Swim Columbia County

Swim Columbia County Columbia County Georgia needs an indoor public pool for swim lessons, senior swim, aquatics exercise, Not every family has the means to make it happen.

My name is Cyndi Griffin and I started Swim Columbia County because Columbia County Georgia is a fabulous place to live, but we desperately need a public swimming pool. I am a wife, a mother, a teacher, a former lifeguard, and a swim mom. Advocating for the needs of children has always been part of my life and career. Growing up in the suburbs of Atlanta, I spent much time at the local public pool

. When I had children, we went to our local public swimming pool for swim lessons. Then we moved to Evans, and I was shocked that Columbia County did not have a local public swimming pool. Fortunately, my family was able to join our neighborhood pool and we joined the summer swim team in another neighborhood. It was a stretch for our family to afford, but our children love summer swim team, and we were able to make it happen. My children thrived and grew to love competitive swimming. We joined ASL, the Aiken Augusta Swim League, and my children took lessons and swam competitively. We drove to the Augusta Aquatics Center every day for years. I did all my shopping in Richmond County while I waited for them to finish swim practice. When my daughter started high school, she decided to stop doing ASL and focus on the high school team and summer swim league. When we were on ASL, the need for more lanes and a site in Columbia County was apparent. When we joined the high school swim team, the need was even more obvious. Our Columbia County students are either bussed or must drive to the Augusta Aquatics Center, which takes quite a bit of time in the afternoon and evening traffic. Their practices are too short, and they do not have enough lanes for practice. The Augusta Aquatics Center is not convenient and is overcrowded. This past year, when Covid hit, the high school swim teams in Columbia County were severely impacted. The number of swimmers had to be drastically cut. The Augusta Aquatics Center closed. Swimmers and swim teams were scrambling for pools to hold practices. Some teams were traveling across the state to meets at other pools. My own children joined YMCA so that they could swim locally. The YMCA is also located in Richmond County, but it was the only option. We love the YMCA swim team and will continue swimming there. I am not a swimming expert; I am a mom who is frustrated with the lack of swimming facilities in our fantastic county and decided to do something about it. Columbia County offers its citizens so much and with a public pool that could be used year-round, we could be even better. I am a public pool, water safety, and swimming lessons advocate and I hope to use this page to build a group who will join me.

Perhaps they could use a portion to BUILD A POOL!
03/10/2026

Perhaps they could use a portion to BUILD A POOL!

Columbia County Commissioner (and CC Chairman candidate) Alison Couch said on the air this afternoon that the county does not have the legal ability at present to rebate or discount property taxes with the 8.4 million dollar windfall that came to the county last week from the CC Development Authority’s “data center land sale” profit.

She said the plan UNDER CONSIDERATION for that money is greenspace investment for the beauty and enjoyment of all.

Nothing against greenspace, but personally I think they need to put that money in the bank until they have the ability to do exactly what they need to do with it, and that is steer it back to residential property taxpayers…

They do not have the legal ability to do that right this minute…but they should SHORTLY…
(State law is changing on this topic literally right now)

Getting this money from the CC DA was totally unexpected and unprecedented…but the reason it happened was the data center project paying off EARLY.

To maintain momentum and reassure the doubters, I believe the Commission should vote NOW to credit taxpayers, as soon as the letter of state law allows it.

TO BE CLEAR…this is money from the CC DA that has never ever materialized in such a way, so a legal mechanism with which to handle it had to be legislated. Couch and the Commissioners I have spoken with are more than happy to credit this back to taxpayers when state law allows it.
The greenspace alternative UNDER CONSIDERATION is merely that, which I sincerely hope they will reject once state law allows…

This is a great idea, but first, let’s start with a year round community pool in Columbia County. The indoor pools in Ri...
07/21/2025

This is a great idea, but first, let’s start with a year round community pool in Columbia County. The indoor pools in Richmond County are very busy. They have too many people currently using them to offer a program of that magnitude.

Columbia County leadership told me that supporters of a community pool in Columbia County need to organize. They said there are too many groups of swimmers (ASL, High School Teams, Recreational swimmers, etc) who advocate for their group, but collectively we do not work together. That was the point of forming Swim Columbia County- for all supporters to join and work together to advocate for the greater good.

Swimming is an essential skill. I would love for our county and school system to pool resources to offer free or low cost lessons to all all Columbia County residents.

Like, follow, and share Swim Columbia County

Yes!!! Columbia County needs this! Let’s make the pool a primary focus, not an option!
09/11/2024

Yes!!! Columbia County needs this! Let’s make the pool a primary focus, not an option!

The development could even include an aquatics center with a competition-standard 50-meter swimming pool.

07/03/2024

Regardless of what sport you love or play this summer, the all kids should learn is swimming and water competency.

