Beneath the Surface: The Work Behind Aquatics
Aquatics offers expansive facilities, certifications and career-building opportunities for students.
On any given day at the Student Rec Center, students perform the breaststroke in the lap lanes and lounge at the outdoor pool, unaware of the work and training required to maintain the five pools.. Most remain unaware of the effort and the people needed to keep them open.
“So one of the big things that students do provide for us is just making sure that our waters are safe to use,” Aquatics Coordinator Esther Gagawala said. “Most of them do work as lifeguards [and] I think some people think it’s an easy job. But you’re doing a lot of work because it entails both mental and physical aspects. Lifeguards are very essential because we cannot have the pools open if we don’t have enough staff.”
Aquatics facilities include a 50-meter pool, the Cain outdoor pool, a dive well, an indoor lap pool and an instructional pool. The program area also provides Adult Learn-to-Swim classes, lifeguard certification, scuba certifications and private swim lessons for students who want to boost their confidence in the water and learn a new skill.
Despite all Aquatics has to offer, a large number of students either don’t know about the facilities or don’t know what is available to them. One of Executive Director Jeffrey Huskey’s goals for Rec Sports is to expand student outreach to all areas of the Rec.
“When you run the numbers, you see that we’re only serving a small percentage of the 76,000 students that we have here at Texas A&M,” Aquatics Director Carlos Garcia said.
To reach more students, Aquatics collaborates with other program areas to engage students in a variety of water activities. It partners with Intramural Sports to facilitate Battleship, works with Outdoor Adventures to offer kayak roll sessions, and has introduced classes such as Cardio Water in collaboration with Fitness & Wellness. Beyond Rec Sports, Aquatics is teaming up with departments across campus — creating learning opportunities students might not expect.
“We collaborate with the engineering department,” Garcia said. “They set up in the instructional pool, where they test underwater robotics and guide them through various obstacles beneath the surface.”
Collaboration between programs not only strengthens Aquatics’ student engagement but also creates unique and accessible experiences.
“Having the support of our aquatics staff means we can offer kayak roll clinics locally, without requiring travel or outside providers,” Outdoor Adventures Program Director Todd Grier said. “That accessibility makes a huge difference for our participants and strengthens the overall learning experience.”
Between hosting swim meets and offering classes, the program requires a large number of student staff members to oversee the pools. Aquatics is always looking to provide jobs for students alongside extensive training needed for the role.
Lifeguard certification participants practice with rescue tubes during a hands-on training session.
“By law, we have to train four hours of in-service training every month,” Garcia said. “During those four hours, we have to do different lifeguarding skills. In addition, we also go through our emergency action plans, evacuation drills, and First Aid and CPR.
Aquatics doesn’t just teach the students how to be a lifeguard, it brings in resources like financial advisors, career center advisors, Olympians and military veterans. Student staff members are taught skills that will help them not only in their future careers, but the rest of their lives.
“I’ve brought in Fortune 500 presidents and CEOs to talk to our students about the transferrable skills they’re looking for in their companies,” Garcia said. “[Student staff] come prepared with their elevator pitches and resumes, because sometimes our guest speakers are actively looking to hire.”
From offering learning opportunities for its student staff to ensuring the safety of its patrons in the pool, Aquatics’ main mission and priority boils down to one thing.
“It all comes down to providing access for our students and patrons,” Garcia said. “We want to ensure everyone has that opportunity if they want to swim or use our facilities, they have a place to do so.”
The focus is to provide students with the means to exercise — whether that’s swimming laps in the pools, climbing the wall or lifting in the weight room, Rec Sports provides them with a variety of options.
“When you have body movement, people are happier and more engaged,” Garcia said. “No matter what type of movement you’re doing, [Rec Sports] gives you an avenue. I’m just glad to see all these opportunities that we have at Texas A&M now, and we’ll continue to not only listen to our students, but we look for ways to add other programming.”
Visit the Rec Sports website to learn more about Aquatics. As the days get longer and the weather gets warmer, see what Aquatics has to offer to kick-start the summer!
