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At one point in the Odyssey, Homer has his hero
Odysseus thrashing around in the sea, vainly trying to cling to a raft that
the sea god Poseidon has just dashed to smithereens. Odysseus’ problem, like
that of most ancient Greeks, was that he was never much into swimming, and so
had to rely on the will of the gods to wash him up, witless, on the shores of
Phaeacia. Actually, the Greeks, despite the fact that their land is
surrounded by water, never considered swimming as a competitive sport, so
fearful were they of the thalassic perils that awaited them if they ventured
too far from shore. So they stuck to the land, and, when the Olympics and
other games were established, they limited themselves to running contests,
which were much less fraught with danger. Not so today, however. Now swimming and diving are among
the more popular sports in Olympic competition, and most high schools and
universities of any caliber have developed swim teams and aquatic complexes
which vie with the more popular sports, like basketball and football, for
educational dollars. In addition, swimming and aquatic aerobics are now
recognized as among the more health-promoting recreational sports. In response to demands for a recreational facility in
Williamsburg and James City, a
complex was constructed in 1987, the focal point of which was a 25
meter pool, which could be used not only for recreational swimming, but also as a place for local swim teams to
practice. More recently, the rec center has undergone a tremendous expansion,
and now includes a complete workout center upstairs, as well as a track,
basketball courts and various types of meeting rooms and day care facilities.
Other sports complexes, including fields for popular outdoor sports, are also
in the works or have been completed. And yet, for all this expansion, and
despite the fact that patronage at the center has soared to 8000 and that the
pool hosts as many as 400 people a day, including the Lafayette, Jamestown
and Walsingham swim teams and the Williamsburg Aquatic Club, no additions
have been made to the original aquatics area. Little wonder, then, that there is finally a proposal
afoot to construct a new aquatics complex to accommodate all these users.
According to Ned Cheely, the Director of Parks and Recreation, two
possibilities are under consideration: one for another 25 meter pool, which
would simply replicate what already exists, or another, more adventuresome,
proposal for a 50 meter pool complex which would cost in the neighborhood of
9 million dollars. And this, it seems to me, is the only way to go. As Allen Atkinson, the center’s senior operations and
aquatic coordinator, indicated, the larger complex would allow for a deeper,
8 foot pool, and thus introduce diving into the swim team practice
curriculum. In addition, it would also accommodate deep water swim lessons.
But perhaps most importantly, it would provide 22 swimming lanes, as opposed
to the 7 or 8 presently available for all users, recreational or otherwise.
The original pool, then, could be used exclusively for aerobics, therapy
sessions and other aquatic activities that require warmer water. Furthermore, if the new pool were located adjacent to the
present pool, the aquatics staff now in place could easily work both
complexes, with the addition of only a few new lifeguards. This, it seems to me, is a proposal worthy of serious
study. There is no doubt that the present pool facilities are quickly being
overwhelmed, not only by the needs of local swim teams, but by the increasing
number of recreational swimmers who show up each day. In addition, there is a
drastic need for additional locker room facilities, as well as for another
sauna or steam room, all of which could be conjoined with the proposal for a
new aquatics complex. I think that most of us who use the community center and
other sports complexes in our area realize how lucky we are to have
facilities of this kind at such reasonable prices. There are some problems,
of course. A center this size should have a full time building engineer to
oversee daily maintenance, and permanent part time employees should most
certainly get medical benefits. Finally, the bizarre practice of closing on
Sunday mornings, on Christmas eve and only on Christian religious holidays,
such as Christmas and Easter, should be abolished. Not only is this a
probable violation of the equal protection clause of the 14th
amendment, but it belies the fact that this is a community, not a Christian,
center. Overall, the center is a first class facility and one run,
for the most part, by a dedicated, though frequently harried, work force. We
do, however, desperately need a new aquatics complex. We are rightfully proud
of our winning swim teams, and we should provide them with the facilities
needed to continue their winning ways. But even more important is the fact
that recreational swimming is becoming for many of us an important fact of health
and life. And that is bound to be good for the community. To this end, all city and
county residents would do well to support fully the bond referendum for a new
aquatics complex. We can only hope that it is presented for approval before
2004. |
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lewleadbeater.com Copyright 2002 All Rights Reserved
email: LWL@lewleadbeater.com |
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