Castlemont pool reopens, but few students dive in
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Slideshow Credit: Mario Ahumada
Photo Credit: Mario Ahumada
The Castlemont pool gleams in the early afternoon. The water was at a warm temperature. When it’s a cold day, coaches warm up the pool, so the swimmers will be comfortable.
March 22, 2011
Mario Ahumada, Johnta Christmas, Kyetta Lamb and Antoinette Sims, OTT Staff Writers
A newly renovated pool at Castlemont High School shimmers with reflected sunlight, ready for swimmers to dive in. There’s only one problem: Although there are 32 students on the swim team roster, and eight have showed up for practice, on a recent visit there were zero students in the pool. Coach James Jefferson says he is optimistic that students will begin showing up for practice. But appearances suggest that he has a tough road ahead of him. On a recent visit to the pool, Oaktown Teen Times reporters found the desolate swimming pool reflecting a setting sun. Visitors basked in the tunes of classic rhythm and blues slipping through overhead speakers. Equipment and coaches stood at attention, ready to introduce new souls to the thrill of the waves — thrills that only the coaches’ two young daughters, ages 10 and 8, seemed to be enjoying that day.
The quiet pool is a world apart from what Castlemont’s swim program used to be. In 1976, the Castlemont swim team won the OAL Championship, becoming the best in the league. Six years later, the team swam its last lap. Years of neglect followed, with the pool’s once pristine waters turning into a green, smelly, slimy muck. But students were mixed on whether or not spending money on the pool was wise. “No one is joining the swim team,” said Mikala Matthews, a senior. “It was a waste.” Other students echoed her thoughts. Giovanna Warren, a junior, told OTT reporters that “the money that went into the pool could’ve gone into something more educational.” Coach Jefferson declined to say how much it cost to clean up and renovate the Castlemont pool. On the other side of the coin, students like Tyrin Pleaz, a junior, have shown interest in the pool due to the fact that it provides “ something to do.” Whatever the opinions, the fact is that Castlemont’s pool is a part of its history. In a talk with OTT reporters in teacher Marsha Rhynes’ afterschool journalism class, Ken Smith, a member of the class of 1965, recalled how students were once required to swim across the full length of the pool to receive a diploma. Everybody has their own opinions, and if yours bring you to join the swim team, the pool is located behind the JROTC building and is open at 4:00 p.m. for practice. Coach Jefferson has all the inside information to for anybody willing to jump in the pool.
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