Lessons from the Election Day, An Opportunity to Reconnect with Our Community

Hi Director Vargas,

I apologize if the opening videos outlining the vision for expanding swim lessons through an All-City Sports Camp were offensive. I certainly did not mean to offend the hard-working team at Citiparks. My aim was to emphasize outcomes.

+ The city has not offered swimming lessons for years. 

+ The only city-owned, indoor, year-round swim pool, the OBH, has been closed for years. 

I appreciated my recent visit with Director Vargas, and it's great news that the OBH will operate year-round. It was always closed during June, July, and August.

The disappointing election results of 2024 provides points for reflection and overlap with the need to expand swim lessons at Citiparks and create a high-impact program like the All-City Sports Camp.

The status quo isn't working when it comes to swimming teams and recreational sports for our community. Working-class voters, a historic Democratic stronghold, are calling for change. The All-City Sports Camp is about more than just swimming; it's about reconnecting with the values and priorities of our hard working citizens.

Programs like the All-City Sports Camp provide reasons to raise a family within the city instead of moving elsewhere for better sports participation opportunities.

Some argue that Democrats need to stop losing voters, just as the city and its schools are losing population — the school district is seeing 2-3% yearly declines. In the 2024 election, many believe the Democratic Party lost working-class support.

Voters care about tangible needs, like access to swimming lessons, not institutions or political figures. Families are frustrated that the city hasn't provided swim lessons, regardless of lifeguard shortages. Malgovernment = no swim lessons. Incumbents, so they say, are MINUS three points at the outset of an election in these times. 

Consider the long-standing, liberal approach that swim lessons needed to be "free." Yet, because the swim lessons have to be free, the city can't deliver them. The outcome has been NO SWIM LESSONS at all. So families got nothing. Being too liberal and too out of touch was a voter turn-off.. The common-sense and pragmatic solution is to offer swim lessons and put a price tag on them with scholarships for those who are not able to pay. An All-City Sports Camp with expanded swim lessons could assess user fees through an additional swim tag classification. A pragmatic, localized solution can resonate.

The All City Sports Camp has a broad appeal to the working class citizens who had strongly supported the Democratic Party. Values like community, hard work, local economy and pride in one's neighborhood and city are at the core of this initiative. People care about their neighbors and where they grow up, and the All-City Sports Camps can highlight those concepts. 

In a tight labor market with limited lifeguards, we need to increase productivity. We need to do something different. We need to deploy AI for staff productivity. We need a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) to communicate effectively. We need online tools and blended learning for supporting staff development. This is an opportunity for a culture shift. 

The All-City Sports Camp is our chance to flip the script and show working class voters that we're ready to deliver. This is about offering affordable, accessible, inspiring, competitive sports and recreation that brings the community together. 

Let's lead and provide volunteers with impact opportunities. 

The All-City Sports Camp is about more than just swimming. It's about instilling real values like community, hard work, and hometown pride. 

Let's embrace technology and smarter ways of operating. Delivering exceptional sports experiences give a chance for a culture shift. Let's build upon prior wins with PPS Summer Dreamers and turn to a joint-venture with Citiparks' Year-Round Achievers. 

The people want change. The All-City Sports Camp can help deliver it.

I am looking forward to workshop discussions with Jake Wheatley, Mayor Gainey and the other important team players at Citiparks and beyond.

--
Ta.
 
 
Mark Rauterkus       Mark.Rauterkus@gmail.com

Mark@Rauterkus.com    <--- causing lots of missed messages, sadly.

Webmaster, International Swim Coaches Association, SwimISCA.org

and other sites: SKWIM.us, U CAN Swim

Coach at The Ellis School for Varsity & Middle School Swimming

Pittsburgh Combined Water Polo Team & Renegades (Masters) 

412 298 3432 = cell

New course: Mental Skills for Young Athletes

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Update from PPS -- no Summer Boost in 2025, what used to be Summer Dreamers.