FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Statement from KMSC Co-Head Coach John Brown
“We are saddened to hear that Oklahoma City Community College plans to close its Olympic Festival Pool at the end of summer. For the past 25 years, this facility has given countless children water safety skills that save lives, aspiring competitive swimmers a place to build their dreams, and adult swimmers a lane to maintain a healthier lifestyle. The pool has played host to multiple daily practices and hundreds of swim meets, from local events to national-level meets that bring in some of the fastest national, collegiate and amateur swimmers. Throughout this time, KMSC has enjoyed working with OCCC to meet the swimming community’s needs and make a positive economic impact in our community. The benefits of swimming are far-reaching, and our community is the greatest benefactor. Today, when interest in swimming in Oklahoma is at an all-time high, with the growth of competitive swimming in the state more than doubling the growth across the nation over the last five years, we hope that all possible solutions can be explored.”
KMSC is a competitive USA Swimming team serving more than 250 novice through elite-level athletes with locations at Oklahoma City Community College in south Oklahoma City, The Lighthouse in northwest Oklahoma City and Mitch Park YMCA in Edmond. The team was created in spring 2014 by longtime Oklahoma City area coaches Brown, Kathy Mendez and Josh Everett.
This is one of the few places in the country that can get sponsors on board to provide a solid prize-money meet, and they’ve done it for decades. That speaks to the love there is for our sport in this area. Seeing this facility close would be awful and a huge loss for not just the community in Oklahoma, but for athletes all over.
I have always found this to be a wonderful facility. I’ve had the opportunity to swim in the best and fastest pools in the world, and yet on more than one occasion I’ve gone best times here. It’s a fast pool, well kept, and overall it’s a great place for our sport as a whole. And… Read more »
Thanks Megan!!!
#saveOCCCAquaticCenter #king1marlin
After the Olympic Trials the Myrtha pool used is given (I assume that means sold for a lower price than usual?) to another city in the US where it can be reassembled and used to grow our sport. I know Boston received one of these pools. Maybe Oklahoma City could retrofit that pool into the existing pool? Maybe that’s a stupid idea, but I just thought I’d mention it. Good luck!
The Richmond, Virginia area got the 2008 pool and now has a top notch facility. I hope this can be done for OKCCC.
OCCC Aquatic Center is the “spiritual home” of Oklahoma swimming. It’s in the interest of all who want to see the sport continue to grow in our state and region to have a cornerstone like this facility. Fight hard for this great resource. Everyone in the OK swimming community supports you.