“My kids are only a few years away from high school. I not only want a place for them to swim but for every student and valley resident to have the opportunity to learn and enjoy a lifelong, healthy sport.”

Those words by Kristen Thomsen, the new executive director of the Santa Ynez Valley Community Aquatics Foundation, speak for most of us involved in making the SYV Community Aquatics & Sports Science Complex a reality.

Like many, Kristen has fond memories of the high school’s 65-year-old pool.

“The swim coach at the time was Iain McPherson, a true believer in hard work and follow through, “ said Kristen. “To this day he remains a legend to those who had him as a coach or teacher, and I would love for some part of this complex to reflect his dynamic spirit.”

For Kristen, swim season started off her senior year with a 6 a.m. workout in a full set of sweat pants, leaving her wondering what on earth she was doing.

“But after making it through grueling double practices, the sense of pride and teamwork took over,” she remembers. “I came out of the experience a better athlete and a stronger person. “

A large part of our capital campaign effort is reminding others in the valley what the pool has meant to their families, from learning to swim to competing on a team.

“Once we’re able to educate the community about the true condition of the current pool, and what or vision is for future generations to enjoy, people will continue to rally behind what will be so much more than just a high school pool but a remarkable health and wellness facility.”

Many people know Kristen from her 14-year tenure with the Solvang Parks and Recreation Department, where she began in teen programming. “As my position grew into director and I oversaw programming for all ages, I was genuinely drawn to serving my community to make it a better place for everyone to live and play. ”

The scope of the new complex represents Kristen’s most formidable professional challenge to date. When operational, the new complex will serve as the high school competition pool and a municipal pool for the entire valley that will allow a whole new level of aquatic, therapy and fitness instruction. We will be able to provide affordable programming to all residents, seven days a week — including hours when school is in session.

Kristen knows this will be a bit of a juggling act: “It will take some fine-tuning to get the balance right, as the demands will be great right from the start. But, being at an age where I can speak from being a youth athlete, parent, coach and community volunteer, I have always been amazed at how youth service organizations like AYSO, YFL, Pony Baseball, Arts Outreach, People Helping People, YMCA and city Parks & Recreation departments all work collaboratively to keep our kids actively engaged in healthy activities.”

The new complex will have two pools, including a 25-yard warm-water pool conducive for swim lessons, water aerobics and therapy use. The second pool will be a 50-meter competitive pool that will allow our high school, for the first time in its history, to hold league finals and CIF-level competitions for both swimming and water polo. The Community Aquatics Complex will also be a place that promotes community health and science education.

Much effort has gone into securing the foundational pieces for this capital project — and we at the foundation are still not done. But Kristen hopes to add a sense of grassroots community involvement. One of these activities is already generating much buzz in the community.

“A SYV High School Alumni Class Challenge has been issued by the Class of ’67 to every graduating class since 1965 (when the current pool was constructed) to raise support in the amount of their graduation year. The idea is for every class to rally their fellow alums to each make a small individual donation, so the total dollar amount of their combined contributions equals the year of their graduation.”

The Class of 1967 kicked off the challenge by donating $1,967 to the SYV Community Aquatics Foundation, and they have thrown down the gauntlet for other graduating classes to match their efforts.

The Alumni Class Challenge started on June 29 and will run through Oct. 6.

A good place to find out more about the project and Alumni Class Challenge is the Aquatics Foundation website, www.syvaquatics.org, or its Facebook page.

The post SYHS alumni competing for a health cause appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

The Santa Ynez Valley Community Aquatics Foundation has received an anonymous matching grant of $250,000 to help ensure the Foundation achieves its Spring 2018 capital campaign goal of $525,000. The generous donation means construction of the new community complex stays on schedule and on budget.

“We are very excited and so grateful to receive this $250,000 matching grant from an anonymous local donor. This generous act will make it possible for us to reach our first benchmark of the 2018-19 Capital Campaign,” reported Gary Hall, Jr., 10-time Olympic swimming medalist and Co-Chair of the 2018 Capital Campaign for the future Santa Ynez Valley Aquatics and Sports Science Complex.

