Stafford parks and rec won’t teach swimming classes, gives duties to Rouse Center operator

STAFFORD –– Stafford County will pass responsibilities for aquatics classes onto a Fredericksburg-based sports management group.

Eastern Sports Management will take over teaching aquatics classes at the Jeff Rouse Swim and Sport Center in Embrey Mill starting this summer. It’s the same firm that has overseen day-to-day operations for the Rouse Center since 2014.

For the past two and a half years, the Stafford County’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities taught classes there.

The county’s parks department started teaching classes at the Rouse Center during the transition from the Woodlands year-round pool in Spring 2016. This had been done to ensure a smooth transition from Woodlands going from a year-round to a seasonal pool and have continuity for the programs.

The Parks and Recreation Commission voted unanimously to recommend the transfer operation of these classes from the Parks Department to Eastern Sports Management. The move is estimated to save the County $30,000 to $50,000 since the County won’t have to pay for the classes.

At a February meeting of the Stafford County Board of Supervisors, Rock Hill District Supervisor Wendy Maurer said she feared  ESM would raise the prices of the fees for the classes. There were also concerns made by George Washington District Supervisor Tom Coen in regards to the possibility of part-time student employees losing their positions during this transition.

ESM has agreed to maintain and make no changes to the current dates, times, or costs of these programs. They will also seek to hire the part-time instructors used by the department. Participants will then be able to register at Rouse Center for all aquatics programs held at the center, which was not the case with water aerobics classes and swim lessons run by the Department.

In an email to Potomac Local, ESM reaffirmed their position to maintain both the classes and part-time employees.

“We have posted the Water Aerobics and Swim Instructor positions on our website and are currently accepting applications.  Our plan, just like all of our other positions, is to hire the applicants that are most qualified and fit our values – we are looking for people who have great attitudes and will provide excellent customer service.  Current county employees are absolutely welcome to apply for these positions,” an ESM spokesman states.

ESM also states the rates it will charge for the swimming classes will be competitive.

“Per the agreement, we have the right to set pricing as we deem fit (and the board of supervisors approved this agreement), but we will do our due diligence and examine the local market before raising any prices.  We do not plan to eliminate the water aerobics punch cards that some of the current participants are purchasing to participate in that program,” ESM states in an email.

ESM also runs day-to-day operations at the Fredericksburg Field House and the Virginia Beach Field House.