Grossmont College aquatics teams have been struggling with not having access to a pool on- campus that can be used for their games and practices.
This has been an inconvenience for some athletes who have to drive to an off-campus location to attend their practices. Griffin athletes have commented that it is unfair they do not have an on-campus pool, while other community colleges like Southwestern get four pools and a nice aquatics building to enjoy.
Meanwhile, Grossmont’s pool is not safe to get into because it looks like a swamp. Starting with the moldy green water that is home to fish trying to take away the mosquito problem, the pool is ultimately very fragile and could collapse if the water is taken out due to the damage done by the undrained water sitting and concrete crumbling apart.
Aquatics Coach Larry Larsen said, “The pool has been condemned for over two years.”
There are extensive issues that make the pool unsafe for swimming. It has been in terrible condition for years, and there is no probability of the pool being fixed for future aquatics athletes.
The teams practice at The Salvation Army Kroc Center, a temporary location where they are given an area to practice during assigned times. The limited number of lanes and time to practice can be inconvenient; teams can’t get an extra set of laps in because once their time is up, the lanes become open to the members of the Kroc Center.
This is an issue for all aquatics athletes, especially the ones who come from far away and don’t live in San Diego. They have to drive from campus to practice, dealing with traffic or finding a way to get there if they don’t have a car to transport themselves easily.
“Student-athletes must have cars to get off-campus practice,” Larsen said. “Gas prices are high and difficult for them to afford.”
This has been difficult for some athletes because they have classes on campus and have to rush to get to their practice off-campus. This is unlike the other on-campus teams that can attend their practices and games on campus and enjoy their private space without worrying about driving to another location.
Another disadvantage the aquatics teams face is not having their athletic trainers near if needed. “There is poor access to athletic trainers and academic advisors because we are off-campus,” Larsen said.
The teams also only have limited locations where they can host their “home” games. Grossmont’s aquatics teams should be able to have a pool where the school supporters can go and cheer them. For now, the teams will have to just see what time brings them and hope future aquatics athletes get what they deserve.

Gallery • 5 Photos

Annet Cardona

The way the water was originally