Packed in the pool: Sherwood Park club sees more swimmers, but short on space

A wave of swimmers in Sherwood Park competing for precious pool time illustrates a province-wide problem, one swim coach says.

The Sherwood Park Silver Tide Swim Club's membership of 145 has doubledfrom five years ago but the number of swim lanes at Millennium Place's pool has remained the same.

As a result, the club has limited spots left for young swimmers andnone left for those aged 12 and up.

"We're at a point now where we can't grow,"head coach Ted Murphy said Thursday on CBC Radio's Edmonton AM.

Inspired by Olympic success

Murphy said swim clubs in Sherwood Park saw interest in aquatic sports increase after the Summer Olympics in Rio in 2016. That year, Canada took home six Olympic medals in swimming. Four belonged toPenny Oleksiak, who became the first Canadian summer athlete to win four medals at one Olympics.

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A provincial problem

According to Murphy, the pool-time problem is not unique to Sherwood Park.

"There are only so many lanes to go around," he said. "All across Alberta, clubs are filling up their pool spaces."

Back in January, a Calgary swim coach complained of a shortage of pools suited for competitive swimmers.

"Calgary is pretty far behind on pool-building compared to the rest of North America, so they should build some bigger pools," Mike Blondal, head coach of the University of Calgary swim team, told CBC News.

Brian Gallaway, a former competitive water polo player, coach and master's swimmer, said there's a "dire need" for a competitive pool in Red Deer. He said swim clubs there have had to cap registrations. Some swimmers drive out of town to train elsewhere. Because there isn't onecompetitionpool in the city, Red Deer can't host aquatic competitions inwater polo ordiving.

Swim Alberta, the sport's provincial governing body, did not return an interview request on Thursday morning.

Coaches get creative

Coaches at the Silver Tide Swim Club typically pack between five and eight swimmers into each lane in the pool at the Millennium Place.

"That can get a little congested," Murphy said, but coaches get creative byjuggling lanes, assigningdrylandtrainingand working with other clubs or pools to find extra space.

In some ways, the increased interest benefits athletes; swimmers now have more teammates and therefore more competition, for example.

But Murphy worries athletes may feel compelled to commute to Edmontonor even skip school in order to train ata local pool. He fears some kids might abandon the sport altogether.

"Kids will find something else," he said.