County High School Swimming Shifts Venues, Raising Equity and Safety Concerns

On November 30 county athletic officials confirmed that most Alamance County high school swim meets for the 2025 26 season will be staged at New Millennium Fitness in Mebane and at the Alamance County Community YMCA in Burlington. The moves follow the closure of the Maynard Aquatic Center in Burlington for renovations, a disruption that forced schools to find alternative pools for practices and competitions.

For years local teams relied on the Orange County Sportsplex in Hillsborough as a longtime regional venue. That arrangement eased scheduling because schools in Alamance County previously shared conference connections with Orange and Cedar Ridge high schools, which largely facilitated use of the sportsplex, Alamance Burlington School System athletics director Todd Davis said. With those conference ties no longer in place, administrators undertook a months long effort to secure sufficient sites.

Schools have rotated through other locations in recent seasons, with ABSS teams using New Millennium Fitness when possible. Southeast Alamance athletics director B J Congdon noted the adjustments, saying, "It wasn’t bad." Davis said the YMCA has hosted meets successfully despite tighter space, and added, "I’m glad they’re able to host us even if it’s just a couple (meets)."

A few teams arranged for practices at Elon University recreation center pools, but those pools do not meet regulation size for competitions. The county also managed to secure space for a couple of meets, including the Mid Carolina Conference championships, back at the sportsplex in Hillsborough. Burlington Christian Academy and The Burlington School will also use the YMCA for meets this season.

The temporary venue shuffle has immediate implications for public health and equity. Changes in practice time and location affect athlete conditioning and water safety training, and space limitations at community pools can restrict spectator access and transport needs for families without reliable vehicles. Relying on private or university pools can introduce fees and scheduling conflicts that disproportionately burden low income students.

As renovations proceed, county leaders and school systems will need to plan for equitable access to aquatic facilities, including contingency agreements, transportation support, and investment in public infrastructure. Ensuring consistent, regulation size pools matters not only for competitive fairness, but for broader community water safety and youth health.