Evaluate whether facilities are keeping up with residents’ needs and expectations
By Becky Rader
Aquatic activities are a key component of a park programming playbook. Today, there is emphasized recognition of the need for developing a healthy lifestyle with exercise as a necessity. Swimming provides exercise that is low impact and can be continued throughout a person’s life. In the news recently, a woman in her 90s was still competing in senior-swimming competitions. Parks can provide part of that lifelong experience through aquatic programming.
Where To Begin
A first step is to inventory pools and aquatic centers to determine what types of facilities are needed to pair them with appropriate programming. Questions to ask regarding facilities are the following:
- When were the facilities constructed?
- What are the maintenance expenses to keep them functioning?
- Do the fees for tickets/passes each season pay enough of a percentage to maintain and keep the pools functioning properly?
- Do the current pools meet the needs of the residents?
- How much has the residential population increased or decreased since a given pool was built?
- Is recreation, such as a lazy river or children’s shallow-entry play area, a higher priority than a standard lap pool, or are they equally important?