Photo Credit: Mason Fischer Photography
If you’ve seen one competition pool, have you seen them all? While many pools today seem identical, the face of competition pools in the United States is changing.
A competitive swimmer born in the 1970s or 1980s probably swam most of his or her biggest meets on a major university campus—especially if one lived in the Midwest. Major meets were held at the University of Minnesota, the University of Texas, and even the University of Nebraska. Today, swimmers can compete at Southern Methodist University, at the Birmingham CrossPlex in Alabama, at St. Peters Rex Plex in Missouri, or at the Tupelo Aquatic Center in Mississippi. More and more pools are owned and operated by school districts, municipalities, private swim clubs, and individuals. The face of the modern swimming pool has changed.
Why are so many city governments and private organizations spending dollars on competition swimming pools? It’s well known that water in any form is a great selling point for a community, but the biggest difference in today’s market is the realization that a natatorium can be sustainable.