Water Exercise participants in The Villages are upset about the prospect of being forced to share pool time with Combo Swim.
“This is unacceptable,” said Villager Caryn Martin.
She said The Villages Recreation Department is planning to have Water Exercise split the pool with Combo Swim. It means Water Exercise classes (those with 42 or less attendees) would be restricted to the Open area of the pool so that the lanes would be left open for Combo Swim.
Martin said the current pool allocation is as follows:
• Combo Swim – 49 percent
• Lap Swim – 13 percent
• Water Exercise – 12 percent.
“In cases where classes have been split with Combo Swim the experience has been that it’s distracting, disruptive and in some cases dangerous to have other people coming and going during a Water Exercise class,” Martin said.
But the potential distractions don’t end there.
“Additionally, those using the Combo Swim lanes won’t only be swimmers doing laps, other people can come in and water walk with a friend and would be talking while doing so. When there are disturbances with those in the Combo Swim area it will be left to your Volunteer Water Exercise Lead to deal with, causing further interruption to your class. If we are to share the pool with Combo Swim it will impact the number of people who can attend a class as well as possibly alter the routines you’ve come to enjoy,” Martin said in a message to her fellow Water Exercise.
This is the second major revolt against the Recreation Department’s scheduling of the pools. Earlier this year, the water volleyballers were irate about a major shakeup in the use of pool time.
Martin is trying to rally the Water Exercisers into action.
She is urging them to contact Recreation Director John Rohan at [email protected].
“And cc: his boss Carrie Duckett at [email protected],” Martin added. “Let them know how you feel about this.”