Notes from the Director...

February 14, 2012

This week the boy's are preparing for Sectionals. Come check out the talent in Fort Wayne with swimmers and divers from eleven local area schools participating. Swimming preliminaries start on Thursday at 5:30pm. Diving preliminaries are on Saturday morning at 9:00am. Swimming and diving finals start at 12:30pm on Saturday. Come and join in on the fun! Admission is $5.00 for one session or $8.00 for the sectional tournament.

January 31, 2012

This week leads to the beginning of the end of the 2011-12 high school swim season as swimmers and divers make their final preparations to compete in Sectionals. The Natatorium is hosting the girls sectionals which are Thursday (Prelims at 5:30pm) and Saturday (Diving Prelims at 9am and Swimming and Diving finals at 12:30pm). The top 16 finalists will compete to set records and take the coveted trip to Indianapolis for the state finals, just one week after the Super Bowl madness clears out! Good luck to all the swimmers and divers who have worked so hard all season long.

January 18, 2012

I just returned from the International Aquatic Safety School this week. Safety School is an opportunity to network and learn from some of the best in the industry about aquatic safety and risk prevention. Cory Francis, Natatorium Supervisor went along with me this year. When I asked him what he took from the school, he said that being immersed in a group of professionals who are so passionate about aquatic safety was eye-opening. He was rejuvenated from the experience. It's one that he will put to use throughout the year.

December 22, 2011

As we enter into this holiday season, it tends to bring us to the height of our hustle and bustle. Things move so fast during this time of the year; it's hard to slow down. I hope that you are able to take a deep breath, sit quietly for a few minutes and think about all the things that you have to be thankful for this past year.

At the Natatorium, we reflect back thankfully that we've had a safe and successful year serving many students, community members, and teams. Alfred North Whitehead said, "No one who achieves success does so without the help of others. The wise and confident acknowledge this help with gratitude." We appreciate your business and are looking forward to a great 2012 - an Olympic year!!

December 21, 2011

The Natatorium will be open for recreational swimming over the holiday break. Be sure to check the schedule to find a time and day that works for you! The new 2-week schedule will be out in a few days. See you soon!

December 9, 2011

The Natatorium has been bustling with activities in December. We normally have up to 4 high school swim meets during the week and sometimes a club swim meet on the weekend. Stop in and check out the action. The high school swim meet entry fee is $5/person.

November 30, 2011

The Natatorium is stepping into a new era of technology with our high school swim meets. All the teams at the Natatorium are using a program called Hy-tek Meet Manager to run their meets. Not only does this allow us to put swimmer names up on our scoreboard for individual events, but it's a great tool for the coaches as well. Hy-tek provides great information, statistics, etc. about swimmer performance and can even suggest potential workouts to coaches for individual swimmers. We're excited to be able to offer this capability to our teams!

November 23, 2011

Black Friday is rolling around and it's time to start thinking about the holidays! Save yourself some hassles and shop at the Natatorium for your favorite gear, including sweatshirts, t-shirts, water bottles and other goodies. Natatorium wristbands and stadium cups make perfect stocking stuffers!

October 24, 2011

Next week marks the end of the first session of elementary swimming at the Natatorium. Sessions are normally 6 weeks, with students participating in one, 40-minute lesson per week. Special thanks to principals, teachers, aides and volunteers from Holland, Brentwood, Waynedale, and South Wayne for creating opportunities for your students to participate in these important weekly lessons.

The Natatorium has served 645 elementary students in this fall FWCS session!

October 12, 2011

Who caught the Biggest Loser last night? Did you see the terror laid down on Bob's team with the water workout and the great weight they lost? Come on in to the Natatorium for our WORK IT class and let us make your muscles howl. Water exercise isn't just for grey-haired ladies (my apologies to you grey-haired ladies who are in class kicking butt!). Give it a try! Class is Monday and Wednesday nights at 5pm.

September 23, 2011

A friendly reminder to all of our normal Saturday guests - it's "Fort for Fitness" time and that means limited access to the Natatorium parking lot during the race. Check out Fort4Fitness for how the road closings might affect your visit to the Nat. Good luck to all our members who are racing!

September 14, 2011

Even though it's getting cooler outside - the pool is heating up with our great water exercise classes. Try the WORK-IT class on Mondays and Wednesdays at 5pm or the Deep Water Cardio class on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30pm. Go crazy and try them both. There is still time to sign up for the class or you can pay a drop-in fee each visit.

