A seasonal staple – swimmers practicing and competing in cold
temperatures and driving rain – is no longer.
At least not for San Benito Aquatics.
After more than 40 years of conducting practices and lessons at
San Benito High School, the local swim chapter has officially moved
its home site to the pool at Rovella’s Athletic Club, and under the
protection of the building’s retractable roof.
Although rising rental costs at the high school were the main
reason for the move, forcing the swim club to cut its practice
schedule and wipe out the possibility of hosting any meets,
Rovella’s has supplied SBA with the first month on the house – rent
free.
A seasonal staple – swimmers practicing and competing in cold temperatures and driving rain – is no longer.
At least not for San Benito Aquatics.
After more than 40 years of conducting practices and lessons at San Benito High School, the local swim chapter has officially moved its home site to the pool at Rovella’s Athletic Club, and under the protection of the building’s retractable roof.
Although rising rental costs at the high school were the main reason for the move, forcing the swim club to cut its practice schedule and wipe out the possibility of hosting any meets, Rovella’s has supplied SBA with the first month on the house – rent free.
“We’re not mad at the high school, but for the club to survive we had to move,” said co-head coach Christine Schafer, who manages the team alongside Cathy Larson. “Hopefully, we can grow big and strong.”
The team, with many monikers like the Sea Dragons, Sea Serpents and Dragonflies, and which is 80-swimmers strong this season and a part of USA Swimming, kicked off the new arrangement on June 10 with a tri-meet among the Cabrillo with a tri-meet among the Cabrillo Thrashers and the ConKohrs Barracudas.
It was the first meet hosted by SBA in roughly one to two years, Schafer said, and the first-ever swim meet at Rovella’s, located at 854 Industrial Drive in Hollister.
“We can’t thank Steve and Lisa Rovella enough,” said Schafer, referring to the health club’s owners. “It’s nice to have a home where we’re not shuffling or moving. It’s awesome.”
Part of the problem of competing at the high school, aside from the increasing rental costs, was competing for pool time with other sports teams during the school season – a problem that exists for other sports teams, too.
In the fall, for instance, with the water polo program getting first dibs, San Benito Aquatics wouldn’t begin practice until 6 p.m. in the shallow pool (which was without light standards for many years), with practice in the deeper pool not beginning until 7:30.
“The deep pool at San Benito High School is an excellent pool,” Schafer said. “But the benefit for us is stability.
“With Steve and Lisa, we have a stable time.”
Not to mention, a “warm location for our younger kids,” Schafer added. Rovella’s pool is indoors, keeping inclement weather conditions out, while the roof is also able to open in certain areas, allowing cool air and sunshine to flow in.
“I hate to see them out there shivering and freezing in the winter,” said Steve Rovella, who was more than excited to be hosting a swim meet on June 10.
“It’s for the children,” he added. “They have a place they can come to. It’s not Disneyland, but we’d like to make it like Disneyland.”
The Hollister health club was previously the home site for the Manta Rays swim team, under the direction of Dave Steele, but that organization has since dissolved, Rovella said.
“We wanted to help them because they’re a non-profit. They’re great people,” Rovella added. “The kids and mothers are really excited about our facility. Hopefully, we’ll have a nice, family relationship.”
Both sides, SBA and Rovella’s, commented on the others accommodating manner. Rovella’s has allowed SBA to conduct swim lessons and practices twice a day during the summer months, including three hours in the morning and one and a half hours in the evening, while SBA has managed to keep lanes open for the health club’s members during its swim schedule.
“It was very nice that we had the opportunity,” Schafer said of the switch. “Steve has been super accommodating, super welcoming.”
SBA is part of USA Swimming, the national governing body for the sport in the United States. Competing throughout the year with swim meets at all levels, SBA offers competitions and lessons through competitive and noncompetitive swim teams.
Although the pool at Rovella’s is just a “hair shy” of 25 yards in length, meaning SBA won’t be able to conduct sanctioned meets at the health club, the local swim club does plan on holding as many tri-meets as it can.
Its next scheduled meet is slated for July 23.
“It’s been a long time since we had our own home meet,” Schafer said. “It was nice to do that.”
