County swim league touts half a century in the water

Teams help community pools stay afloat

The Montgomery County Swim League, a group that sponsors competitive swimming and other pool activities, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this summer.

While the league owes its birth to a handful of swimming pools, today, some of those pools and others depend on the league to maintain interest and popularity in the pools.

‘‘Sometimes original members are either dying off or leaving, and pools struggle to recruit new members,” said Cliff Scharman, spokesman for the Kenmont pool in Kensington. ‘‘It’s a shame because I think that these swim clubs have performed a very important public function that would have to be made up by the county government if we couldn’t pay for them.”

For three months each summer, the swim league takes over community pools on Wednesday nights and Saturday mornings. Swim meets are held from Memorial Day to the end of July at pools around the county.

The pools count on the league to continue to drive community support, which has allowed them to pay for expensive renovations.

Of the county’s 100 community pools, about half are supported by community associations or nonprofits. Newer pools are funded and managed by homeowners associations.

Community pool members buy a share in the ownership of the pool, similar to owning stock. They also pay yearly fees ranging between $200 and $400, depending on the pool, amenities and renovations facing the association.

Peter Kirsch, of the Cedarbrook pool association in Kensington said families often feel like they own the pool because they have been taking dips in the same place for so long.

‘‘Families don’t leave Kensington for some strange reason. So you’re sitting there with families in their 20th year of being involved in the swim league or pool,” Kirsch said. ‘‘Cedarbrook’s a pretty special place because the kids that grew up there 50 years ago are now back with the younger kids and families.”

The Garrett Park Pool was the first community pool built in the county in 1954, according to residents. Soon afterward, five other pools in Kensington, Garrett Park and Silver Spring were built.

Cedarbrook, Connecticut-Belair, Garrett Park, Glenwood, Kensington Heights and Merlands formed the swim league in 1958. It was sponsored by the Exchange Club of Bethesda Chevy Chase, the local chapter of the national community service organization.

The pools continue to serve as a backdrop for community events.

Mary Ruttkay, Garrett Park Pool Association member, said the pool is used as much for lap swimming and socializing as it is for competitive meets.

Crab feasts are a familiar sight at the Garrett Park pool as well as dozens of other pools each summer.

‘‘We can have anywhere from 250 to 350 people at the crab feast,” she said. ‘‘The pool, it’s like a pivotal point for the community. The Garrett Park pool forms the base for most of the summer activities for the majority of the residents.”