September 9, 2011

The Natatorium is hosting a water exercise workshop through the Aquatic Exercise Association (AEA) this weekend. We are excited to have international instructor Stephanie Thielen with us for the training. Our supervisory staff is participating and will be stoked to bring their new moves to our fall classes and programming throughout the year. All of our water exercise instructors are certified through AEA, the international standard for aquatic exercise instruction! Come check us out next week in our shallow water WORK IT or Deep Water Cardio classes!

September 7, 2011

It's time! You can register now for fall programming. Classes available include swimming lessons for kids ages 3+ through adults taught by certified instructors. We are offering pre-testing this week, today - Thursday, to see what level you should sign your child up for if he/she is not a beginner. All you need to do is bring him/her over after school with his/her suit and yours. The test will only take about 5 minutes!

We are also offering water exercise classes in the deep and shallow water. These classes are geared to increase your heart rate and strengthen and tone your muscles.

Our popular Mommy and Me class is back at a new day and time. This class is a GREAT way for you to get some exercise without having to leave your little one behind. Kids have a blast while parents use them as a prop in this fun and exhilarating exercise class.

Whatever you choose, you're sure to enjoy the class and atmosphere at the Helen P. Brown Natatorium. Sign up today!

August 24, 2011

Although the Natatorium is closed, we have a lot going on within our walls! Our FWCS electricians are working on changing out aging lights and fixtures. It's amazing to see what the chlorine does to the circuitry after 15 years of use. We are also doing a lot of planning for the 2011-12 school year. We have lots of elementary schools lined up to bring students to the Natatorium for 6-week swimming lessons. Our fall community programming registration begins on September 6th.

The Natatorium is also HIRING! We are looking for responsible daytime and evening candidates for part-time positions. We train our staff, so don't be afraid to apply if you are a focused, friendly and dependable individual who is a great swimmer with no formal training. Our schedules are very flexible. We are willing to work around college schedules and after-school activities. The NAT is a great place to work!!

July 13, 2011

The Natatorium is preparing for the big City Swim and Dive meets, starting this weekend, Friday, July 15th. The City of Fort Wayne is celebrating 50 years of hosting the swim/dive meets for local residents. Join us along with 2000+ other folks from around Allen County for the swim finals on Sunday, July 17th at 1:15pm. Get here by 1pm to see the annual parade along with the "celebrating 50 years" banner contest or by 12:30pm to hear the mayor address the crowd.

The dive meet kicks off on Saturday, July 23rd and runs through the 24th. The city is also hosting a banner contest for the dive meet.

Good luck to all of our local swimmers and divers!

June 29, 2011

The Mommy and Me exercise class members are working hard and having a great time along the way! You and your child can join this class too! Class meets on Fridays from 10:45-11:25. Drop in for only $4.50/visit! It's great quality time and you can get a workout in without needing a babysitter. Check out some of our class members here!

June 2, 2011

Registration is happening NOW!! The summer session registration has begun! We have lots of options for the summer session including daytime and evening swim lessons and lots of water exercise classes.

Back by popular demand is our new "Mommy and Me" exercise class available on Fridays from 10:45-11:25am. This class is for one adult and a child 6 - 36 months. What a fun way to exercise and have fun quality time. The class debut was a big hit with lots of laughing kids and smiling parents.

For those of you wanting to "drop-in" swim over the summer, fees are $3.00 for adults and $2.50 for kids. The schedules are updated bi-weekly on this website - click on the Swim Schedule for availability of long course and short course lanes and recreational swim times.

Don't miss the boat because you waited too long to sign up! Registration is done IN PERSON. We accept cash or checks. Most classes begin the week of June 13th.

May 18, 2011

Holland elementary school was at the Natatorium the past 2 weeks preparing for their trip to North Carolina. While at the Natatorium, they learned about ocean safety, including rip currents, undertows and sand bars to prepare them for their wading in the Atlantic Ocean. They also geared up for their snorkeling in the Core Sound at the Cape Lookout National Seashore. They learned how to de-fog their masks, blow water out of their snorkels and how to react in emergencies. They also practiced following their group leader and avoiding dangers.

May 9, 2011

Congratulations to Kole Christen - the newest member of the supervisory team at the Natatorium. Kole has been employed as a lifeguard and water safety instructor at the Natatorium for the past 3.5 years. Kole has a positive attitude and a hunger to learn that will help him continue to be successful and lead at the Nat! Kole recently obtained his lifeguard instructor license from Ellis.

