Geneva's Sunset Pool nets national award

When the gate swings open May 24 at Sunset Pool in Geneva, swimmers will be entering a national award-winning facility.

The Geneva Park District recently received the Excellence in Aquatics Award from the National Recreation and Parks Association in class 5 (population 20,000 to 50,000). Six cities nationwide received the honor.

The pool was rated on its programming, money management, lifeguard training and safety.

"That (safety) is our big priority," said Nicole Vickers, aquatics director.

More than 50,000 visits are made each year to Sunset, and more than 2,600 people each year learn to swim there.

The 3-acre facility on Western Avenue, built in 1996 and expanded in 2003, has a zero-depth area and lap lanes in one pool, and two deep pools with slides. They are filled with 430,000 gallons of water.

Seasonal staff includes 60 lifeguards, 30 swim teachers and 10 in the front office. The concessions sales are contracted out.

"Swim lessons are definitely the high point (of programming)," Vickers said, although you can learn to snorkel or scuba dive, as well as attend special events such as movie nights.

"Every time at year end, I'm just proud of how safe (we are)," Vickers said. "It's a great feeling to say we've had no accidents."

Sometimes, that is despite the patrons. Vickers wishes parents would keep an eye on their children, even though lifeguards are paid to watch the crowd.

And then there's the universal "no running on the deck" warning.

"People, really, really, really overlook that," she said, leading to many a scrape. "It's slick."

People also lose track of how deep they are getting in the zero-depth pool, particularly around the 4-foot mark, so lifeguards are stationed in the water in that area to catch swimmers before they get in too much trouble.

And hitting the water after dropping off a slide in the deep well seems to jolt some people.

"That's where they (the lifeguards) are going in the most," Vickers said. "Adults mainly stay where they can touch (the pool bottom)."

Vickers, 28, has worked at pools since she was 15.

"It was a lot more laid-back (then)," she said. "Times have changed. The training is really intense.

"I'm pretty happy with this pool. I think it is a nice size for a community."