This season, the swimming and diving team is training in Lamar’s new state-of-the-art pool.

One new feature is double-deck seating. According to boys’ captain Josh Schwartz, the ample space on the deck provides a more relaxed and comfortable environment that leads to enhanced performance in practices and meets.

“The seats are upstairs, which is really nice because you get more room on the deck for swimmers,” Schwartz said. 

Schwartz is fond of the new pool’s cleanliness. 

“The water is very clear in this new pool,” Schwartz said. “It’s easier to jump into a clear and blue pool instead of a murky, green pool.” 

Junior diver Cai Flowers commends the safety of the pool. According to Flowers, the diving area in the old pool was dangerously shallow—she once severely scraped her foot on the bottom of the pool and needed days to recover. Now, the new diving area is more isolated and spacious.

“The old diving area seemed like a bit of an afterthought by the builders,” Flowers said. “But in the new pool, there is plenty of room, and the divers even have their own section, completely blocked off from the normal swimming area.”

The water is also an ideal temperature, according to Flowers. The former Lamar pool was “ice cold,” which impeded Flowers’s diving performance. 

“For divers like me, jumping in the water and receiving a massive shock from ice cold water is really difficult,” Flowers said. 

Prior to the renovation, the pools did not have locker rooms. Swimmers and divers were forced to discreetly change in corners of the bathrooms, and showers were often infested with mold. 

“The conditions of the old pool were just gross,” Flowers said. “It was not a comfortable space to be in, especially for a diver like me.” 

Several of the overarching issues with the former Lamar pool have been remediated with the renovation, and the swimmers and divers strenuously appreciate the change. 

“The pool is just all around a higher quality,” Schwartz said.