April 25, 2011

Hooray for the Natatorium! The staff of the Natatorium has again achieved the prestigious "Platinum International Aquatic Safety Award" from Ellis & Associates, International Aquatic Risk Management consultants. This top award is earned by consistently exceeding Ellis' criteria for aquatic safety certification. Only those scoring in the top 10 percent of the audit criteria receive the award.

Great job lifeguards, supervisors and staff! This is the seventh time the Helen P. Brown Natatorium has earned the top award!

April 13, 2011

It sure is great to see all of our community swimmers, learn-to-swim folks, water exercise participants, club swim teams, and club divers back in action! Welcome back!! We missed you last week.

March 18, 2011

The Natatorium is hosting instructor training this weekend for the International Lifeguard Training Program. Instructor candidates will converge for the weekend from Indiana and Michigan to practice and perfect all their lifeguard training skills including pro-active skills like scanning and vigilance awareness training, CPR skills, and in-water rescue skills. They will also be learning to teach first aid and participating in a Basic Leadership Training course. They will be practicing teaching skills to each other before taking the message out to the masses this spring.

March 14, 2011

The Mommy and Me class sure is making a splash! Parents and their 6-36 month old children are enjoying burning the calories together. The Mommy and Me class is geared towards getting the adult some exercise while the kiddos are having a great time. Kids in the class are used for added resistance, lifting, and core exercises. They are having a great time getting swished while parents are increasing their cardiovascular endurance and toning! I'll bet nap times are great for both after the Mommy and Me class!

There are still a few spots left in the class. Let your favorite adult/child combo know! Grandparents are welcome too! The class is on Mondays from 10:45-11:25.

February 24, 2011

Get registered for classes starting February 25th! Click on the orange programming brochure link above! We now have classes for ages 6 MOS and older with the addition of the Mommy and Me classes. If you are an adult looking to learn or perfect your strokes, join the adult class on Monday nights!

Of course, it's time to get in shape for your summer adventures - so check out our water exercise classes. We have something for everyone! Deep, shallow, and now a Parent/child exercise class. Read all about it in our brochure or give us a call at 467-2660! See you soon!

February 22, 2011

What an exciting finish to the boy's sectional finals! The Carroll boy's team held the team lead for almost the entire meet - separated by only one point after the second-to-last event. In the end, Homestead edged out Carroll by a mere five points with their sectional record-setting relay!

Congratulations to the following swimmers who set Sectional records, either individually or as part of a relay: Jacob Cook, Joshua Auger, Blake Johnson, Logan Johnson, Jalen Walker, Bradley Trahin, Conner Snare, David McAfee, and Joel Foreman.

Congratulations to FWCS' own Ryan Black of Northrop high school his first place finish in the 500 freestyle, moving him on to the state meet. Also moving on to the state meet is Landan Mintch of Snider high school with his first place finish in the 100 breaststroke. Congratulations to divers Casey Griffith and Andrew Maciejewski who have advanced to diving regionals on Tuesday.

Carroll and Homestead also had several swimmers advance to the state meet. For full sectional results, go to http://www.ihsaa.org/dnn/Portals/0/Boys%20Sports/Boys%20Swimming/2010-11/1011FortWayneSouthSideSectional.htm.

February 8, 2011

What a weekend we had of girls swimming at the Natatorium! Six of the 12 Sectional records were blown away by swimmers during the finals held this past Saturday. Congratulations to Sarah Lohman, Tori Bagan, Hanna House, Whitney Carroll, Sydney Bull, Emilee Duquette, Mariah Hamil and Chelsey Reber who all had a part in breaking one or more sectional records, whether individually or as part of a relay.

Congratulations to FWCS' own Hannah Miller from Snider High School for her 1st place swim in the 200 Freestyle, moving her on to the state meet. Hannah also qualified in the 500 Freestyle. Also moving on to the State meet from FWCS are Emilee Boleyn, Sydney Harris, Molly Cade and Hannah Miller in the 200 Medley Relay and 400 Freestyle relay. Molly Cade qualified in the 100 Butterfly and Sydney Harris in the 100 Breaststroke.

Homestead and Carroll also had additional swimmers qualifying for the state meet. For complete local results and information on all the local talent moving on to the State meet, go to: http://www.ihsaa.org/dnn/Portals/0/Girls%20Sports/Girls%20Swimming/2010-11/1011FortWayneSouthSideSectional.htm

For all those swimmers and divers ending their season with this meet, Thanks for a great season!! Congratulations to all Sectional Champs and State Qualifiers. Good luck at STATE!!