“This donation, from a long-time Valley resident, clears the way for several other major donors who have pledged support to jump in and donate now to help ensure we fully maximize the matching grant opportunity,” continued Hall.

“The $250,000 matching grant is a major step in moving this community complex from an award-winning design into a reality,” added Kami Craig, 2016 and 2012 women’s water polo Olympic gold medalist, Santa Ynez native and Co-Chair of the Capital Campaign. “Donors know they are giving to what will be a cornerstone project to serve our entire community.”

The donor of the $250,000 grant is a long-time Santa Ynez Valley resident with family who has benefited from the Valley’s local recreation and fitness facilities and programs over the years.

Momentum is building for the innovative $11.2 million complex scheduled to open in 2019. A recent, prestigious capital grant of $75,000 from the LA84 Foundation, combined with a flurry of individual donations and local foundation grants at the beginning of this year has kickstarted the 2018-19 Capital Campaign.

The two-acre SYV Aquatics and Sports Science Complex will replace the nearly unusable 53-year old pool on the Santa Ynez High School campus.

In addition to an Olympic-sized 50-meter competitive pool, other features will include a 25-yard warm water therapy pool, changing rooms/storage/lockers, sports medicine/science building, family play area and an “In Memory of Those Who Serve” grand entry plaza.

To ensure robust future programming that supports affordable, accessible year-round programs and activities for all Valley residents, the Foundation has forged innovative partnerships with the Santa Ynez Valley Union High School District, the American College of Sports Medicine, The Aspen Institute, National Youth Sports Health and Safety Institute, and Sansum Diabetes Research Institute. The Foundation also works closely with the Parks división of Buellton and Solvang, along with the County of Santa Barbara Parks Division.

During the off-season, the new aquatics complex is projected to contribute more than $5 million annually in new revenue to Santa Ynez Valley’s economy, primarily as a potential sports tourism destination site.

The nonprofit, SYV Aquatics Foundation is dedicated to fundraising and providing ongoing community programming and support for the state-of-the-art Aquatics and Sports Science Complex. For more information: www.facebook.com/syvaquaticsfoundation, #syvaquatics or email syvaquatics@gmail.com.

The post SYV Aquatics Foundation receives $250,000 anonymous matching grant appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

The LA84 Foundation has awarded $75,000 to the Santa Ynez Valley Aquatics Foundation’s capital campaign.

The local aquatics foundation, which is trying to build a new pool and a sports science complex at Santa Ynez Valley Union High School, is the only organization outside of Los Angeles County to benefit from $1.8 million in grants awarded by LA84.

In addition to being one of the largest awarded, the grant is one of only a few ever earmarked by LA84 for a capital campaign.

 “We are extremely honored and grateful to receive this $75,000 grant from LA84,” said local campaign Co-Chairman Gary Hall Jr. “LA84’s investment validates our vision to make the SYV Aquatics and Sports Science Complex the centerpiece of a valley-wide initiative to become one of the healthiest communities in America.”

Hall is a 10-time medalist in Olympic swimming. His co-chair of the capital campaign Kami Craig, a three-time Olympic water polo medalist

 “The LA84 Foundation is proud of our latest round of grants in support of Play Equity and the #PlayForAll Movement,” said Renata Simril, the president and CEO of the LA84 Foundation. “While many of the grants are going to cornerstone youth development organizations the LA84 Foundation has consistently supported, we are also delighted to welcome four new organizations, including the Santa Ynez Valley Community Aquatics Foundation, into the LA84 Foundation grantee community.”

The LA84 Foundation helped spearhead the effort to bring the Olympic and Paralympic Games to Los Angeles in 2028.

The local campaign is seeking support for the $11.2 million complex that is slated to open in 2019. More than half the amount been raised or pledged.

