As the summer months trickle in, more families will be searching for ways to cool off. Swimming is one of the great ways to beat the heat, but for many who are either too far away from beaches or don’t want to deal with sand in their clothes, pools are a great alternative.
Unfortunately, recent years have seen a decline in upkeep of public pools that would typically see crowds of people from suburban to even low-income communities across the country. The decline of public pools has been a cause of multiple factors, from financial to a lack of consistent staffing.
That said, like with any activity that encourages crowds of people in an enclosed space, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a consistent disruptor for many public activities, swimming pools included. Public swimming pools provide a much-needed service to local communities, from being a third space for people to congregate in, to a great way to exercise.
Additionally, public pools often reach people from low-income communities, typically from the inner city, and offer opportunities to teach people necessary life skills that those in more privileged backgrounds have easier access to.
Swimming is an important lifesaving skill that everyone should have access to learning. The decline in public pools will only mean an increase in the divide between the wealthy and the underprivileged in fundamental life skills.
Protecting the pools that already exist in communities or reviving existing pools that have been just wasting away should be a community-wide effort. Keeping these places will not just benefit families, but everyone who wants to have fun in the summer.
