Swimming Pool
Closure of pool affects swim everyone
Dear Editor:
Your article last week, “Pool closes in Stanwood,” did not address the full impact of the pool loss on the community. Although the pool is privately owned, it is a community asset used, not only by the Stanwood High School Spartan swim team, but also by the non-profit Steelhead Swim Team (not the Stilly Swim Club), Special Olympics, senior groups, and swimming master’s program.
This pool has been used for lifeguard lessons, firefighter water rescue training and swim lessons.
Not only is the closure catastrophic to the Spartan swim team, it greatly affects the 40 plus swimmers of the Steelhead Swim Team.
As a non-profit organization, this team has been a part of the Stanwood-Camano Island-Arlington- Conway community for five years. In that time they have provided year-around competitive swimming to our youth from age 6 through 18. The majority of the Stanwood Spartans varsity honed their skills first with the Steelhead. These young swimmers’ main goals are to compete with the Spartans and at collegiate levels.
The team also provides a youth summer league. In order to exist, the team needs a pool 25 yards long, diving blocks and marked lanes. There is no other adequate facility available in the local area. The Steelhead Swim Team is part of Pacific Northwest Swimming and USA Swimming that provides oversight of all swimming in the United States, including the U.S. Olympic Swim Team.
Special Olympics and senior groups are also affected.
Special Olympics uses this pool to provide challenged youth an opportunity to compete in a sport that may not be available to them otherwise.
Seniors use this pool for water aerobics when other high impact exercise would not be acceptable.
As more national emphasis is being placed on physical fitness of our youth and the general population, it is imperative that facilities like these be retained.
Even in these trying economic times, we must make a priority to improve the health and well being of our citizenship through a variety of sports. In addition, the opportunity to participate in a sport greatly increases community pride, develops life management skills, and lowers the youth crime rate.
Without this pool, these swim programs will no longer exist.
I urge the community to support efforts to keep this pool open as well as investigate the potential of a publicly-funded community pool in Stanwood.
Steven Jenkins Camano Island
