Tuloso-Midway ISD is opening a brand new natatorium, bringing a major upgrade to its aquatic program.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Tuloso-Midway ISD is opening a brand new natatorium, bringing a major upgrade to its aquatic program and giving students, swimmers and the surrounding community a state-of-the-art facility to call home.
The new natatorium features a regulation 25-yard pool with an additional competition lane, designed to host competitive swimming meets for the district. A new scoreboard will give spectators a bird’s-eye view of swimmers as they cross the finish line — and double as an educational tool for coaches and students during everyday practice.
Perhaps the most welcomed upgrade for anyone who has sat through a summer swim meet — the facility is now fully air conditioned.
“It’s going to be nice,” said Ana Alanis, TMISD natatorium coordinator. “In the past we would have to open all the doors. We had fans in every corner. It’s going to be a regulated air conditioned climate, which I know is going to be a plus for the parents that are sitting in the bleachers.”
Alanis says the new scoreboard will do more than just track race times. She plans to use it as a teaching tool during regular practice sessions.
“I’m thinking that scoreboard is gonna be pretty nice — not only for something that we can use at meets, but for everyday use. We’ll be able to put video up there so the kids can see different techniques. Sometimes we like to do yoga — I can put that up there and they can follow along.”
Before students can take the plunge, the fire marshal is scheduled to conduct a final inspection Monday, May 18th. Seniors will be the first students to use the new pool, ahead of a full opening to all grades Wednesday, May 20th.
The natatorium will open for community summer swimming on May 26th.
The facility’s impact stretches well beyond Tuloso-Midway’s student body. The district’s summer league program has historically drawn swimmers from across the Coastal Bend — including students from Corpus Christi, Calallen and even as far as Alice.
“Our summer league program is open to all kids,” Alanis said. “We have kids that come in from Odem, Corpus Christi area, Calallen — sometimes we’ve had kids from Alice. It’s open to all students that want to up their level in competitive swimming.”
The district will also offer swimming lessons for children ages four and up throughout the summer, running in two-week sessions.
“That’s always important — to get the young ones in to at least have survival skills when they’re around water,” Alanis said.
District officials say having an on-campus pool is about more than athletics — it’s about keeping kids safe in a region surrounded by water.
“Living in the area that we live in, it’s so important that all our students know how to swim,” Alanis said. “Just because we’re near the beach, we’re near lakes, there’s lots of swimming pools — and if we can prevent drowning in any way, that’s a plus.”
She added that many students who learn to swim through the program go on to discover a love of competitive swimming — and this summer will be the first competitive season held in the new pool.
“We’re really excited to see all the kids coming in and enjoying our new facility,” she said. “Hopefully we’ll have a good summer league program this year.”