As a member of the varsity swim team and former member of the girls’ water polo team, I believe that I’m qualified to voice my opinion about Hill’s Cunningham Pool. While The Hill School has produced many championship teams, the pool has become inadequate for both practices and competitions no matter what season. 

The Cunningham Pool was built in 1949. For over 70 years, the girls’ and boys’ varsity and junior varsity swimming, diving, and water polo teams have practiced in the pool during the fall and winter seasons. Over my past three seasons training in Hill’s pool, I have seen the evidence of the pool’s aging infrastructure firsthand. 

Hill should strongly consider investing in the construction of a new pool or renovations to the existing pool. At the very least, I believe that Hill should install a new ventilation system into the Cunningham Pool. This time last year, during the 2018-19 season, Hill’s entire swim team was being bussed to the Pottstown YMCA while the Cunningham Pool was being shocked and efforts were being made to improve the pool’s air circulation for better air quality. Even now, swimmers are getting out of practice to stand in the hallway and breathe in the fresh air. 

If a new pool can be constructed, there would be several obvious advantages. A wider and deeper pool would allow for both water polo teams to practice at once. Similarly, the swimming and diving teams could practice at the same time. 

Hill’s Head Swimming and Diving Coach as well as Director of Aquatics Amy Agnew said that a heater would be a welcome addition, “so that the pool would not drop below acceptable temperatures for exercising and teaching swim lessons.”

While aquatic renovations as well as construction may be expensive, they are well-deserved. Hill has produced championship teams (Boys’ Water Polo in 2018 and Girls’ Water Polo in 2017) and sent countless swimmers and divers to one of the most elite prep school meets in the country (Eastern Interscholastic Swimming & Diving Championship). 

Another issue regarding Hill’s pool is a lack of spectator seating as well as deck space. During each meet, opposing teams cram into the stands, along with students and parents coming to watch the meet. With a bigger pool deck and spectator area, this space issue could be alleviated. Additionally, there could be opportunity to rent the pool out for outside clinics and meets, as well as Pottstown outreach programs. An average USA meet (club swimming) hosted at Hill could bring the school real revenue to be reinvested in the aquatics or greater athletics programs. Hill hosts weekend-long basketball and wrestling tournaments already. Why not host tournaments for swimming and diving as well? A bigger and more advanced natatorium would give Hill an opportunity to attract more athletes as well.

Ultimately, Hill’s pool is subpar when compared to the strength of our aquatics program and the number of students training in it daily. A sizeable renovation of the ventilation and filtration system or the construction of a new pool would help to ensure the future success of the aquatics program for decades to come, just as Cunningham Pool has served us for so many years. 

Response from Director of Athletics, Seth Eilberg

We are committed to providing the very best possible facilities for our student-athletes. We continue to do all we can to improve the current swimming pool. Over the past few years, from both school budget and generous donated funds, we have been able to invest over $250,000 in improvements to the facility.  These upgrades include the installation of a new ventilation system, a new scoreboard and electric timing system, six new starting blocks, two new diving boards, new lane lines, and a new sound system. We upgraded both locker rooms, and set up a team room with AV capabilities. We are currently exploring a way to better heat the pool at times when the school heating system is not on.

 We will continue to do all we can to make the current swimming pool the best possible facility for our community.  At the same time, we certainly would welcome the necessary funding (which is millions of dollars), to be able to plan and construct a new state of the art aquatics center.  We will continue to explore all possible avenues to pursue this.