How unique aquatics amenities are helping community rec centers improve member experience
The longest stand-up slide in the world was once at Blue Surf Bay, a recently opened expansion to Blue Springs Parks and Recreation’s Blue Springs fieldhouse. Along with this attraction bringing in members, visitors and more, the waterpark features three additional outdoor waterslides, a lazy river, a NinjaCross Course, a Murphy’s Waves Surf-Air double surf simulator and more.
Exploring aquatics amenities beyond traditional pools — including waterparks, splash pads, specialty features, etc. — is a growing trend throughout the industry. Community rec leaders are recognizing the value of enhanced aquatics offerings in helping serve their members.
New features can be eye-catching and increase community engagement. During the construction of Blue Surf Bay, many were curious as to what the facility would hold. “I don’t think people really understood all that was going to be included seeing it from the outside,” said Dennis Dovel, the assistant city administrator of Blue Springs Parks and Recreation. “They realized what all it has when they got on site and were able to go in. Our community was surprised with all the things we offer and have been very pleased with it.”
Constructing the water park posed unique challenges including budget management and planning the facility. Dovel explained how they had to make hard decisions like cutting features from the facility to stay within budget. Especially when costs continued to escalate during the process, leadership remained flexible and cognizant of finances. Plus, another concern during the process was working with limited space which required creative thinking to maximize what was available.
Ultimately, Blue Springs Parks and Recreation overcame these challenges and was able to open the waterpark on its projected opening day. Meeting the community’s expectations in this way without any delays was extremely important for the department. It was able to do so in part thanks to its partners SFS Architecture, Water Technology Inc., McCownGordon Construction, and Landmark Aquatic, LLC.
“Having Blue Surf Bay allows us to serve our community with a much broader scope than if we didn’t have an aquatics facility,” said Dovel. “It really fills that gap for us and shows our department is really trying to meet the needs of the community in many different ways. What’s important to our community — aquatics, fitness, sports leagues or golf courses — has an effect on the quality of life we provide here. We certainly want to continue to push the envelope and make sure we’re meeting the needs of our community in every way we choose.”
Aquatics is unique because there are a multitude of possible activities for any age range. As such, it’s an extremely valuable area of operations. Having different amenities or programming can help you better serve your members which is important for Johnny Kimberlin, the aquatics director at the Trager Family JCC.
“Aquatics areas are a home base for our membership and people of all generations,” said Kimberlin. “We host aqua fitness classes, swim lessons, swim teams and birthday parties. Our summer camp and preschool also use these spaces. All our amenities touch people of all ages and provide opportunities for our members and sometimes non-members.”
Along with an indoor and outdoor pool, the Trager Family JCC’s Yarmuth Family Aquatic Center features a double-decker slide, splash pad, vortex pool, steam room, saunas and more. Having a wide variety of amenities attracts more of the general population which helps the J stand out in its community.
Kimberlin noted the growth of membership after the opening of the new facility including the Yarmuth Family Aquatic Center. Last year, the Trager Family JCC had around 4,000 units. Today, it’s grown to almost 5,000. Even though there are many reasons for this increase, he noted aquatics plays a big part in it. The bigger aquatics center also allows for more opportunities to host different programming at the same time and has opened up new, previously untapped revenue streams.
“It takes a lot of forward thinking and planning to build a facility such as ours,” remarked Kimberlin. “We had a lot of people plan out this pool and the entire building. You just have to go for it. Getting as many amenities as possible in one location attracts a lot of people coming to your pool.”
The Pembroke Pines Aquatic Center (PAC) is helping the YMCA of South Florida market memberships similarly. Partnering with the City of Pembroke Pines, the PAC features three bodies of water. These are a zero-depth pool that connects to a traditional, eight-lap pool and a diving well, a plunge pool with two three-story high waterslides, and a pirate-themed activity pool. Especially with hot Florida summers, having access to a family-friendly aquatics center is a huge highlight in a membership package.
“It’s a really fun additional amenity,” explained Kyle Kamman, the associate vice president of aquatics at the YMCA of South Florida. “It’s a fun attraction for families to visit at no additional cost like it would be if they were to go to another water park. Members get super excited when we tell them we have the PAC and they’re free to enjoy it.”
Along with serving Y members, the PAC is aiding its wider community and bringing in additional revenue. The Y took over operations of the aquatics center from the City of Pembroke Pines, but it’s still open to the community. Visitors can purchase day passes, and local high schools, groups and teams use the pools and dive well. It’s also a popular place for birthday parties and non-YMCA summer camps.
The PAC can get extremely busy during the busy season, but Kamman emphasized how it plays a vital role in the YMCA’s programming. Along with open recreation and visitors, it’s also the venue for the Y’s swim lessons and annual drowning prevention programming which offers free swim lessons to anyone in the community. “We’re continuing to serve our mission within that space,” he said. “It’s a place for family. It’s a place for community.”
The same aquatics solutions at one organization may not work for another community. However, investing in aquatics can be a valuable way to better connect with your community and fulfill your mission. People of all ages are continuously seeking diverse and enriching recreation opportunities. As such, by creating dynamic aquatics spaces you can really make a splash.
