Being in my late 40s, I had finally hit the sweet spot where I cared less about what others thought of me and more about my own impending mortality. Like a perfectly timed mid-life cliche, I decided it was time to get in shape.
I turned to aqua aerobics. The gentle support of the water sounded appealing to my increasingly creaky joints. My local pool offered two types of classes: shallow and deep water.
I stuck to shallow water classes at first. It was mostly attended by senior citizens, which made me feel quite spry and peppy. The exercises were doable. I resolved to continue.
At the next class, however, I noticed that attendance was much higher than the one I had just taken. The demographics of attendees was also much broader, ranging from mid-20s to seniors. I didn't understand why until the instructor — a different one from the previous class — began.
She was obviously trained in teaching water aerobics — she explained the importance of proper form, demonstrating and correcting students as she went along. She also varied the exercises and sequences in a fun way that brought an electrifying energy to the class. No wonder her class was highly attended!
From then on, I only went to classes she taught, even moving to deep-water sessions because she taught those with more frequency.
I had a great summer. But it came to an end when I learned she was leaving the facility. Apparently, she was passed over for a promotion and decided to leave after dedicating almost 20 years to this pool.
The classes weren't the same without her — different staffers filled in but it was clear they weren't knowledgable. They simply read off a list of movements. I stopped attending.
Just a few days ago, a few neighbors and I were at a get-together and the topic of the local pool came up. One person commented that she stopped going to their classes after the facility lost that one wonderful instructor, and others chimed in in agreement. It made me wonder how much this one critical staffing decision had affected the pool's programing.
Now, I don't claim to know all sides of that decision. Perhaps the facility's budget was cut such that promotions just weren't possible. But these kinds of decisions massively impact the people they serve. And, although the bottom line is important, deciding where to make these cuts is paramount to the services that your patrons rely on.
I sympathize with the tough choices our facility operators face. Have you been in a similar position and if so, how did you navigate the fallout? Drop me a line and let me know.
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