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Lack of area pool makes it tough

Hernando County teams keep battling to work around the obstacle.

By VINCENT THOMAS
Published September 7, 2005

If you talk to each Hernando County coach long enough, the subject will come up.

"We don't really have anywhere to go in the county. We don't have a county pool," Central's Julie Withington said.

The site of this year's district meet has yet to be determined. And, with the season under way, area coaches have had to employ a healthy portion of ingenuity just to practice.

The Central team actually travels to Sugarmills Woods in Citrus.

Doug Sheffield, father of Central star Rae-Lynn Sheffield, ends his e-mails with a request: " Pray for a Hernando County community pool. We have none."

While Central treks up to Citrus, Nature Coast and Springstead take turns squeezing into three lanes of the Spring Hill YMCA as public members try to recreate beside them.

Hernando "lucked out," coach Judi Decker said, in landing a two-hour slot at the Brooksville Golf & Country Club.

Without a pool, Hernando County has yet to consistently maintain a system that provides club teams and year-round swimming access for interested students.

So individuals such as Sheffield, Nature Coast's Slayden Macgregor and Sara Toftegard and a few others have to travel to neighboring counties during the offseason.

Most kids have not been willing or able to do so in the past, so Hernando schools don't usually have the most experienced squads.

Some schools have had trouble with participation all together, but this season has shown marked improvement.

Each team has seen a marked increase in participation numbers, some even doubling last year's output of swimmers.

As interest in the sport grows and coaches and students start seeking more access and options, it will be imperative to build a county pool, said Hernando County Parks and Recreation director Pat Fagan.

Fagan said that a plan, including budget estimates and possible locations, likely will be presented to the board of directors by the end of September.

The proposed facility won't just include a pool.

"As our county continues to grow, the population wants more amenities," Fagan said.

"So we'd like to have an Olympic-size pool for the schools to use and the public to enjoy, but other amenities too."

Perhaps like an adjoining fitness center.

Depending on the extent of the new facility, Fagan estimated it could cost $1 to 4-million. Regardless of the price, Fagan said this would be a joint effort with the county and school board.

When asked if he foresees a county pool being built within the next few years, Fagan's response was confident.

"Oh yes," he said. "There's going to have to be."

Area coaches won't disagree.

[Last modified September 7, 2005, 01:01:15]