It's Time To Make A Splash With 8-Lane Pool In County

The Land O' Lakes boys swim team had just wrapped up another Sunshine Athletic Conference title at the New Port Richey Aquatic Complex, though a tinge of dismay was in Coach Barbara Hayes' voice.

She knew what was coming now that the postseason was about to begin - traveling.

Hopping on a bus or van for as long as Pasco County's swimmers advance through the postseason isn't a new pain, but it's also not one that gets any better with time.

Pasco County lacks the one thing that would allow some of the county's swim teams to swim at least one round at home, and that's an eight-lane pool.

First, Land O' Lakes and the seven other county swim teams in Class 2A-District 5 traveled about an hour for their district meet in Clermont.

Pasco, Wiregrass Ranch, Bishop McLaughlin's Caitlen Smaga and Academy at the Lakes' Jesse Alpert-Stern also traveled an hour to The Villages for their district meet, while Mitchell lucked out being in a district with mostly Pinellas teams and went to Palm Harbor.

The Long Road(s) Ahead

This week Pasco, Wiregrass, Smaga and Alpert-Stern are preparing for a six-hour drive for their regional meet in Panama City.

The teams in 2A-5 have been assigned by the Florida High School Athletic Association to go to Fort Pierce, nearly three hours away.

Part of the problem is the way the FHSAA's state series assignments have shaken out for most of Pasco County's teams. They have ended up in the outermost stretches of their respective regions.

Teams in every sport have to travel sometimes, but Pasco County's swim teams have to travel all the time.

Last year, 2A-5 was held at Berkeley Prep in Tampa and that was nice, but Hillsborough and Pinellas pools aren't always going to be available.

But as long as the county doesn't have an eight-lane pool, there isn't even the possibility that any local teams would be spared the time and automatic fatigue that come with traveling.

Then there's the money.

Pasco athletic director Jim Ward is expecting to see a rather large bill soon for the two school board vans and consequential transportation costs, hotel rooms for the roughly 15 swimmers and coaches, and meals that are stemming from the trip to Panama City.

'Our Last Hope'

In the not-so-distant past, appeasement seemed to be on its way when the New Port Richey recreation and aquatics center was being built. But as the cost of the complex swelled, the extra lanes were part of the discarded end of the chopping block.

'The pool at Wesley Chapel is our last hope,' Hayes said.

The pool coming to the Wesley Chapel District Park originally had an eight-lane pool in its plans, but those plans have been delayed because of funding issues.

Rick Buckman, Pasco County Parks and Recreation director, said a new funding package will be presented in the first quarter of 2008, but the issue isn't whether or not the pool will have six or eight lanes.

Rather, it is if the county will have enough funds to build and operate the pool as budgets continue to tighten.

'Maybe the school system could assist with the funding,' Buckman said.

He said a discussion he'd like to have down the road is the possibility of schools sharing facilities with the county instead of building separate facilities like pools and fields.

At least at this point there are ideas being thrown around to make an eight-lane pool a reality in Pasco County. The plans are in place for one and hopefully they won't be derailed.