January 27, 2011

Join us at the FWCS School Choice fair this weekend at Northrop high school between 1-4pm. The Natatorium booth is located on the far side of the commons in the main hallway. Stop by our booth to learn about upcoming programming including swim lessons, water exercise classes and other aquatic opportunities. We look forward to seeing you there!

The Natatorium is now hiring a front desk attendant. Go to the link for employment at FWCS and follow the directions for more information. The position is located under the support services section. The posting will be up through 1/31/11.

January 21, 2011

The Natatorium is known for hosting the majority of the local club swim meets. One of the biggest of the year is this weekend with Fort Wayne Aquatics swim club (FWA). FWA draws swimmers from Indiana, Ohio and Michigan for this event. They normally host about 950 swimmers for this January short course meet. Good luck to all participants!

January 10, 2011

This week I am serving on the faculty at the International Aquatic Safety School with Jeff Ellis & Associates International Lifeguard Training Program. That's a mouthful, I know. It's a "week-full" too! The staff and faculty of Ellis & Associates trains lifeguard instructors from all over the world including about 90% of the world's waterparks each year! You may know some of them - Disney, Six Flags, Great Wolf Lodges, Cedar Point, Kings Island, Atlantis (in the Bahamas and Dubai), etc.

This week serves as a unique opportunity for aquatic facilities and waterparks to send instructors to be licensed with the best and attend many other aquatic related programs. Ellis is bringing in experts on attentiveness and sleep habits (focused on employees to enhance vigilance while guarding you!), keeping away sexual predators, social networking and, of course, the newest skills in aquatics/risk management.

Attendees are passionate about aquatic safety and it's a priceless week to be a part of. For our facility, the information is priceless too. We want to continue "Setting the Standard in Aquatic Safety" for you!

January 4, 2011

Cheers to a happy new year! The Natatorium is excited to be entering its 15th year of operation in serving FWCS students and the community. In case you're new to the "Nat", we have a lot to offer. We are definitely open to the public! Right now our space is more limited due to a busy meet season, but check our schedule out. We do have times available!

We also offer lessons to our FWCS students during the school day. Many elementary schools come with their classroom teacher. We are host to all the FWCS high school swim and dive teams, as well as Canterbury and Luers. We also host all SAC swim meets, the SAC championship meet and boys/girls sectional meets.

From March through October, the Natatorium is also known for its community program including swimming lessons, lifeguard training, and water exercise classes.

Come on in and enjoy the facility!

December 17, 2010

Come on in over break for some recreational swim times! Check out the schedule for availability and guidelines. On behalf of all the Natatorium staff, I would like to wish you a very happy holiday season!

December 1, 2010

High school and club swim/dive seasons are back in full swing. The Natatorium is host to all the SAC high school swim meets. Among those schools are South Side, North Side, Concordia, Bishop Luers, Snider, Bishop Dwenger, Wayne and Northrop. Many of those teams, along with Canterbury high school consider the Natatorium their home pool.

We have some really good local talent in the Allen County area. Stop in to see a high school meet or, if you are brave, one of the Club meets (FWA, TRAC and SWAC). Admission varies.

November 5, 2010

Why not burn off the Holiday calories before the Holidays even start? Did you know that treading water or swimming for one hour at a fast or vigorous pace burns 680 calories for someone weighing 150lbs. If you weigh more, you burn more calories. Weighing less reduces your caloric expenditures. In comparison, 150lb. runners burn about 98 calories per mile. If you take an average person who runs about 10 minute miles, that would be 588 calories/hour.

There are many great things about adding the water to your workout regimen. Here are a few: Water cools the body approximately 4 times or more (depending on the water temperature) faster than air. The result is a more efficient cooling system keeping you more comfortable during your workout.

Hydrostatic pressure can decrease swelling and pressure, especially in the lower extremities which are immersed deeper. It offsets the tendency of blood to pool in the lower extremities during exercise and aids venous return to the heart. Water gives you 12 times the resistance of air, so you are also building muscle through the resistance while working out.

October 26, 2010

High school swimming has begun! The girls started out today excitedly swimming their laps while nervous lifeguards paid special attention to some of the newer swimmers. With several new coaches and lots of eager swimmers, the 2010-11 girls' season looks to be a good one.