Drowning is the number one killer of toddlers in America, which means water competency is more than just a sport; it's a vital survival skill.

Our campaign has one goal, encouraging parents and caregivers everywhere to consider swimming and water competency the first priority before enrolling their kids in other extra curricular activities.

Head over to the website to learn more about !

https://ndpa.org/firstsport/


06/08/2024

She had 13 attempts at 100M breaststroke to get it right.

05/23/2024

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF)- The YMCA and Doctors Hospital have partnered to provide life-saving skills to children. Swimming can be an activity that some look forward to. But, for others it can be pretty …

05/10/2024

Perspective Shift: I’m NOT Just Teaching My Kids to Swim

I was talking to a fellow mom at the ball field and I asked her why she was there as I thought her younger kid had swim lessons at the time. She quickly responded and said that they were skipping the day of lessons because it was “just water safety stuff”….let me repeat that….”it was just water safety stuff” so they didn’t go. The water safety aspect wasn’t as important as the learning to swim days in her mind. As we continued our discussion I realized there is a stark contrast between the philosophy of I’m just teaching my kids to swim and my responsibility is to teach my kids water safety. It is a perspective shift and it changes your approach.

I’m not just teaching my kids how to swim. I’m teaching them:

*About boundaries
*About permission
*About responsibility
*About how our bodies work and what they need to thrive
*About what makes our bodies stop working/breathing
*About decision making
*About self-awareness
*About different skill levels and abilities
*About influence of others/peer pressure
*About layers of protection
*About listening
*About distraction
*About risk
*About exhaustion
*About balance
*About appropriate attitudes around the water
*About buddy systems
*About their height vs. water depth
*About moving water/currents
*About not drinking the water
*About confidence
*About care around weaker swimmers
*About personal space in the water
*About lifejackets
*About dangers/cautions with floatation devices
*About knowing your personal limits
*About walking on the pool deck
*About knowing your surroundings
*About helping adults stay attentive
*About medical events
*About strength and size
*About water quality
*About water clarity / visibility
*About choices and consequences
*About focus
*About expectations
*About the drowning process
*About calling EMS / calling for help
*About how to help at their level without putting themselves in danger
*About how to get away when someone grabs onto them
*About how to enter the pool safely
*About restricted access / gates / fences
*About drains / pumps
*About supervision ratios
*About lifeguards being a backup supervision layer
*About drugs and alcohol creating dangerous environments & decision making
*About causes of head/neck/ spinal injuries
*About electricity & water don’t mix - lightning procedures
*About assumptions
*About risky behaviors
*About water temperature dangers - cold and hot
*About appropriate medical care - drowning care…first give air!
*About seeing something & saying something
*About wildlife/nature in and around water
*About their personal role in water safety
*About how they should educate others & be a leader
*About safe water activities
*About assessing new environments/activities
*About water fun and exploration
*About water exercise & swimming benefits
*About dangers of prolonged breath-holding & hypoxic training
…and the list could continue…

I’m teaching them about water safety, and yes, how to swim is a part of it, but it isn’t the whole story or where I start and stop.

What do you hope your kids learn?

Thanks for sharing, liking, commenting!

Stay safe! Stay smart!
💙, ALIVE Solutions

05/07/2024

Swimming isn’t just a sport; it’s a critical survival skill.

Swimming and water competency should be the you teach your child. Drowning is the single leading cause of death for toddlers in America. Early swim lessons can save lives and prevent drowning.

Help us raise awareness and equip the next generation with essential water competency skills. Join the movement for a safer future around water!

Head to our website to learn more https://ndpa.org/firstsport/

08/27/2023

Nearly 500 first, second and third-graders participated in this year's "swim week" at John Sevier Elementary school.

“Public pools have played a critical role in American culture over the past century. But as climate change and extreme h...
07/22/2023

“Public pools have played a critical role in American culture over the past century. But as climate change and extreme heat worsen, they are taking on an urgent public health role. Heat kills more Americans than any other weather-related disaster, according to data tracked by the National Weather Service.”

https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/22/business/public-pools-extreme-heat Why America stopped building public pools

“If the public pool isn’t available and open, you don’t swim.”

This is awesome! Everyone benefits from a community pool.
06/24/2023

This is awesome! Everyone benefits from a community pool.

Charlie Duncan wears his age on a ball cap, and that gets a lot of attention.

06/15/2023

What are you are NOT doing to stay safe around the water?

We can do lots of things to try and stay safe, but sometimes it is also about what we aren’t doing.

Tell us in the comments what you aren’t doing to stay safe…we will start.

Thanks for sharing, liking, commenting!

Stay safe! Stay smart!
💙, ALIVE Solutions

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Evans, GA
30809

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