In addition to investments from local people, foundations and organizations, the project has forged partnerships with the Santa Ynez Valley Union High School District, the American College of Sports Medicine, The Aspen Institute, National Youth Sports Health and Safety Institute, and Sansum Diabetes Research Institute.

The two-acre SYV Aquatics and Sports Science Complex will replace the badly worn, 53-year-old pool on the Santa Ynez High School campus.  In addition to an Olympic-sized 50-meter competitive pool, other features will include a warm-water therapy pool; an “In Memory of Those Who Serve” grand entry plaza; sports medicine and science building; changing rooms, storage and lockers; family play area; and affordable, accessible year-round programs and activities for all valley residents.

As a sports tourism destination site, the new aquatics complex is projected to contribute more than $5 million annually in new revenue to Santa Ynez Valley’s tourism economy, mostly in the off-peak season.

“This project started with capitalizing on the discounted purchase of the 2016 Olympic Swim Trials pool,” Hall said. “Then the Aspen Institute identified our complex as one of the top eight forward-thinking designs in the nation. Because of support from our community and national organizations aligned with our vision, we are making a final push to our fundraising goal’s finish line.”

For more information: www.facebook.com/syvaquaticsfoundation, #syvaquatics or email syvaquatics@gmail.com. 

For more about LA84, log onto www.LA84.org.

The post Local pool campaign gets $75,000 grant appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

Oscar Delgado is director of partnerships and development with the LA84 Foundation, the 1984 Olympic Games legacy organization and an integral part of L.A.’s winning bid to host the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The International Olympic Committee plans to contribute $160 million to the L.A. Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games to help increase participation and access to youth sports programs.

I first met Oscar on the pool deck, surrounded by smiling children, at the LA84 Foundation’s Summer Splash Program a few years back.

Gary Hall: After 10 years with the Dodgers Organization, you joined the LA84 Foundation. Why? 

Oscar Delgado: The Dodgers Organization is a global brand. I am forever grateful to the many people that guided me those 10 years. I am now part of the living legacy of the Olympics in the city I love. In a former life I was a springboard and platform diver and competed in two World Cups. I strove to become an Olympian but came up short … But now I am a member of a team that is part of the Olympic family. In addition, I get to work with 11 L.A. professional sports teams along with university and minor league teams.

GH: Tell us about LA84 supporting the summer aquatics program. 

OD: Since 1986, the LA84 Foundation Summer Splash Program has provided basic instruction and competitive opportunities in four aquatic sports: swimming, diving, water polo and synchronized swimming. More than 15,000 L.A. County youngsters, ages 7-17, benefit … each year. The program culminates each summer with a competitive festival in all four sports, which is a lot of fun!

GH: Can you describe a case of a young person having a positive experience through LA84-supported aquatics programming? 

OD: Me. I was able to start diving because I participated in an LA84 Foundation aquatics program when I was 8 years old. Because of this, I traveled this country, traveled the world and was able to attend the University of Wyoming and Indiana University.

GH: Oscar, what does L.A. hosting the 2028 Olympic Games mean to you, the LA84 Foundation and youth sports in Southern California? 

OD: It means an entire new generation of youth will be inspired on so many levels.  The 1932 Olympic Games was a physical transformation while the 1984 Games brought a financial transformation to the Olympic movement and left this enduring youth development legacy. I believe LA2028 will bring a community transformation where L.A. neighborhoods showcase a sense of pride and highlight why the greater Los Angeles area is so special.

GH: What is the greatest societal impact you see through programming like that provided by LA84 and the Santa Ynez Valley Aquatics Complex? 

OD: Former LA84 President and Olympian Anita DeFrantz said, “Play is a human right.” I believe that. Sport and play prepare children for life! The lessons a child can learn such as goal setting, the benefits of exercise, teamwork, grit, and “failing forward” make them into great adults that give back to their community. Our country needs leaders. Sport is a strong avenue to guide those individuals to becoming leaders.

GH: Not only providing life skills but also lifesaving skills. 

