By: Ellie Gilbert and Brooke Hacker
As of right now, Redwood’s pool is in refurbishment. Due to that, all swim teams are having to practice at Mt. Whitney’s pool.
Unlike practicing after school, all teams have to practice in the morning. Clare Gonzales ‘24 says, “Currently practice is at 6 in the morning, however our coaches are moving it to 5:30 in a couple of weeks.
The difference in practice times is something the swim teams are not used to. Reagan Richard ‘23 says, “My schedule consists of me getting to school at a later time than usual, and we are in a time crunch to get ready at Mt. Whitney’s pool before we have to close it for the day.”
Gonzales also says, “I consider it an inconvenience because I am personally not a morning person so I would rather have practice in the afternoon.”
However, Jackson Coon ‘23 says, “Personally, it doesn’t bother me that much because I’m already up pretty early in the morning.”
In regards to why the swimmers are facing this challenge, they note the issues with the Redwood pool. Jake Chambers ‘23 says, “The district was lacking on keeping up with maintenance and our boiler broke, which means our pool can no longer be heated.”
Although it bothers some and not others, there is a universal feeling of it being too cold that early in the morning, especially with having to get in and out of the pool. Chambers says, “It’s a big inconvenience because it makes us tired for school and it is quite literally freezing that early in the morning.”
Other than using a different school’s pool, there are other significant changes in scheduling. Gonzales says, “My schedule is different as I go to bed pretty early every night to make sure I get enough sleep.”
Coon sees this as a positive change for himself. He says, “By that point, you’re already awake and you’ve just kind of worked out, so you feel pretty good afterwards. The hard part is just getting in and starting.”
Continuing with the positive, Richard says, “It’s not my favorite going to school after morning practice, but it allows me to have a free afternoon which is nice.
Ellie Gilbert
Ellie Gilbert '24 is currently a second year Sports Journalist for the Redwood Gigantea. Ellie is also part of the Varsity Soccer team.
Email: ellis.gi4412@vusd.us
Tags: brooke hacker, construction, ellie gilbert, pool, redwood gigantea, redwood high school, redwood journalism, swimmers, swimming