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Natatorium is Shameful

Postby couch 'em » Fri Apr 06, 2012 11:33 pm

I don't care about swimming. I also always knew Perkins is way out dated. But wow, I didn't realize how need off we are. I saw this picture of a local ISD's swimming facility and it really highlights our problems. And no, this isn't HP or another special case ISD.

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Re: Natatorium is Shameful

Postby gostangs » Sat Apr 07, 2012 12:25 am

so what its just swimming
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Re: Natatorium is Shameful

Postby SMU89 » Sat Apr 07, 2012 1:38 am

With the way the lanes are setup, bet they get some good times off those platforms
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Re: Natatorium is Shameful

Postby LHS81 » Sat Apr 07, 2012 2:16 am

I thought swimmers were suppose to swim between the lane markers, and not over & under them?
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Re: Re: Natatorium is Shameful

Postby Dutch » Sat Apr 07, 2012 4:16 am

LHS81 wrote:I thought swimmers were suppose to swim between the lane markers, and not over & under them?

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Ok this is getting ridiculous...I agree with Dutch on THIS ONE POST by him totally
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Re: Natatorium is Shameful

Postby PoconoPony » Sat Apr 07, 2012 12:29 pm

gostangs wrote:so what its just swimming


Swimming was the premier consistent and successful sport at SMU for many decades and has a proud tradition and history. Based on neglect of facilities both the men's and women's program have been hung out to dry. The facilities are so dismal that they are embarrassing. Walk into the men's locker room and all you smell is [deleted]. The lockers are the same lockers from 1958 with 40 or more coats of paint. The showers are the same from 1958 and there are no workout rooms or facilities so the pool deck and bleachers are lined with spin bikes, stretch mats, and weights. Looks like a poverty junk gym. The roof is in dire need of repair to the point of being unsafe. Most good high school programs have much better facilities. Facilities affect recruiting and neither swim coach can recruit any US kids who walk away to better situations. Both coaches are barely surviving with foreign students and no depth. Both programs were top 10 in the last 6 years and now we are barely scoring any points at the NCAA.

Major efforts have been made to build a new pool and many millions of dollars were pledge circa. 2008 for a great new facility. The bad economy in 2008 caused some big donors to back off their pledges and we still have roughly 12 million unofficially pledged from those of us who still care. Problem is that costs have risen and we still need a lead donor. This is not a matter of "who cares", it is a matter of enhansing the Vard with a new beautiful facility, re-establishing the swim teams and enhansing the over all success of the entire athletic department.
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Re: Natatorium is Shameful

Postby smuaustin1971 » Sat Apr 07, 2012 10:09 pm

Swimming is a fabuous sport that SMU should be proud of. They have 2 very good head coaches [Steve Collins is internationally significant], but it is hard to compete with the schools that have 1st class facilities. Hopefully that will be remedied sooner rather than later.
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Re: Natatorium is Shameful

Postby jpe747 » Sun Apr 08, 2012 12:25 am

This is sad. If I recall correctly (its been quite a few years) SMU was the premier swim school in Texas and the Southwest. We were better known for our competitive swimming than any other sport. The Quick brothers swam for us and they were two of the best in the USA (Richard and I do not remember the others first name). UT built a fabulous pool and got one of the Quick kids to coach for them. That was all it took to make UT competitive with SMU. Then came our neglect. That is sad. I don't know if we will ever fully recover in that sport. If you want to see a good facility check out the DISD facility over by W.T. White. Its got to be 20 yrs old or so and it kicks our Patterson.
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Re: Natatorium is Shameful

Postby AusTxPony » Sun Apr 08, 2012 9:33 am

David Quick, what a great guy, too. A good ole ATO. We are still a force in swimming (Top 20 in women's this year) and the New Natatorium needs to be next on the books. Let's all get behind this! It's a beautiful sport, and one that gets its share of Media coverage.
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Re: Natatorium is Shameful

Postby Water Pony » Mon Apr 09, 2012 9:31 am

Pocono was summarized the circumstances well. We had pledges covering 60% of the then projected $16m for a replacement aquatic center. The main issue for administration was that 90% needed to be pledged before they committed to the project. Regrettably, swimming and diving is capital intensive and the school wants and needs a first class, architecturally attractive building on Bishop Blvd. I agree, but the facility costs for swimming/diving is much higher than for any sport at SMU, except for FB and BB.

SMU enjoys a better success now that we deserve, given our lack of commitment to sport. And, our women's team are doing more with less than any other team on the hilltop. Our 50 year tradition of champions (Olympic, National and Conference) and team championships could be reprised with a competitive aquatic center. Perhaps more than many sports, swimming and diving pulls its weight in contributions, Mustang and Letterman membership and support to reinvest.

Join our band of happy warriors and help promote a new natatorium. 8)
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Re: Natatorium is Shameful

Postby DiamondM » Mon Apr 09, 2012 9:43 am

Every year for the past few years I have done a triathlon that starts at the Rockwall Natatorium. (The next one is coming up on May 13). Several years ago, I did a triathlon training program in the SMU facilities. The comparison is sad, embarrassing, disappointing, and angering. How can Rockwall ISD have the money to build that gorgeous facility and we make our swimmers and divers train in a crumbling (literally) facility?
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Re: Natatorium is Shameful

Postby RGV Pony » Mon Apr 09, 2012 9:51 am

Because rockwall and every other isd can raise taxes to raise funds.

Incidentally, I was told a couple of years ago, maybe three, that hpisd approached SMU about undertaking jointly shared new natatorium & IPF, but a mutual agreement either was rebuffed or couldn't be reached.
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Re: Natatorium is Shameful

Postby well travelled pony » Mon Apr 09, 2012 12:07 pm

I guess football is slow for this to be here, but I agree with the sad state of the Natatorium. While I attended SMU I was shocked. We had great programs, despite Perkins. I met Steve Lundquist, and watched him at the '84 games along with Ricardo Prado, who I was friends with. Same time saw SMU with Greg and Mook Rhodenbaugh, Bobby Patten, John Miranda, Rich Saeger, Danny Goodwin, and Zeke Crowley, and many others. I met Mary Pat Gaffney, Florence Barker, Sue Brown, Laurene Lazzaretti, Jenny Jordan, Toni Palmer, and many of the women simming and diiving at SMU. All cool peeps. (And boy could they party too!) Anyway, SMU swimming an d diving deserve so much better.

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Re: Natatorium is Shameful

Postby Water Pony » Mon Apr 09, 2012 12:29 pm

Here are a few additional National Swimming and Diving Champions and Olympians from SMU:

Ken Mertin
Jerry Heidenreich
Ryan Berube
Mook Rhodenbaugh
Lars Frolander

Martina Moracovca
Flavia Rigamonti

Divers:
Ron Mills
Janet Ely
Scott Donie

plus, almost a hundred All-Americans.

Hats off to my fellow Mu Sigma Delta (Mustang Swimmers and Divers) members!
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Re: Natatorium is Shameful

Postby AusTxPony » Mon Apr 09, 2012 1:45 pm

How many Gold medal Olympians do we have? My guess is Jerry H., the Lunk, and Moracova. Any more?
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