Chairlifts for pools in The Villages are a hot topic right now among area residents, but many Villagers might not realize the important role swimming pools have played in the success of the community over the past 25-plus years.
In many towns across the country, there are places where residents hang out as “regulars.” In some towns it might be a favorite bar. And in others it could be a hometown restaurant where everybody truly knows your name.
Here in The Villages, the 89 swimming pools scattered across the community oftentimes play that role. Those who enjoy swimming and hanging out at Villages pools know that’s certainly the case. And if you don’t believe that, then just stop by any swimming pool in the community on any given day and see the camaraderie that exists. You’ll be amazed.
It’s been that way in Florida’s Friendliest Hometown for a long, long time. And we suspect it will be that way for a very long time into the future.
One of the first gatherings at a new Villages pool took place in the summer of 1993. Villagers were treated to a trifecta in July of that year when they could drive across the new golf cart bridge and visit the new, state-of-the-art Publix grocery store at what would eventually become the La Plaza Grande shopping center. And the third attraction that day – a brand new junior-Olympic-sized exercise pool filled with swimmers doing synchronized routines.
Pools across The Villages also have been known as places to pick up on the news of the day and some good old fashioned gossip, too. Don’t get us wrong – a whole bunch of what’s reported among residents at pools is quite accurate. But like in any city across America, pool goers also tend to enjoy sharing their fair share of rumors and other juicy tidbits.
Never was that more the case than at the legendary famous watering hole known throughout the community simply as the Tiki Bar. It was a favorite among Villagers at the Orange Blossom Hills Country Club for many years. And after it closed and was dismantled in June 2014, many Villagers on the Historic Side of the community fondly remembered years gone by at the country club, and in particular, they recalled conversing with Villages founder Harold Schwartz.
“So many people used to meet and greet at the Tiki Bar,” longtime resident Rita Burrows said at the time. “It is kind of a symbol of something that we will not have anymore and it is kind of sad.”
Along those same lines, most Villagers probably don’t know it, but a very large indoor pool existed here in Florida’s Friendliest Hometown at one time. It was located at the old Wellness Center, which is where The Villages Health’s Specialty Care Center is now located beside The Villages Regional Hospital.
It was a popular destination among Villagers, but as the Morse family does with so many of their entities, they got out of the Wellness Center business when they welcomed MVP Sports Clubs into the community. And that quickly proved to be the end of the popular indoor pool that saw many Villagers exercising there on a daily basis.
Over the years, Villagers also have had fun by doing crazy things with pools. Some have taken the challenge of visiting every pool in Florida’s Friendliest Hometown in the same day. They usually dip a toe in the water and they’re off to the races to get to the next pool. But at the end of the day, when they’re enjoying a drink with friends, those pool journeys become epic.
Pools in The Villages also have played vital roles in providing healthy exercise choices for residents. Water volleyball has been a popular sport here for years. Pool aerobics classes have been favorites among Villagers for quite some time. And as we mentioned earlier, synchronized swimming in The Villages is huge, with the Aqua Rhythms team celebrating 28 years of competing here this year.
Of course, one of the biggest success stories to come out of Villages pools is The Villages Aquatic Swim Team. This group, which has had many different members over the years and is now about 80 strong, practically wrote the book on winning Senior Games medals.
In fact, at this year’s games, VAST swimmer Nate Leech joined with two others to combine for 17 record-setting performances. And when the three of them had to go head-to-head, Leech came out on top.
Longtime Villagers will remember that back in the early 2000s, VAST really was just coming of age. The team, which practices at the pool at the Mulberry Grove Recreation Center, was making headlines when it would totally dominate Senior Games and other swimming competitions. In some ways, those athletes put the community on the map as a top-notch place to live if you wanted to compete and have fun doing it.
As we remember it, it always seemed like every time the team went out of town to complete, they’d come home with a truckload of medals. And before you knew it, a new swimmer or two had joined the group and was fitting right in with medal-winning performances.
As The Villages continues to grow, chances are each pool will become even more of a special place to hang out. The pool at the Village of Fenney, for example, is a new breed, complete with a sloping concrete floor that allows resident to just walk into the water.
More of those are sure to come, and as time goes by, we know those pools will emerge as the “place to be” in the new parts of The Villages – just like they’ve been in the older sections of the community for many years.
