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Water Pony and Swimming Team Supporters

Postby Cheesesteak » Sun Aug 27, 2006 10:40 pm

Water Pony and S&D team supporters -

I was reading my Summer 2006 copy of Mustang Quarterly (published by the SMU Mustang Club).

On the cover page in an article titled Facility Projects Underway In The Athletic Department the last paragraph says "The athletic administration is also currently analyzing the needs of other sports including swimming and golf. If you would like to make a donation to any of the renovation or facility projects..."

SMU's outstanding swimming and diving teams (great students too) need and deserve a much better facility than obsolete Perkins.

What are you hearing?
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Postby smu diamond m » Mon Aug 28, 2006 1:02 am

We need a better facility than the obsolete Perkins, too

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Re: Water Pony and Swimming Team Supporters

Postby Water Pony » Mon Aug 28, 2006 1:44 pm

Cheesesteak wrote:Water Pony and S&D team supporters -

I was reading my Summer 2006 copy of Mustang Quarterly (published by the SMU Mustang Club).

On the cover page in an article titled Facility Projects Underway In The Athletic Department the last paragraph says "The athletic administration is also currently analyzing the needs of other sports including swimming and golf. If you would like to make a donation to any of the renovation or facility projects..."

SMU's outstanding swimming and diving teams (great students too) need and deserve a much better facility than obsolete Perkins.

What are you hearing?


Thanks, Cheesesteak, for the interest. This is a topic that has great interest to me and all Friends of SMU Swimming & Diving.

Situation: Perkins has great emotional ties for all of us that have swum or dived for Red Barr, Coach Mac, Eddie, Jim or Steve. Tradition is nice, but the Natatorium doesn't work for our two Division 1 programs (note: our Women's Team only adds to the crowding and the sense of urgency. "BTW, wish we had women, when I competed.)

Fact: A six lane, 25 yard competitive pool is less what is used by practically all high schools. The outdoor, A. R. Barr long course pool helps for training in the early season, but is not an option to host meets and/or train in the winter. Furthermore, the current Perkins infrastructure is old and will need big dollars to fix, if we keep the status quo. One very long shot idea was for Dallas to win and host the 2012 Olympics and have the U.S. pick up the tab. Never was going to happen, but it was wishful thinking and a remote possibility.

Need: If we intend to maintain varsity, Division 1 programs, SMU desperately needs a long course (50 Meter) indoor pool with the ability to have a separate diving area.

Option 1: Remodel Perkins by moving the Band and squeezing in a long course pool into the current building. (ugly, inadequate and surprisingly expensive)

Option 2: Combine the Recreation Pool with the Varsity requirements. (Missed opportunity, when Recreation Sports proceeded unilaterally without integrating the two needs as most schools have done recently, e.g. U. of Louisville, Georgia, etc.)

Option 3: Build a new complex by Moody and Dedman Recreation Center. (Most expensive option and land is at a premimum, when you consider BB Practice Facility, new Tennis Complex and the possibility of the Bush Library coming to the campus.

Option 4: Demolish Perkins and replace it will a new facility designed to tie the current outdoor pool and a new long course pool together. Architecturally, you need to be very careful because of the prime location in the middle of the campus and the limits on the footprint and height, which can't dominate the dorms to the south.

In my opinion, Option 4 is the most cost effective and practical. Funds will need to be raised, since the school will resist more demands for capital, while assuming the on-going operating costs.

In my opinion, the issue needs to be addressed right now (we can't ignore this obvious dilemma much longer). At the moment, there is interest by many to begin a campaign to fund this option. The school won't take the lead, but will respond to an initiative similar to the actions to support Basketball. Deep pockets will be key, but the friends and alumni of swimming are both sizeable and committed.

For the first time in years, I am cautiously optimistic about the opportunity to bring our aquatic facilities up to a competitive level and retain a national reputation in swimming and diving. If we don't, we can't expect to have serious programs much longer.

Watch this board!
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Postby DiamondM » Thu Aug 31, 2006 1:20 pm

Actually, just today I saw the artist rendering of plans to rebuild Perkins on the same site as current natatorium with state of the art facilities, 50 meter lanes, great exterior, fancy interior, etc. Price tag about $16 million. Call Scott Secules or Steve Orsini if you'd like to get the ball rolling with some naming-rights type cash.
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Postby Water Pony » Fri Sep 01, 2006 4:08 pm

DiamondM wrote:Actually, just today I saw the artist rendering of plans to rebuild Perkins on the same site as current natatorium with state of the art facilities, 50 meter lanes, great exterior, fancy interior, etc. Price tag about $16 million. Call Scott Secules or Steve Orsini if you'd like to get the ball rolling with some naming-rights type cash.


Thanks, Diamond M:

I have also seen the renderings and a gotten a nice presentation of the very preliminary plan. If it is built, the new Aquatic Center will be a great addition on Bishop Boulevard and the main campus area. $16M is a lot but the plan is very practical. From a pure swimming and diving basis I would wish for a larger facility, but the combination of a great location integrated with the outdoor pool and thoughful architecture design necessary on our campus, this rendering or a close to it would be great.

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Also, the band needs new digs and this will help accelerate that development too.
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