Where to start on this one?

How about back in (gulp) 1999. Yes forever ago, literally another millennia ago.

My outdoor lifeguarding career spanned a memorable 5 summers. Easily amongst the best summers of my life. And I bet you any other former or current lifeguards / coaches / instructors would agree. There simply wasn’t a better way to spend summer.

Having grown up at summer pools (shoutout to @ValleycrestPool), I can confirm they were also the best summers ever. But when it was time to get a job, I didn’t hesitate and quickly found a great job at Ecclestone pool. The summers that followed were literally the Best. Of. My. Life.

Don’t believe me? Before reading on, watch this recruitment video to see the awesome culture that exists at our clubs because of our connection and history with summer pools.

Being Outside

This one is particularly relevant today. With technology so deeply rooted into our lives and our society, there is more tendency towards screens, digital, and generally the indoors. In 1999, the internet was a slow, screeching imposition (64k dial-up can you believe it?!) into our otherwise active lives. There literally was no cell phones, tablets, laptops eh maybe, and internet was in its infancy and hardly accessible like it is today.

So went played outside. Always. Outside was what you did for fun, in your spare time, and why you rushed through other obligations. Swimming, water polo, volleyball, or just plain hanging out talking about everything and nothing at all. The fresh air, the sun beating down on your (hopefully) sunscreened body, the sounds, sights, smells of nature. It does wonders for the body and soul.

Beats an office, factory, storefront or warehouse ANYDAY.

The Culture

We are spoiled here in Montreal (West Island) specifically. There exists something that simply does not exist anywhere else in this corner of North America – this is not an exaggeration, I’ve been looking for similar communities for years for business and networking purposes. IT ONLY EXISTS HERE.

There are 2 fantastic outdoor summer leagues: NAA (Northshore Aquatic Association) and ALPS (Association of Lakeshore PoolS). Between them, they comprise of over 40 outdoors pool in a tightly knot community. They compete against each other. They drive each other to success. They promote all the right and best things you want for your family and kids growing up: community, sportsmanship, hard work, and passion, among others. Olympic athletes pour out of this community on the regular.

While a multitude of water sports are available to any family for a ridiculously low membership cost (heck it’s almost a donation), every Wednesday night in particular exemplified this culture perfectly. Wednesday night is swim meet night, where each pool faces off against one other pool in an epic showdown of speed, skill, and enthusiasm. That’s right. Enthusiasm like a mofo. ‘Psych-Outs’  at the beginning and middle of every meet pitts both teams (usually hundreds of kids and coaches) in a screaming match, to see who could cheer the loudest and the longest. And EVERYONE is into it, from the coaches to swimmers to parents. It’s like a mini-Olympics every Wednesday, how is that not the coolest thing in the world?

And the coaches are right in the middle of it. Running around, high-fiving and pumping up kids, laughing with the parents. They are the leaders, the role models the heroes. How can you not love your job when you get to be that on a daily basis.

The Uniform

When you are in your late teens or early-twenty-somethings and you get to wear a bathing suit to work every day with a bunch of late-teen-early-twenty-somethings, you lucked out. Enough said.

The Friends

Simply put, I made all my best friends working that job. These are people with whom you will spend your entire summer with. Together you are growing into this incredible community, making memories and simply loving life. From the beginning you share more than just a job. People who work at a pool tend to be athletic, passionate and disciplined. Getting groups of these types of people together is a recipe for success. It’s important to surround yourself with amazing, loving people, and there is still no shortage of this kind of passion and love in the pool community.

So in summary, you get to go work outdoors in a bathing suit with your best friends all summer. What’s not to love? If you already work at a pool, props to you, chances are you’re already leading a happy life and have made tons of important connections that will only enhance your life as you grow. If you don’t work at a pool, well what are you waiting for?