CASSVILLE — As May arrives with the promise of summer sun, pools will start opening in the coming weeks.
The Shack Neighborhood House is getting everything in order to kick off the start of its aquatics programs.
The Shack’s pool has been open since 1946. Michael Barr, facilities manager and certified pool operator, said miners worked shifts at the coal mine and used the money to buy the materials to build the pool. They also went the extra mile and built the pool themselves. Also noteworthy, he said, is that the pool at The Shack was the first integrated pool south of the Mason-Dixon Line.
The pool may be more than half a century old, but recently, the Shack received a helping hand from donors and now has a new pump house for the filtration system, as well as a new pavilion.
Christine Wallace, the aquatics coordinator for The Shack, is excited to offer new and improved services to the publicthis year.
She stressed that safety is a big part of what they do. The Shack received a grant from Note & Float, a company out of California, for new life jackets.
“It’s a very competitive grant. Thankfully we got it,” she said.
With new-and-improved life jackets, a new-and-improved line up of services followed suit. Swimming lessons, a Youth Fitness Swim Club, Aqua Aerobics are on the itinerary for kids
and adults.
“The goal of the life jackets is to allow children to feel comfortable, so they can freely move in the water, so they’re able
to increase their heart rate but then slowly we take it off,” she said.
As kids get more comfortable, they can work their way out of the life jackets as their swimming progresses.
The Youth Fitness Swim Club is going to be an important of this summer’s activities. Wallace said it’s not the same as a swim team, but it will offer kids a good way to get a workout at a cheap cost.
“There are so few programs in the county that are inexpensive, this is definitely one of them,” she said.
It also is beneficial because adults can take Aqua Aerobics after their kids have Swim Club. The kids will be able to play on the playground nearby as their parents take the class.
“We will use the shallow end because there are a lot of adults in Mon County that actually don’t know how to swim. We’re trying to promote drowning prevention for adults, as well, so we utilize the shallow end for the adults who are not comfortable going in the deep end,” she said.
Wallace said if adults want to venture out into the deep end for aqua aerobics, they can get a higher intensity workout wearing a life jacket.
The Shack also is offering open swim and lap swim for the public. She said she conducted a survey last year, and parents voiced that their kids needed swim time to practice what they were learning in swimming lessons. She said if anyone purchases classes or service they will receive free open swim time.
“We’re the only facility in the entire county to offer that,” she said.
Life jackets are available to parents who might come to open swim with their children but they themselves don’t know how to swim.
Also, private lessons are available to all ages, and the pool can be booked for parties. Wallace also said everyday, there will be four or five lifeguards on duty.
“I think that we’re an enhancement to the overall aquatics community within Mon County. We primarily serve the western end of the county. And we have an amazing summer program for campers,” she said.
Aquatics programs are set to start June 18. Wallace said the programs are the lowest cost in the community, and The Shack can offer scholarships for low-income families. The pool is also ADA-approved. More information can be found at www.theshack.org and via email at theshack aquatics @gmail.com.
