Is Williamsport High School Swimming Slowly Dying?

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Most high school sports have a youth or feeder program that introduces youth into the 'nuts and bolts' of a  particular sport.  Local high school baseball players get their start on the Little League baseball fields while basketball players get to experience the hardcourt in youth basketball leagues such as the John Bower League (local church winter league that is the 'Oldest and Largest Church League in America').  Future soccer players get a taste of the pitch in AYSO leagues. 

Where do kids get their first exposure to competitive swimming?  For many, it is the YMCA winter swim teams.  It is chance for both swimmers and parents to get a taste of not only the excitement and fun of swimming but the commitment and dedication that is required in this sport (the Jersey Shore Swim blog is not singling out swimming in this aspect as all sports require commitment and dedication).

But what is the future of Williamsport High School swimming when the Williamsport YMCA dropped competitive swimming?  It can't be for lack of pool space as there is a pool at the Williamsport YMCA.   Sure the pool is old and the Y leadership has recognized this and is looking to build a new facility with a new pool, but it is still usable. See here.

The Jersey Shore YMCA swim team has been in nomadic status (good grief, what a disaster that has been and should be another story on this blog) as the team has traveled into Williamsport to swim at a variety of pools (such as Lycoming College, Williamport YMCA, and the Williamsport High School).  The point here is that there are pools in Williamsport that are available and can be used by youth.

When there was some talk of closing the Jersey Shore High School pool this past spring, swimmers and swimming parents flooded the school board meetings to express their disapproval.  Where is the swimming community in Williamsport on this issue (where was it when they closed the Montoursville outdoor pool for that matter)?  Can it be that the largest city in central Pennsylvania does not have a swim community?  Or that parents don't care? 

Without a youth swim team in the community, Williamsport High School swimming will go into a slow decline.