“She is at it again, this daughter of mine. She plunges like a pencil, writing her summer again and again with scissor kicks and flailing arms”. I wrote these words last summer a few weeks before the old Avon Lake pool closed for demolition and the three long seasons of reconstructive surgery began. After a seemingly endless wait, (think: “Mom, are we there yet?”) said daughter, her two brothers and I attended the opening aquatic center festivities a few weeks ago.
What a spectacular place to call home this summer. Don’t get me wrong. All of us are a little old-fashioned and each of my kids in turn has muttered the phrase “I miss the old pool.” But considering we have been there nearly every single day, we are definitely enjoying ourselves.
You’d have to see it to believe it. I couldn’t begin to describe it in print. But suffice it to say that there are slides for children of all ages, lots of places to swim and jump, and water water everywhere!
What I don’t understand are all the complaints I hear, and the ones City Hall is receiving. People are angry about the residency requirements and how many guests can be brought in. They think the lifeguards have been rude and the rules are unfair. But I’m not sure how you could possibly open a 4.2 million dollar swimming center and have everything run perfectly on day one. (Did I mention that the pool was UNDER budget and ON time? When does that ever happen?)
My family and I have had a pass for the last 3 summers and have spent a LOT of time at the pool. We were here last year on the Saturdays with only a few families. And the cloudy days. And the frigid days. And the blistering hot days where you can’t even move because there are so many people.
Considering the fact that my children and I have been to the pool so often, I have seen a plethora of lifeguards, staff members, and supervisors, as well as a variety of crowd conditions. Sure, there are some kinks to work out. But every lifeguard and staffer we have dealt with has been kind and professional. And all the employees are working hard to hammer out the rules, help the patrons follow the rules, and make the pool safe and enjoyable for everyone. With the sheer volume of customers and the overwhelming facility, I for one would applaud their efforts.
And let us not forget that most of the people working there are sixteen. They did not make the rules and they are just doing their best to do their jobs. A little kindness goes a long way, and should go both ways. No adult needs to lose their temper with a high school kid if they can’t get in the pool because they are not a resident (didn’t the residents foot the bill after all?) or because their kid is too short to ride the slides. The guards have worked hard through a lot of training and for the most part are very diligent.
There are some stand-outs of course. My kids will never forget the way Sam and Becky and Mike have taught them how to swim over the past few summers, and I love how the lifeguards get excited when their former students master a new skill. And Bridget and Mike’s friendly smiles and waves at the front desk make my kids grin from ear to ear each time we come in. There are Meghan and Erin who whisk my three year old from underwater at the end of the orange slide, and Greg the supervisor, who offers to swim with my son to make him less afraid during his swim test. I appreciate that sense of community, especially when my childrens’ lives are at stake.
The pool is meant for relaxing. And although it can be overwhelming at times, I do think it is a great asset for the city and a spectacular way to spend a summer day. Admission is cheap, the snack bar is economical, and the staff and lifeguards are friendly and well-trained. Let’s cut them some slack as they work out the kinks of the new digs. They are working hard to protect our children and provide some good clean fun.
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