Truman Hale, 9, left, Luke Hunt, 8, and Keira Bundy, bottom, listen to their mentors at the pool at Shepherd Mosby Park in Cleveland, Tenn., on Thursday. Children from all areas of Bradley County participate in the program that teaches children how to swim and allows them to be a part of the swim team, the Waterdogs.CLEVELAND, Tenn. – Just after sunrise, a group of teens and near-teens gets in the Shepherd Mosby Park Pool.
Before the pool opens to the public each day, hundreds of kids will show up to learn how to swim and how to compete.
A decade ago, the pool — part of the College Hill Recreation Center — was much less used. But the city devoted local and federal dollars to upgrade the entire complex. Now the pool, located in a mostly minority neighborhood, attracts kids from all parts of town.
The group of teens and near-teens — dubbed the Waterdogs — have a lot to do with the growing popularity, too, said Karen Snider, a founding parent of the team and mother of Kristy Snider, who coordinates Waterdog activities.
The Waterdogs organized at Mosby because there were too many who wanted to join the AquaTigers competitive swim team at Tinsley Park. The Waterdogs have added swimmers each summer, until now as many as 150 kids take lessons or practice on weekday mornings, Snider said.