As another fiscal year comes to a close, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the accomplishments, milestones, and memorable moments that defined FY26 for the MIT Recreation Aquatics Department. From hosting championship competitions and expanding inclusive programming, to strengthening water safety education, supporting groundbreaking research, and welcoming thousands of swimmers through our facilities, this year showcased the many ways that aquatics serves the MIT community. None of these achievements would have been possible without the dedication of our staff, instructors, lifeguards, student employees, and community members who help make our pools a place for recreation, learning, competition, and innovation every day.

Water safety and education remained at the heart of our mission throughout FY26. This year, we expanded opportunities not only for our community to learn and engage with water safety, but also for our staff to continue developing their professional skills through training and certification.

For the community, we hosted two signature events: our annual Floating Pumpkin Patch, which combined seasonal fun with aquatic recreation, and Water Safety Day, where families participated in interactive activities designed to teach essential water safety skills in and around the water. These events provided engaging, hands-on experiences while reinforcing the importance of drowning prevention and safe aquatic practices.

Behind the scenes, our commitment to safety continued through ongoing staff education. Lifeguards participated in monthly in-service training sessions to strengthen emergency response skills, practice rescue scenarios, and maintain the high standards expected at MIT Recreation. Throughout the year, we also offered American Red Cross Lifeguard Certification and Recertification courses, helping both new and returning lifeguards develop and maintain their lifesaving skills. In addition, members of our swim lesson team earned their Water Safety Instructor (WSI) certifications, allowing us to continue providing high-quality swim instruction to the MIT community.

“Over the last two years, MIT Aquatics has been dedicated to providing professional development opportunities for part-time lifeguards and swim instructors through American Red Cross instructor-level courses,” said Demetris Chambliss, MIT Recreation’s Full Time Swim Instructor. “These opportunities have helped us deliver high-quality instruction to the community while supporting the professional growth and leadership development of our Aquatics staff.”

By investing in both community education and staff development, we continue to foster a culture of safety, confidence, and lifelong learning, ensuring that everyone who visits our pools can enjoy a safe and positive aquatic experience.

Following our commitment to water safety education, FY26 also marked significant progress in expanding inclusive aquatic programming. This year, MIT Recreation Aquatics proudly introduced its first Sensory Swim, creating a low-stimulation and supportive environment for individuals with sensory sensitivities, disabilities, and their families. Held in the Zesiger Center Teaching Pool, the event featured reduced noise levels, limited attendance, sensory-friendly activities, and designated spaces for both play and relaxation. The positive response from participants and families reinforced the importance of providing aquatic opportunities that are welcoming, accessible, and tailored to a variety of needs.

In addition to launching Sensory Swim, our Learn-to-Swim program continued to provide swimmers of all ages and abilities with the opportunity to build confidence and develop lifelong water safety skills with group lessons having 4,353 registrants from Summer 25’- Spring 26’ and Private lessons having 2467 participants. Whether participants were entering the water for the first time or refining their technique, our certified instructors created a supportive learning environment that emphasized individual progress and success. Together, these programs demonstrate that aquatics is about more than swimming—it is about creating opportunities for every member of the MIT community to feel confident, included, and safe in and around the water.

Beyond recreation and instructional programming, FY26 was another busy year for competitive aquatics at MIT. Throughout the year, our facilities hosted numerous varsity meets, external competitions, and championship events, welcoming student-athletes, coaches, officials, and spectators from across the region. In all, these 20 days of events showcased not only the talent of the competitors but also the tremendous effort required behind the scenes to transform our facilities into competition-ready venues.

One of the year’s highlights was hosting the NEWMAC Swimming & Diving Championships, where MIT Recreation staff worked alongside officials, volunteers, and athletics personnel to deliver a successful four-day championship meet. From preparing the competition pool and timing systems to coordinating event operations, livestreaming, diving events, and athlete support, our staff played a critical role in ensuring the championship ran smoothly. In addition to collegiate competition, we continued to partner with external organizations by hosting a variety of swim meets throughout the year, generating valuable revenue while strengthening relationships with local aquatic organizations. Together, these competitions reinforced MIT Recreation’s reputation as a premier destination for competitive aquatics and demonstrated the versatility of our facilities in supporting events at every level.

Reflecting on the year as a whole, it is clear that the impact of MIT Aquatics extends far beyond the programs and events that take place in our pools. 

“While reviewing notes from the past year, it struck me just how diverse our department is and the breadth of impact a few thousand gallons of water have had, and continue to have,” MIT Recreation’s Senior Assistant Aquatic Director, Aquatic Administration Chris Krupa, reflected while preparing the department’s Annual Report “I like to think of the pools as a community or city, where many different groups and individuals, each with competing priorities, coexist. No one group can get everything they want, but by working together, many can get as much as possible. Using this mentality as a guiding principle for scheduling, more than 100,000 recreational swimmers and swim lesson participants were able to visit our pools. Nineteen research projects used approximately 300 hours of pool time for projects that could one day change the future, 74 user groups were allocated lanes, creative staff and member events welcomed hundreds of participants, and countless certifications and swim and boat tests took place. Thirteen collegiate varsity programs were also allocated practice space. And those numbers only tell part of the story. They don’t capture the countless personal and health goals achieved or the individual experiences and connections made in our facilities. This past year was filled with successes not only for the MIT Aquatics Department and our staff, but also for the many people who use our services and facilities,” he added.

As we look toward FY27, MIT Recreation Aquatics remains committed to building on the successes of the past year while continuing to enhance the experience for everyone who uses our facilities. We look forward to expanding community programming, growing inclusive initiatives like Sensory Swim, strengthening water safety education, and continuing to provide high-quality swim lessons, certifications, and competitive events. At the same time, we will continue investing in staff development, facility improvements, and operational efficiencies to ensure our pools remain safe, welcoming, and adaptable to the evolving needs of the MIT community.

None of what we accomplished in FY26 would have been possible without the dedication of our lifeguards, instructors, event staff, student employees, and the many members, athletes, researchers, and families who make our aquatic community so special. As we dive into another year, we look forward to creating new opportunities for recreation, education, competition, and innovation; and we can’t wait to see what FY27 has in store.