Working in aquatics has given me quality experience in recreation management, and how the industry works. After six years of working in various pools in Columbus, and Athens, aquatics has been a large influence on my education, as well as career path. Having worked in a variety of styles of pools, I have seen how they can influence individuals, and how beneficial it can be. For example, while working at the Worthington Recreation Center, a lady named Marge came in every morning at 7:00 AM. I saw her every day for 3 summers in a row, and the couple of days that I opened the pool in the mornings during the school year. When she began coming less frequently as her health declined, she would tell me about how much she enjoyed coming in and how beneficial it had been for her, and how she looked forward to seeing me every morning. This was one of the most influential moments during my entire time working at pools. It showed me how great recreating can be for someone, and how just smiling and asking someone how their day is going can make a huge impact on someones day. After that experience, in a professional setting, I knew that Recreation studies was for me.
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Through my employment with Ohio University's Aquatic Center, I have had the opportunity to enhance my event planning and operations skills. My position as the Events and Operations Manager has allowed me to put the information I learned, and the abilities I acquired into practice. Above is a picture of the aquatic center after I set up the pool for a meet, which I helped to run the next day. Managing meets at the Ohio University Aquatic Center has given me experience in personnel management, whether that is a worker who I am in charge of, or volunteers at the event timing or hosting hospitality. Time efficiency and knowledge of the event are essential to running a swim meet. Over the past two years in this position, I have ran several meets, some executed very well, others not as much, which has provided me with even more experiential based knowledge and has allowed me to grow a lot as a recreation professional.
Along with being the events and operations manager at the aquatics center, I am also a day to day supervisor of the facility. This has provided me with the opportunity to enhance my management skills as well as develop transferable skills. On a day to day basis I oversee a 14.2 million dollar facility as well as a staff of anywhere from 2 - 6 people.
Working in aquatics has also helped me to develop skills in management, and event operations, which can be seen in various other parts of my portfolio. I have also acquired a variety of certifications, and am working towards others. I currently have my Lifeguard certification, my Water Safety Instructor (Soon to come) certification, and am working towards my Aquatic Facility Operator certification, as well as my Lifeguard Instructor Certification.