Fresno’s lack of aquatic sports opportunities, low aquatic participation numbers in Fresno Unified, and the uptick in local drownings should concern everyone.

This has become a visual representation of some of the bigger issues that need to be addressed for Fresno to thrive. This visual representation may seem small on the surface, but further research reveals several related challenges we need to work together on.

Soon after moving back to Fresno in 2018, I found myself coaching water polo at my old high school and encountered a very different experience than the one I had. The first shock was the lack of student participation. This did significantly change, but it took the right approach.

However, I soon ran into several barriers that hindered my athletes’ path to success. My expectations that the students deserved essential equipment, priority pool time, and offseason opportunities ultimately led to the destruction of a growing aquatics program because the school failed to provide the resources.

Three years later, FUSD has only corrected some aspects leading to the demise. And, the student-athlete participation numbers remain low — a visual reminder of the poor decisions made in 2021. This includes Fresno High School not being able to retain enough girls for a full team.

The Final Straw

During my tenure, we did not have essential equipment and female coaches dealt with unacceptable personnel issues. The final straw came when an adult-only club was able to use their connections to interfere in this growing program. The results of this interference completely gutted both the regular and off-season aquatic opportunities at FHS. Bullard High is the only FUSD school with strong participation numbers. It’s not a coincidence they also have a year-round club that serves those students.

As Fresno has evolved, public resources like public swimming pools have declined. Fresno used to have six public pools that for reasons too long to address here are no longer available for use. The lack of real lap pools has put more pressure on FUSD’s facilities resulting in more competition for the students’ resources.

I enrolled my son in a Clovis Water Polo program this summer. One of the biggest shocks is Clovis’ ability to not only fill middle school teams, but to have varsity and JV teams at the middle schools. And, their middle schools have lap pools. There are seasons that FUSD high schools can’t fill a varsity team, let alone a JV team. This is yet another visual reminder of how far Fresno has to go.

Learning Water Safety

Unfortunately, aquatic issues are not just about opportunities for children, but also about the opportunity to learn to be water safe. It’s difficult not to notice the uptick in news stories about drownings this summer. These disparities are highest among people of color. Yet a “thoughts and prayers” approach is taken to solving this problem.

As someone who has felt the loss of a person to drowning, this is infuriating. A large percentage of people in our community are not able to swim, let alone be water safe. The reasons for this stem from our nation’s history of discrimination. That history has mutated into generations of families not knowing how to swim. If you are a parent and can’t swim, it’s not something you are willing to risk with your child.

A Solution and Call to Action

What can be done?

FUSD has a new bond measure on the horizon, a bond that could really positively impact Fresno. Pools should be built at the middle schools. Major aquatic events, like the Junior Olympics are primarily held in Southern California and occasionally in the Bay Area. These types of events would provide much needed revenue to Fresno along with enhancing the level of aquatic competition for our children. The possibilities are endless if we could work together and stop the zero-sum game.

The city of Fresno should be studying other communities that have less poverty. The Dolores Bengtson Aquatic Center (DBAC) is Pleasanton’s premier aquatic facility. This facility is fully utilized. With the right leadership, facilities like the one mentioned above would result in more revenue, along with shedding a positive light on what is going right in Fresno.

While aquatic opportunities will not solve everything, they are a step in the right direction. A step that could impact Fresno by reducing the occurrence of drowning deaths and providing more opportunities for our children. Our elected officials can make community resources a reality.

About the Author

Jennifer Lopez, who was born and raised in Fresno, graduated from Fresno High School and later earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from California State University San Francisco. She has held several positions in the financial services industry before starting Persimmon Marketing. After 18 years in the Bay Area, she moved back to Fresno in 2018 with her family. She is married and has an 11-year-old son and a 3-and-a-half-year-old daughter. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, and binge watching TV shows.

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