NORTHAMPTON — The parents of Hampshire Regional YMCA swim team members had to wait until the final question, but in a meeting with the Y’s board Wednesday night, they learned that the competitive swim team is safe.
More than an hour of questions, statements and fluid discussion went on among roughly 35 parents, the Y’s CEO, David Marks, and eight members of the board of directors before Neal Anderson asked point-blank about the fate of the program.
“The board and management are committed to having a swim team,” Andy Pollock, the chairman of the board, responded.
After the meeting ended, Marks confirmed Pollock’s statement.
“There is going to be a swim team. We are supportive,” Marks said. “We have to look at how we are doing it. It’s not a question of if we are doing it.”
The YMCA initiated a review of the aquatics program in April, raising concerns among parents that the Dolphins program was in danger. The review continues.
Anderson said asking the question provided a touch of relief as a new wave of open discussion begins among Y management and swim team parents. Anderson’s daughter Katherine is a junior at the Academy at Charlemont, which does not have a high school swimming program. The Dolphins are her team.
“It’s a big part of who she is,” Anderson said.
The meeting opened with an apology from Pollock and the board to the parents about how the review of the aquatics program started and the lack of transparency and inclusion. From there, he introduced the two main points of the evening concerning the competitive swim program — the possibility of leasing the pool at JFK Middle School and dissolving the highest level of the program in USA Swimming.
Following the Gazette’s initial report about the longevity of the swim team in April, Marks said the Northampton Department of Recreation reached out to him about leasing the JFK Pool.
“I didn’t make the call. The call came to me,” Marks said. “That was kind of cool.”
Marks said the Y has been promised the completion of a new ventilation system at JFK to help clear the air on the pool deck, which can be very humid. The work is scheduled for August and could clip the beginning of the fall swim team season, but Marks said if that happens, they will work around it when the time comes.
“It might be a little into (the fall swim team season), but we’d work with all that,” Marks said. “We’re not going to have anyone swimming there until it is done, whoever is swimming there.”
Currently, the Northampton High School utilizes the JFK Pool for practice and meets during the winter season, roughly December through mid-March. Marks said lease terms have not been finalized, but daily pool times would be similar in length, but slightly later than what the Dolphins have now at the YMCA.
The shift in hours irked many parents as Marks said the late hours, roughly an hour later than the current 5 to 9 p.m. window, would be too late for the development level of the Dolphins. He proposed keeping that section within the Y and having the three higher groups — Junior 1s, Junior 2 and Seniors — move to JFK.
Parents of multiple children in different levels instantly saw that as an inconvenience as some swimmers at the Junior 1 level aren’t quite old enough to be dropped off and left. Additionally, the overlapping times could make going back and forth more complex and eat into the time that parents utilize their own memberships as they work out while their children are at practice.
These were all points that Karen Bayne of Northampton mentioned during the meeting and expanded upon afterward. She has two sons, Theo, who is 9 and a development swimmer, while Henry, 10, just made the transition to Junior 2 this season.
“That would just be a challenge for us,” she said. “We’re here for a while, but everyone gets something out of it. … It’s something that has been so important for the kids.”
Many parents also disliked the idea of splitting up the age levels due to fears it would reduce the community feel. Right now, the older children help teach and inspire the younger ones. With the oldest, more experienced swimmers at JFK, parents feared younger generations would not have anything to strive for.
“I think there’s a huge value to keeping the whole swim team together, to keep the younger kids and older kids together,” Anderson said.
Marks said the Department of Recreation has asked for a yes or no from the Y over the next few weeks. Many parents felt the timeline from the beginning, even before they were involved, has been very rushed.
Adam Hakkarainen, whose daughter Lily is a high school swimmer for Easthampton, noted that the JFK facility is well kept and, especially with new ventilation, is an opportunity they could regret letting get away.
“I think they should utilize the facility because it’s a pretty big asset to turn down,” Hakkarainen said. “If we miss this opportunity, I think we’ll be sorry. We’re always looking for more space. We can’t just build another swimming pool. (JFK) is up the street. They should use it.”
Marks and the board said pool space is at a premium, and they would like to expand their current swim lesson program, with more options for adult classes, like an evening water aerobics, and additional family and lap swim lanes. The hope is that additional swimming lesson options and adult pool class would fund the leasing of JFK.
Parents seemed more concerned with pool times and location than with losing the highest level.
Win Whitcomb, the father of Northampton senior Maela and freshman Nick, who both swim for the Blue Devils, said he was concerned that without a top-level program, turning out highly committed athletes would no longer be a priority, as those families would choose another swim program, which has already been a problem for a number of years at the Y.
“Those are the main mentors for the younger kids,” Win Whitcomb said. “Behind the highly committed swimmer, usually you have a highly committed parent or caregiver or set of parents, investing lots of time and energy.”
While most parents had a small sense of relief in knowing the program was safe, Whitcomb and his wife, Heather Wark, were still nervous.
“I’m nervous because I don’t think it’s a good idea to fracture the team,” Wark said. “I do have confidence that we now have a system in place going forward for this to be a healthy process with a positive outcome for all parties.”
(Published in the Daily Hampshire Gazette on May 14, 2015.)