The pool at Pierce College has been closed since October 2022, but the swim team is still active without it. Lacking a pool of their own, the team practices at other pools such as the indoor one on the Woodcrest School grounds.
This change is not without its issues.
“In the beginning, it really affected our ability to swim,” team member Isabella Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez also mentioned the uneven size and shape of the pool was affecting her backstroke.
Head Coach Judy Terhar said the biggest challenge the team has “is the water’s a little bit too hot” because Woodcrest is a preschool.
“They keep the temperature really, really warm for the babies,” Terhar said. “But these guys understand that you can’t let something like that bother you and you just need to work hard and they’re doing that.”
While the conditions aren’t ideal, swim captain Melina Farabolini said their performance hasn’t dropped.
“I wouldn’t say it has affected me too much,” Farabolini said. “If anything, I think it has helped since the water is warm, so it’s helped my muscles.”
At Pierce, the small pool may be open again by the fall as the college is currently working to approve contracts to fix it, according to Interim President Ara Aguiar. The large pool will remain closed.
“The large pool continues to crumble,” Aguiar said in a recent interview. “A few more pieces of cement fell into it. It would cost so much money to repair.”
Aguiar added it would take three to four years to get permission to repair.
Whenever a swim meet takes place, the team takes advantage of the competitive environment for training.
“When we get to the meets, they’re so energized because the water is a normal temperature,” Terhar said. “We spend an extra hour early at the meet so we can practice.”
The next swim meet will be March 29 at 11 a.m. at LA Valley College.
