built at the Eastern Suffolk County Community College. “The new fitness center would come with an Olympic-sized indoor swimming pool” (Riverhead News Review).

Finally, the school is located minutes away from the beach.  We live on Long Island, an ISLAND which is surrounded by water. Yet, we don’t have a pool.  It is important that students learn water safety, and by having a pool we would be able to teach students from an early age how to swim.

In the end, the school district should have a swimming pool.  Students and the community alike would be able to use the pool.  It also allows for the swim team to practice locally and teach students about water safety.  The pool is not a want, it is a necessity that should be looked into.

 

Sources used:

Pools in high schools have many benefits” Weinman, Tui of Morning Call–19 June 2008

 

High Schools; Small in Number but Big in Spirit; Some Southland schools can’t feild full swimming squads, at least in part because of a lack of on-campus pools” Peterson, Lauren of Los Angeles Times–28 April 2004

SCCC fitness center work to get started in 2014” — Riverhead News Review