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Coaches, community members urge Kennewick School District to add boys swimming
Summary
Coaches and community members urged the board to add a boys high‑school swimming program so male students can access the same opportunities as girls; speakers offered to help with organization and community partnerships and the board said staff would look into it.
Several speakers, including longtime coaches and a local club owner, asked the Kennewick School District board May 6 to pursue a boys high‑school swim program that would mirror the existing girls program.
"This is about opportunity," said Randy Willis, a longtime area coach who recounted his role helping add girls swimming in Richland in 1994 and said many high‑school swimmers are not club athletes but rely on school programs. "Kids wanna belong and be part of something. They wanna be on a team," Willis said.
Nut graf: Presenters argued swimming is uniquely inclusive—every team member competes, the sport supports lifelong fitness and can provide alternatives for students who cannot join other extracurricular sports. Speakers offered volunteer support and community resources and asked the district to study feasibility, facilities access and costs.
Jason Hart, head girls swim coach at Southridge High School, and Britney Burrell, owner of Rapid Aquatics TC and a former city aquatic manager, described swimming’s benefits for lifelong fitness and mental health. Burrell gave a first‑person account of how swimming rescued her during a difficult period: "It wasn't that you start, it's how you finish and that you finish," she said, crediting coach Jason Hart.
Board members asked staff to investigate feasibility and report back. After a round of public comments the board signaled it would "look into that" and requested a follow-up at the next meeting.
Ending: No formal motion to add a program was made; speakers said they would continue outreach to district staff. The board did not adopt funding or a timeline and indicated the next step would be a staff feasibility report.
