After Oxford Township Parks and Recreation pulled its swim programming at Oxford High School’s pool last year, due to scheduling conflicts and loss of revenue, Oxford High School’s athletic department was left trying to figure out how to meet the needs of the community and generate revenue, according to OHS Athletic Director Mike Watson
‘We don’t have the resources to operate (the pool) from any one department whether it’s from a budget standpoint (or) human resources standpoint,? Watson said. ‘So, what we did was try to make the problem into an opportunity.?
Instead of trying to add pool rentals over top of the things they already do and have ‘issues with school people versus non-school people.? Watson said they decided to ‘create something from the ground up,? in which they could have not only their school programs, interscholastic swim teams and PE Programs, but partner with a club or private organization in order to run additional programming and generate revenue.
After talking with a few different organizations, Watson said they found a swim club that will help them not only run ‘learn to swim? and safety programs, but everything from pool parties to all the different programming that Parks and Rec. did.
‘The biggest aspect of this is a competitive swimming club,? he added. ‘If we get a competitive swimming club in there obviously people like kids five years-old up to the masters program of adults join a club and pay for club membership which includes the meets and everything else.?
Watson was not able to disclose the name of the club yet because it has not signed the agreement yet. He is hoping to have the agreement finalized by the end of January.
Watson did note that the club’s owners include a two-time Olympian for Israel and a five-time All-American for Oakland University. ‘We’re pretty close to the end of it,? he said. ‘We just have to put the finishing touches on it and have the superintendent sign it.?
Once expenditures and revenues are figured out, Watson said they will be looking to partner with the club 50-50.
‘It’s probably one of the first things we’ve done with an outside entity that is a true partnership of 50-50. Their stake is their human resources and their reputation and our stake is the facility and serving our community,? he explained. ‘Pools are a money pit, but we also have a real responsibility to the public to teach water safety and have swimming programs.?
Just in the three summer months alone, Watson said it costs about $15,000 to heat the pool. ‘The community has grown to the point where the need is certainly there,? he said. ‘We get requests for SCUBA, boating safety, lap swim for tri-athletes, master swimming, water aerobics, water babies all through learn to swim and interscholastic stuff.?
They will have to determine how they develop programming, not just outside of the school day, but during the school day as well to accommodate the needs, but that is one of the main differences between working with a swim club as opposed to the township’s parks and recreation department, Watson said.
‘As an athletic director or athletic department in parks and rec. it’s only one small part of what we did, so we couldn’t really devote a whole lot of time creatively to solve all the problems we needed to solve,? he added. ‘The good news about bringing somebody like (a swim club) in is that’s their core business and what they’re going to focus on. They’re not focusing on flag football or softball. They’re focusing on aquatics and everything aquatics means.?
‘The best thing is that hopefully we’ll get everybody in on the ground floor and we’ll get all of our coaches, PE teachers, users and stakeholders involved at the front to determine what the need is because . . . we’ve told this club it has to serve the needs of the community first,? continued Watson. ‘It’s great to have a competitive swimming club, but you’re going to get your competitive swimmers from our community. If you don’t build equity in our community it’s not going to work out and we’re going to be back at the drawing board again. We’ve got to create something that is good for everybody.?