Pima County pools gear up for summer swimming session

Pima County pools gear up for summer swimming session
Fun in the sun, swimming lessons and County swim team options offered

The temperature is rising and one sure cure is a dip in the cool water of one of Pima County’s nine public swimming pools. The pools open Memorial Day weekend (Saturday, May 23) and all of them but one will be open through Labor Day, September 7. The County pool in Ajo, at the E.S. “Bud” Walker Park, will open for Memorial Day weekend, close for a week and then reopen on Saturday, May 30 and remain open through Labor Day.
In addition to offering a cool respite for Pima County residents, the pools also offer swimming lessons for children as young as six months, a Novice Summer Swim Team Program for children ages 5 to 18 and a Junior Lifeguard program for children ages 11 to 15.
Swimming lessons are provided in two-week sessions of eight classes, with the first session beginning Monday, June 1. Lessons are $20 per session and registration is in-person at the pool where a resident wishes to take the lessons. Registrations for the first sessions of swimming lessons begin at 7:30 a.m. May 29 at all pools except for the Ajo pool, where registration doesn’t start until 7:30 a.m. on May 30.
Novice Summer Swim Team is offered at all Pima County pools except for the Thad Terry and Picture Rocks pools.The fee is $20 for the whole summer, including all practices and meets. Registration for the Novice Summer Swim Team begins at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, May 16, at any pool offering the program and will continue during regular pool hours until June 18, or until the team at a specific pool reaches capacity.
The first swim practice is May 26. Swim meets are on Saturday mornings or nights during May, June and July beginning on May 30. Meets will continue through the Championship meet on July 18.
The American Red Cross Junior Lifeguard program is designed to prepare tweens and teens between the ages of 11and 15 to become future lifeguards. This program does not certify participants in first aid, CPR or AED (automated external defibrillation), nor certify as a lifeguard, but will introduce the participants to skills needed for entry to the American Red Cross Lifeguarding course.
The program runs from June 1 to July 16, at different times, depending on the pool where the student completes training. The fee is $30 for the entire program and includes a Pima County Junior Lifeguard T-shirt. Registration can be completed at any pool during open hours beginning May 23.
The schedule for swimming lessons, information on pool admission fees, pool hours, locations and phone numbers, as well as information on the Junior Lifeguard program, can be found atwww.pima.gov/NRPR. For additional swim team information, call 520-724-5189 or visit www.pima.gov/NRPR.

For more information, please contact Grant Bourguet at 520-724-5189 or email Grant.bourguet@pima.gov.

Pima County Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation is a division of the Pima County Public Works Department. We invite you to hike and play in our parks or take one of the many classes we offer.