Pool Season at the Y

One of the reasons I love summer is because I live at the pool all season long. I know what you’re thinking – I’m pretty lucky! And you’re right. I am an aquatics director!

There is never a dull moment at the pool when you are an aquatics director. Every day I am greeted by young, eager faces waiting to jump into the pool to learn water safety skills. We have campers come from all over to swim and play. I have some of my best meals on the pool deck, as members bring in samples of their latest recipes. We share stories and I watch strangers become friends. We even have a local church perform baptisms in our pool. Yes, our pool water is blessed and prayed upon! It always amazes me when I think of how many lives the Y touches on a daily basis.

And if I haven’t convinced you yet that I have the greatest job ever, I have 80 lifeguards that grace me with their service, knowledge and wit every year. They become family to me and they make me feel proud to be their supervisor.

I am especially excited for this summer to see some of the entertaining and competitive activities we have planned at the outdoor pool. Throughout our association, you will find theme days such as Tie-Dye Tuesdays, Watermelon Wednesdays and Family Fridays. During summer holidays, there’s even a good chance that you’ll find us cooking out and enjoying fun and fellowship.

I hope that everyone gets a chance to visit one of our outdoor aquatic centers this summer and experience all that the Y has to offer. We put in long hours of work and training leading up to our opening day, and we do it so that our members can have a safe summer, full of fun and creating life-long memories. See you at the pool!

Lisa Dionne