OD: Yes, there are more than 3,500 unintentional drownings in this country every year. One in five of those are children under the age of 14. The leading cause of accidental death among children five and under is drowning.

GH: What is the greatest challenge in providing youth sport programming? 

OD: Many people do not realize there is a crisis at this very moment with youth sports: the equity gap that is growing in sports in this country. The pay-to-play model has grown to where it is a luxury for kids to play. In addition, recess and physical education are being cut in too many schools. The only way to solve these challenges is by community stakeholders pooling resources and collaborating.

GH: What is the most meaningful personal reward from what you do? 

OD: Being a part of a team that operates as a compass in youth development by using sport as a hook. Whenever I see the LA84 Foundation logo at a sports site or see the foundation mentioned in a story like this, it brings a smile to my face because I know we are helping children. Children are the one universal precious commodity that humans all over this planet agree is important. They are innocent, honest and love people for how they are, not who they are.

Gary Hall Jr., a 10-time Olympic swimming medalist, is now executive director and 2018-19 capital campaign chairperson for the $11.2 million, multi-use Santa Ynez Valley Community Aquatics and Sports Science Complex that is expected to be finished in June 2019. For more information log onto www.syvaquatics.org

The post LA84 Foundation leader hopes for resurgence of sports appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

news@santaynezvalleystar.com

The Santa Ynez Valley Community Aquatics Foundation needs to raise $500,000 by March 1 to keep construction on schedule, according to Bruce Porter, a foundation board member.

Raising the money by that deadline will allow pool construction to coincide with Santa Ynez Valley Union High School bond improvements, which saves money on inspectors and construction costs, Porter said.

“Doing the work while the high school is doing their repairs will save so much money and time,” Porter said.

The Aquatics Foundation was established to replace the 50-year-old, crumbling and undersized pool at Santa Ynez Valley Union High School with a new full-sized pool.

“The new aquatics complex will ensure the community will have far greater access to water-related activities even during the school day, with opportunities for programming from city recreation departments, the YMCA, and others,” Porter said.

He added that the current pool isn’t up to size requirements for regulation meets for the high school swim teams and water polo teams, but with the new facility the pool could host a wide variety of events, from water aerobics to Junior and Special Olympics.

The pool has been purchased by the foundation as modular components from the manufacturer that installed one of the pools at the last summer Olympic Swimming Trials in Omaha. It will be installed in the parking lot between the Old Gym and Refugio Road, and another smaller pool will be installed on the site of the current pool.

Funding of $7.1 million has been secured through donations, matches and pledges. The total cost is projected at $11.2 million, with the remainder to be raised by June 2019.

“If any community can get this done, it’s ours,” Porter said.

The foundation also projects that the two pools will use less water than the current pool and will generate revenue from rental use, fees and concessions. Solar panels also will be installed to offset heating costs.

Projected capacity is for up to 1,500 participants and spectators, a family play area, a sports medicine and science building, modern scoreboard, expanded parking and changing rooms with lockers.

Gary Hall Jr., a five-time Olympic swimming gold medalist who lives in the Santa Ynez Valley, and valley native Kami Craig, an Olympic water polo gold medalist, are the co-chairs of the capital campaign.

“The Santa Ynez Valley community will be forever changed when the Olympic-size pool is installed at the high school, and I am so excited that it will give everyone the opportunities to use it, and bring water athletics in the valley to another level,” Craig said last year at the welcoming event for the pool components.

Also involved in the project is the LA84 Foundation, which was created with a share of the surplus funds from the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. LA84 began operations in 1985 as a grant making and educational foundation that supports hundreds of nonprofit youth sports organizations throughout Southern California, trains coaches, commissions research, and convenes conferences.

“We also have Sansum Clinic involved with their Diabetes Center to launch a health and wellness program,” Porter said.

For more information about the planned community pool, including ways to volunteer or donate, visit www.syvaquatics.org.

The post Pool supporters seeking $500K by March 1 appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.