It has been cited that the upcoming Cape Henlopen School District referendum is for a luxury item that would get minimal use by the school or community. This is extremely short-sighted, and diminishes the need for aquatic facilities in the Cape Region.
With 60 million youth sports participants in the United States, swimming currently ranks as the fourth most popular. There are more than 120,000 youth swimmers between Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C., many of whom travel between three and six hours to go to meets at pools similar to the one being proposed. If we had a pool of that size in our region, we could host high school meets and practices, local and regional championship meets, YMCA and USA meets as large as Junior Olympics or YMCA Nationals, and potentially the DIAA high school state championship meet.
I have heard concerns that the proposed pool would be an economic drain on the school district. Researching pools of this size actually proves the opposite. It would not only be an economic benefit for CHSD, but also for the region. This is quite literally an “if you build it, they will come” scenario. Fifty-meter pools in a lot less inviting areas than ours are hosting 20 to 30 meet weekends a year with upwards of 600 to 1,000 participants. This accounts for $20,000 to $50,000 in facility revenue per meet weekend. That revenue would go straight to operating costs. That does not factor in the impact on the local economy. The swimmers attending these meets would need a place to stay, eat and be entertained. If you need a model, look no further than DE Turf. There’s a reason they continue to build more and more hotels and restaurants along Route 1 in that area.
Along with the ability to generate revenue, a pool of this size would also offer community programming opportunities. It could provide swim lessons, adult water exercise classes, arthritis classes, host Special Olympic teams and meets, summer camps, a club swim team, etc. The possibilities are endless!
Drowning is the second-leading cause of death for youth aged 14 and under. Nationwide, three children die from drowning every day! Factor in that we live near the ocean, and it should be even more clear why all youth in our area should have an opportunity to learn to swim. CHSD would have an opportunity to be a local leader in drowning prevention. Across the country, many districts with pools of this size offer lesson programs to their students. CHSD could offer a free drowning prevention program to all second- and third-graders throughout the district. There are many other opportunities as well – adult swim lessons, boating safety, CPR/first-aid/lifeguarding, etc.
As a local resident, I see the benefits a top-notch aquatic facility would bring to our region as an opportunity to bring a lasting positive impact to our community. Please do your part and vote yes!
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