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Goodman Pool tightens waivers, registration and youth supervision; staff report 3,100+ waivers completed
Summary
Parks staff told the committee that Goodman Pool now requires RecTrack registration, a signed waiver and a photo for users; the change supplements a prior supervisory rule for ages 11–15 and staff said six pop-up waiver days plus an on-site assistance line yielded more than 3,100 completed waivers since the June 12 opening.
Terrence Thompson, Parks Community Services Manager, briefed the Madison Common Council Executive Committee on June 23 about operational changes and youth-engagement work at Goodman Pool.
Thompson said the Parks Division convened stakeholders after rising behavior concerns in 2024 and piloted a pool-monitor role to de-escalate low-level incidents without diverting lifeguards from water safety. Stakeholders including Madison Metropolitan School District staff, public health, Madison Police and community swim organizations recommended exploring rule changes to increase supervision for some youth.
Thompson said a Park Commission rule change adopted July 9 (noted as implemented last season) increased adult supervision expectations for some 11–15 year olds and required waivers for those who wished to be unsupervised. For 2026, Thompson told the committee the Parks Division now requires RecTrack account registration, a signed waiver that sets behavior expectations, and a photo for identification. Group leaders may file a single waiver/photo for multiple participants rather than completing separate forms for each attendee.
To ease access, parks staff held six pop-up waiver days before the pool opened on June 12, staffed a dedicated pool line to help users complete waivers on-site, and reported completing more than 3,100 waivers to date. Thompson said the waiver and photo process helps parks contact guardians if needed and supports on-site safety procedures; he noted the pool will celebrate its 20th anniversary on July 17.
Lauren Travis, Youth Engagement Coordinator for the Parks Division, described day-to-day youth-engagement work at Goodman: frequent check-ins with youth, creating dry-land activities (basketballs, jump ropes) for non-swimmers, supervising an Aspire intern, and designing programs to capture youth voice about what they want to do at the pool. Travis said the division is launching “Summer Nights at Wright,” a weekly Thursday series through July 30 featuring music, creative arts, a DJ, sports and volunteer-led activities.
Thompson and Travis described partnerships with MPD (Officer Terrell), the YWCA restorative justice coordinator, Madison Metropolitan School District staff, neighborhood community centers and volunteer rosters for larger events such as Ride the Drive and Parks Alive. Thompson asked alders to share volunteer links in their blogs and communications.
What’s next: staff will continue waiver support (on-site assistance and pop-up days), operate youth programming throughout the summer and coordinate volunteer recruitment for city events.
