With the Steven E. Schofield Aquatic Center only having one main big pool and a smaller one where the swimming athletes of the competitive, water polo and diving teams can practice it can become a challenge to balance who will train first vice versa. Plus, with the elderly frequently taking swimming classes it would conflict between the swimming teams. Therefore, I believe that making another swimming pool would be beneficial, because it would give these athletes the opportunity have more practice in order to be challenging opponents when they compete.
Administrators may not like the idea of another pool and even more construction on campus; but what they don’t know is that with building another pool, the athletes will have a better opportunity of getting recognized and recruited university teams and earning scholarships due to their hard work. According to swimmingworldmagazine.com, the Division I and II schools can give athletic scholarships that can pay for almost or all of a student athlete college cost. Obviously, this effort would be due to the swimmers having the extra hours of training, helping them strengthen their competitive strike. Not to mention, that by building another pool, it would attract graduating high school students to attend Pierce therefore helping with the college’s admission rates.
With the building a new pool, not only would the swimming athletes benefit from the addition but also the students and the elderly who enjoy relaxing from the day’s events or who just want a healthy activity to participate in. Whenever, I walk through the pool area, I constantly see elderly people receiving swimming lessons from the coaches with the males using the big pool and the women on the smaller one. Yes, I have noticed that it may be tough to figure out who will use which, which is why having another one would be perfect for more of the elderly to use. According to betterhealth.gov, swimming is a recreational activity for people of all ages. It’s also a way to not engage in an intense workout and way for all people to relax and alleviate stress. Getting at least a 20 minute swimming lesson for three weeks, can make a big difference for an elderly person’s health, according to seniorhealth365.com.
I’ve also seen how the older people get to socialize and make new friends when they take their swimming lessons, which is another positive way for them to keep their brain active. Recently, I’ve seen Pierce students benefit from getting a morning swim but it’s usually only one person. With the addition of another pool, that would allow for more swimming classes and I’m sure that the students looking for that extra class would take advantage of the opportunity.
All these opportunities of building another pool on campus would be a great way to expand the athletes training, allow for the elderly to have an active, healthy lifestyle and a way for them to socialize as well as for students to earn some extra credits by taking a cool refresher out in the pool.