October 18, 2010

The Natatorium scored an "EXCEEDS" on our operational audit performed by Ellis & Associates Aquatic Risk Management Program last week. Audits are conducted by E&A to determine our facility's ability to anticipate, recognize and manage an aquatic emergency. The audits consist of three sections: observational, skills and facility.

The auditor comes into the facility unannounced and observes the lifeguards, watching for a number of different requirements including scanning, posture and other criteria. That's right, we pay someone to sneak in and check out how we are doing!

Next, the auditor announces themselves and takes guards and supervisors through some realistic scenarios. Last week's included an unconscious scenario where we practiced using supplemental oxygen and the AED. We also tested on a spinal injury scenario.

The third section of the audit checks the operational side of the facility to ensure that we are taking all of the safety steps that we need to. They look at things like lifeguard training, licensing and how we set up our zones of protection. They also check and make sure we are checking our safety equipment.

There are four possible scores we could have received on our audit based on a combination of factors (Exceeds, Meets, Rectify, or Fail). We are proud to have scored the highest possible level. Audits are unplanned and therefore give us the best picture of how the Natatorium is doing on safety on any given day.

October 13, 2010

It's prime time to be coming indoors and enjoying the water and flurry of activities at the Natatorium. We still have deep water exercise classes available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays in the evenings. You can drop-in for a small fee. We also have lots of public swim lane availability during the week. If you're not as keen on sharing lane space, try for early morning or mid-day swims (5am-9am or 1:45-3:15pm on MTF's). Club swimming is back in full force. Both FWA (Fort Wayne Aquatics) and TRAC (Three Rivers Aquatics Club) swim clubs are still accepting members. Your child has to be able to swim 25 yards to qualify.

September 21, 2010

WE ARE BACK!! The pool is back in operation after our "filter fiasco." On Friday, Spear Corporation found that one of the pipes blew in one of the filters, causing the sand to be pulled directly into our system. While we were able to salvage many buckets of filter sand from the pool, we still had to replace over 300 pounds of new sand in one of our 4 filters. After many days running the pool vacuum at the bottom of the pool and even having some guards dive down and scrape the sand up with dust pans and bare hands, we are back in business! Thanks for your patience! Welcome back!

Approximately half the sand in filter was sucked through broken pipe directly into the pool.

September 16, 2010

You just never know what each day is going to bring when you run a pool. Some days are such a reward, like when a student swims their first few strokes or a diver nails a dive they have been at for months. Today was not one of those days though! oday was the day, to quote a staff member, "that the pool spit sand". What does that mean and how does that happen, you ask?

Well, to make it simple, when the valves are in "filter mode," the water is directed to the top of the filter and then flows through the sand, trapping debris as it travels to the bottom of the filter and out through the laterals. The laterals have the job of filtering out the sand and letting the water through. When the laterals break, they allow that fine sand to travel directly into our pool. The result is neat piles of sand all around our pool at the each of the inlets. Not a good problem to have, but the problem that we are hoping for believe it or not. The alternative is that something else happened in our filters that is not as "predictable" and could be much more costly and time-consuming.

At any rate, I hope to have good news for you by next Monday! We'll keep you posted!

September 3, 2010

Here it comes! The Natatorium is re-opening on Tuesday, September 7th. Things are already starting to bustle again at the Natatorium. We have been through a week of staff training, registration and putting the finishing touches on the pool.

Think "basic training" when it comes to our lifeguard training during this part of the year. It's the time for us to review our most basic skills after a month of being land-locked. We are also in the process of training and hiring the next generation of HPB Nat employees. The new lifeguard candidates are gearing up for a weekend long training class to see if they make the cut.

Registration is in full swing right now. Our fall classes are filling up quickly. Come on in and register if you haven't already. Time is running out!

August 9, 2010

You would think the Natatorium is lying dormant right now with it being our annual August shutdown time, but it's actually buzzing with activity! We have several projects in progress right now. Among them are cleaning the air intake grates, painting the railings around the facility, re-grouting the pool wall and repairing some duct insulation. We are also deep cleaning the storage rooms, waxing the floors, cleaning carpets and - the job the lifeguards love the most - cleaning the scum line in the pool! All that along with the detailed planning for the upcoming year is keeping the staff busy!

The lifeguards just completed their much anticipated August "All-Staff" training. After being drafted to their "Fantasy Guard League" team early this summer by the Natatorium supervisors and completing several team challenges and scenarios, this in-service served as a final culmination of which team reigned supreme. After six hours of challenges, team building and a city-wide scavenger hunt, Team Charlie's Angels pulled out the victory!