The Vashon Pool will open for the 2017 season on Saturday, May 27, and with it will come a new program aimed at making sure all islanders can swim.
Vashon Swim For All will cater to islanders who cannot swim and may not feel comfortable or able to afford traditional group swim lessons, typically geared toward kids, Vashon Park District (VPD) Aquatics Director Scott Bonney said. Lessons will be held every Saturday and Sunday morning on a drop-in basis for $8.40 per lesson. Financial aid is available thanks to a fund created from donations. All of the program’s costs are being paid for by donations from the island community.
“We want to catch those who slipped through the cracks or those who want to swim better for fitness,” Bonney said.
He introduced the idea to the VPD board and Executive Director Elaine Ott-Rocheford at last Tuesday’s park board meeting. He regaled board members with an anecdote about people who move to Vashon from elsewhere where swimming may not be as popular as it is here.
“If you’re in the ages of 11 to 13, you won’t learn (to swim) because lessons are focused on younger children,” he said. “Every year I have people come in and say, ‘My child doesn’t know how to swim,’ and they look about 14. They have to get slotted in with the 5 to 7 year olds. That’s not comfortable, and private lessons are costly.”
He went on to explain that, living on an island, there are so many opportunities for aquatic recreation and everyone should be able to enjoy them without fear.
He initially floated the program as free lessons, but decided to charge the fee after board members expressed concern about discriminatory pricing. Additionally, at the meeting, some board members were concerned about those who would potentially enroll in the paid group lessons enrolling in Vashon Swim For All so they don’t have to pay.
Bonney said he believed the program would actually have the opposite effect and further drive interest, serving as a feeder program for the group lessons.
“The goal is to get everybody to learn how to swim,” he said.
The program will augment the existing group lessons that are currently offered five days per week for two weeks at a time for $84 and private lessons that are $21 per 30-minute session.
Vashon Swim For All sessions will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. every Saturday and Sunday morning from Memorial Day through Labor Day. For more information, contact Bonney at 240-7721.
Meanwhile, talks between VPD and Vashon’s Seals swim team regarding putting a cover over the pool so it can be used year-round have halted. Last month, VPD board members said they were holding off on a decision pending the outcome of talks with the school district over an annual $100,000 payment VPD makes in exchange for use of the school district’s facilities. At a meeting between the school and park boards April 28, VPD board chair Karen Gardener made it clear the VPD board was not willing to pay any longer. The school district will likely be taking over the scheduling of both organization’s facilities and collecting the fees from public use. The VPD board met after press time Tuesday to discuss the issue further.
