International Water Safety Day with Johnnie Means Aquatics Center

As members of the Southside Water Polo Club we are part of a great community that focuses on service. Every year this amazing organization supports the Johnnie Means Aquatics Center with their International Water Safety Day by bringing teammates, coaches, and volunteers to support the event. This year Southside Water Polo had a schedule conflict with a tournament and they reached out to Water Polo For All (WPFA) to see if our organization could lend a hand and support this great event.

We got right to it! WPFA reached out to our Strake Jesuit Men for Others and quickly had a group of 15 students comprised of Jesuit swimmers, water polo players, and lifeguards ready to go. We helped to prepare the facility the night before the event, arrived early to setup our WPRA table and meet with the incredible Johnnie Means team including Coach Dominique Hamilton!

We got to learn a bit about the history of the Johnnie Means Aquatics Center and their vision to “provide an affordable, fun family environment for competitive swimmers from underrepresented communities to thrive in the water and out”. This vision is grounded in the phenomenal work and legacy of Johnnie Means beginning in 1961.

Having the opportunity to be. a part of International Water Safety Day was truly special. Getting youngsters comfortable with the water, helping them to to see the fun of water sports was a great gift for our organization.

The city of Houston shined some light on International Water Safety Day as well in this newscast on Channel 13! (see footage at 10:13)