Reference no: EM133236264
JOHN RHODES COMMUNITY CENTRE POOL "A"
By Pelham Matthews, David Radford, Eric Maxfield,
Heather McCaig, Kara McCaig,Brilyn Clargo, Kim Cotgreave
INTO THE BLUE
On hot early June day, as Kate Smith stared out at the John Rhodes pool through her office window she wondered: Where do we go from here? Kate, Aquatic Supervisor of the John Rhodes Community Centre Pool, gazed appreciatively at the walls and thought back her history at the pool.
Kate had previously worked for the Queen Elizabeth pool, which the city of Sault Ste Marie turned into a parking lot. Out of the asphalt, like a phoenix, rose the John Rhodes pool. The pool opened in 2000, but many customers feel a familiarity with the pool that would suggest it is much older.
The facility is in excellent condition and the layout is all about fun. The main pool is 25 metres long and eight lanes wide, with a diving board and a rope swing. There is also a pool dedicated to swimming laps and another toddler pool reserved for small children - the toddler pool is one of the biggest attractions. It has a large water slide, two smaller slides, water fountains, and a beach front area.
The lifeguards at the pool are well trained and ensure the safety of all swimmers, big and small. There is a sign on the wall displaying the pool rules such as: no running, no food or drink on deck, no shoes on deck, no diving in shallow end, and keep small children within arms reach. There are also some more specific rules. Each of these rules is supposed to be strictly enforced by the lifeguards. Sometimes kids just don't want to listen, but some lifeguards do not enforce the rules as strictly as they should. The lifeguards don't want to ruin swimmers' fun by being overly strict. Better education of the swimmers about pool safety and the dangers of breaking the rules is an option Kate had considered.
The pool also has a spectator viewing gallery that seats 400, separate male/female/family change rooms, three special function meeting rooms, barrier free access to most of the building, several multi-purpose classrooms, lounge and restaurant facilities, concession areas, and a pro shop.
The local Sault Ste Marie Aquatic Club, Soo Tridents Underwater Hockey Club, Soo Masters Polar Bear Club, Algoma District School Board, and the Huron Superior Catholic District School Board all use the John Rhodes pool on a regular basis. It is the preferred training facility for any serious swimmers.
TEAM SPIRIT
Aggressive parents have become a major trend in recent years. For some reason, more and more parents shout at their kids in the pool, either with praise or with reproach. This aggressive behaviour sometimes makes the swimming instructor's job more difficult due to the fact that the parents are in the balcony watching and hearing everything. Aggressive parents also pressure Kate to pass a child who has failed a swim class. Kate has so far remained impassive to the pressure.
Some of the more common complaints Kate receives are:
- Instructors not getting into the water; they spend most of their time talking to other instructors instead of teaching; there are too many different instructors during the courses- children need continuity.
- Lifeguards are not enforcing the rules.
- The change rooms are small, dirty, and showers being too cold or too hot.