By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
Christmas was over, but members of the Plainwell boys swim & dive team got one more gift on Monday, Dec. 30.
That’s when the team took its first plunge into the district’s new pool, which is one of the centerpieces of the new field house.
“Honestly, it is so surreal,” Plainwell swim & dive coach Andrea Murphy said of being in the new pool. “I still can’t believe it.”
Plainwell junior Sam Harper
Murphy, a Plainwell High School graduate, starting her coaching career at Allegan High School before coming back “home.” One of her goals for the district and the community in general was to help secure funding for a new pool.
That funding came as part of a bond proposal that voters passed in 2019.
The field house also includes a new gymnasium and an indoor walking track.
“We are so grateful to our community for supporting this project,” Murphy said. “I can’t wait for everyone to see it.”
Murphy’s swimmers, like junior Sam Harper, share her enthusiasm for the new pool.
“The new pool is very exciting to swim in and brings a new and different energy to practice,” Harper said. “I think it will make our team better with all of the new equipment, starting blocks and team room.”
The starting blocks mentioned by Harper are state-of-the-art, according to Murphy.
“(The new blocks) will help with our starts and relays,” Murphy said.
The main benefit of the new pool—which includes eight lanes and a separate diving area—is its size, Murphy said.
“With the number of lanes we have, we can have high quality practices instead of swimming over each other,” she said. “We can spread the team out and have focus groups. We can also get our club and middle school teams in here earlier and home earlier rather than 8:30 at night.”
Diving coach Lynne Seibert couldn’t be happier about the dedicated diving area and the possibilities it presents.
“Lynne is excited that the diving boards are in a separate place to ensure safety,” Murphy said. “She also really enjoys the brand new boards and how effortlessly the fulcrum moves. On a side note, she did help design the platform.”
When it comes to the highlights of the new pool, a big one for Murphy are the windows that allow in natural light.
“The best part is when the sun comes cascading in,” she said.
Other features of the new pool include:
- A reception office in the front where people can get info, pay and check in for programs and another office in the back for staff.
- An officials/lifeguard room.
- A family locker room.
- A “beautiful” hospitality room/classroom that can host parties and provide a space for lifeguard classes.
- A timing office.
- A shower by the diving boards for divers to stay warm.
“We also have suit spinners,” Murphy added.
Murphy stressed the difference between the new pool and the old one.
“We loved our old pool, and it did a great job for many years and has produced a lot of great athletes and memories for our community,” Murphy said. “But she is old and tired and wasn’t going to make it much longer.
“I am so excited for the new facility and expanding our programs. We have so much more room in the pool. We will be able to provide more consistent programs year-round for our community and hopefully expand more.”
And while she is excited about what the new pool offers to her teams, Murphy is equally as pleased with the impact it will have on the community.
“I am hoping that they will come check out our programs,” Murphy said of community members. “We have had to shudder a lot during the transition period, so I am excited to get everything back up and running and then add some.
“Once we fully open, we will be able to offer the community the option of pool party rentals, aqua aerobics, masters swim class, open swim and noon lap swim with the goal to have morning and evening lap swims.”
In addition, all three Plainwell elementary schools—Starr, Gilkey and Cooper—are able to offer swim lessons for its students along with the middle school and high school gym classes.
