By ROY HESS | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
The days of practicing in an outdoor pool during cold weather are over for the Los Fresnos swimming team.
The Los Fresnos school district recently opened an indoor aquatic center next to Leo Aguilar Memorial Stadium, where the Falcons play football and soccer. The facility was dedicated in September and the swimming team has been using it for several months.
The new aquatic center boasts an eight-lane, 25-yard pool with a ramp designed for wheelchair access to the pool by special needs students. There is also a diving area at one end of the pool plus a nearby weight lifting area.
In recent weeks, with the arrival of cooler temperatures to the Rio Grande Valley, the indoor facility has become greatly appreciated by the Los Fresnos swimmers, their coach and all those who make use of it.
“Honestly, it’s so amazing to have our new indoor pool,” said Emily Rodriguez, a sophomore who swims primarily on relays for the Lady Falcons. “It’s like an upgrade and a big jump (for our program). We’re all very grateful to have it.”
Added Rebeca Osuna, a fellow sophomore who also swims on the relays, “It’s such an honor to be on this team. I love swimming with my team (at our new indoor pool).
“Regardless of how we do, we’re always there supporting each other,” Osuna added. “We always try our best and it pays off.”
Los Fresnos has done well in swimming in the past and that trend appears to be continuing this school year under coach Jaime Perez. The Los Fresnos girls won the recent Fall Festival Meet at the Margaret M. Clark Aquatic Center in Brownsville and the Falcon boys were the runner-up team in their division.
“It’s a total team effort,” Perez said. “I like the way we work together as a team and I like the camaraderie that we’re building. I’m excited not only for what our athletes accomplish in the pool, but also for what they accomplish in the class room because they are student-athletes.
“First and foremost, we want to keep them accomplishing great things in the class room,” he added. “That’s the most important thing.”
Having the new facility has meant the Falcons can now develop their diving program.
Los Fresnos junior Jacqueline Navarrete is a swimmer who opted to concentrate on diving this school year.
“My coach was asking me, ‘You want to try diving?’ I did and I ended up really liking it,” said Navarrete, the daughter of Los Fresnos soccer coach Javier Navarrete. “So this year is my first year as a diver. I’ve been learning all the dives just within the past two or three months. It’s a new experience for me, and it’s super exciting to be at the new pool (as a diver for our team).
“I’ve been in many sports and this team is so great,” she added. “We’re not just teammates, we’re sisters and friends, and we know each other so well. We know each other’s goals and we’re there cheering each other on during every race.”
Navarrete sees the new pool as something that gives the swimming team a fresh start.
“The new facility is simply amazing because we have no problems now with the weather and the water is just so very nice to swim in,” she said. “Now we can add diving to our program, which can mean extra points for our team at meets.
“It’s really brought us closer together, too,” she added. “Having a new pool has meant getting a fresh start for our team. It’s a new beginning and we’re super excited to see what we can accomplish.”