Marble Pool returns with a splash for summer

After years of uncertainty, the John H. Marble Pool is treading water once again. 

The 75-foot summertime pool is the practice spot for Braden River High School’s swim team, the Pirates, and the only accessible public pool for many surrounding residents. 

In 2013, Manatee County considered closing the former YMCA pool because officials believed it was underused. But the swim team’s fundraising efforts, along with community outcry, helped keep the pool open for the team’s practices and resulted in it reopening in summer 2014 to the public. 

For summer 2015, the county budgeted  $45,743 to keep the pool open for local residents and the swim team.

But the county has bigger goals for the pool:

“Our long-term goal is having it open year-round,” said Matthew Porter, the county’s recreation supervisor for aquatics.

For now, the county is starting small: This year, the county enhanced its swim lesson program, Porter said.

The program is available mornings and evenings, Monday through Thursday and Saturdays this summer. Last year, lessons were available just two days a week.

Before the county can consider keeping the pool open year-round, it must determine how to fund operations, as well as the costs of upgrading the pool with lights and heaters.

Tripp Schwenk, head swimming coach for the Pirates, hopes the county will see the value of the pool and continue to invest.

“It’s a shame we’ll put millions of dollars into other facilities, but whenever there’s a request for a competitive facility for swimmers, the response is, ‘That costs money,’” Schwenk said.

Although there are concerns about costs, there’s also demand for the facility.

“We still get calls from out-of-state colleges that want to rent a pool in the winter,” Porter said. “That part of why we want to open it in winter.”

When Marble is closed, the county’s other pool, G.T. Bray in the west Bradenton area, takes on most swimming activities. Enhancing Marble’s availability would help alleviate demands on Bray, according to Porter.

Schwenk would like to see Manatee County chip in to help the pool purchase starting blocks, which would allow the pool the capability of hosting swim meets. 

“G.T. Bray is the only place that can do meets,” he said. “It’s a strain on them.”

Contact Jessica Salmond at [email protected].