Pool News
Swim Tests: When Schools Stop Teaching Students to Swim, Everyone Loses
For more than a century, the ability to swim was once considered a basic life skill—something schools believed was essential for producing healthy, capable adults. Today, that expectation is quietly disappearing. Across the United States, both K–12 schools and universities have steadily removed physical education requirements, including swimming competency tests that were once common prerequisites for graduation.
The trend may seem minor on the surface, but it raises a serious question: Are we doing students a disservice by lowering the bar on physical education and life-saving skills?
At a time when obesity rates are climbing and drowning remains one of the leading causes of accidental death among children, the erosion of swim education requirements deserves closer scrutiny.
A Tradition That Once Defined American Education
Swimming competency tests were once a fixture on college campuses. As early as 1905, Cornell University introduced a graduation requirement that students demonstrate the ability to swim. Princeton followed in 1911 with one of the most demanding standards in the country, requiring students to swim 220 yards.
By 1913, the New York Times observed that “there is scarcely a college which does not prescribe a course in physical education and make swimming an essential part of the course.”
The logic was straightforward. Swimming is not just a sport—it’s a survival skill.
Frank Barton, an army officer and professor who helped push Cornell’s original requirement, famously argued that a soldier who could not swim was “dead weight to his unit.” The sentiment reflected a broader belief at the time that physical competence was a fundamental part of education.
Students were expected to leave school not only intellectually prepared, but physically capable.
Over the decades, however, that philosophy began to fade.
The Slow Disappearance of Swim Requirements
By the late twentieth century, many schools had already begun phasing out swimming requirements. A 1977 survey conducted by researchers at Temple University found that 42 percent of four-year universities still required students to pass a swim test before graduating. By 1997, a follow-up study at North Carolina State University found that number had dropped to just five percent.
Today, only a handful of universities still maintain such standards.
The latest example of the shift came from Dartmouth College. Since the early 1900s, Dartmouth required students to swim 50 yards before receiving their diploma. But in 2022, faculty voted to eliminate the test, meaning that for the first time in more than a century, graduates may leave the Ivy League institution without demonstrating basic swimming ability.
Dartmouth is not alone. Williams College removed its swim requirement in 2022. Hamilton College followed in 2023. Washington and Lee eliminated theirs in 2024.
These schools cited a variety of reasons—administrative challenges, cultural concerns, and disparities in swimming ability among students. But regardless of the rationale, the outcome remains the same: a long-standing expectation of physical competency has quietly vanished.
The Racial Gap in Swimming Ability
One of the most prominent arguments behind the removal of swim tests centers on racial disparities in swimming ability.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black children between the ages of five and fourteen are more than five times as likely to drown in a swimming pool as their white counterparts. Surveys have also found that Black adults are more than five times as likely to report that they cannot swim.
These statistics have made many universities uncomfortable maintaining swim requirements.
At Williams College, administrators noted that between 2013 and 2019, 81 percent of students who failed the school’s swim test were students of color. A university committee ultimately deemed the requirement “problematic” due to its disparate impact, leading faculty to eliminate the test.
Dartmouth offered similar reasoning when it scrapped its requirement, noting that students who failed the exam were “overwhelmingly students of colour.”
But some educators argue that eliminating swim requirements addresses the symptom rather than the problem.
Cornell University took a different approach. In 2024, a faculty committee voted to maintain the school’s swim competency requirement. In its resolution, the committee acknowledged the racial disparities but argued that the requirement should remain precisely because of them.
“By providing formal swimming instruction,” the committee concluded, “Cornell is doing its small part to help right the wrongs of US history and close the racial gap in accidental drowning in this country.”
It is a compelling argument. If the goal is to close the gap in swimming ability, removing the requirement may accomplish the opposite.
The Decline of Physical Education
The erosion of swim tests is part of a much larger shift in education.
Across the United States, physical education requirements have steadily weakened over the past several decades. Many high schools now allow students to satisfy PE requirements through alternative coursework, independent study, or waivers.
In some cases, students are able to opt out of physical education entirely with a doctor’s note.
On paper, medical exemptions exist to protect students with legitimate health concerns. In practice, however, the system is frequently exploited.
Students routinely obtain exemptions for vague or difficult-to-verify conditions such as chronic fatigue, anxiety disorders, migraines, exercise-induced headaches, stress-related conditions, or minor musculoskeletal discomfort. Some simply claim lingering injuries or temporary medical issues that conveniently last the duration of the semester.
In other cases, parents lobby school administrators to waive PE requirements entirely in order to prioritize academic coursework or extracurricular activities.
Over time, these exemptions accumulate into a culture where participation in physical education becomes optional rather than expected.
And when expectations disappear, participation follows.
The Obesity Crisis
The timing of this shift could not be worse.
Obesity rates in the United States have risen dramatically over the past several decades. According to federal health data, more than 41% percent of American adults are now classified as obese, and childhood obesity continues to rise as well.
Sedentary lifestyles, increased screen time, and reduced physical activity are widely cited as contributing factors.
Schools once played a central role in counteracting these trends by ensuring that every student engaged in some form of structured physical activity. Physical education classes, team sports, and swim programs helped build lifelong habits of exercise and physical literacy.
As those programs shrink or disappear, many students lose one of their only guaranteed opportunities for physical activity.
Swimming, in particular, offers unique health benefits. It provides a full-body cardiovascular workout while placing minimal stress on joints, making it one of the most accessible forms of exercise available. It also builds endurance, muscle strength, and coordination.
Perhaps most importantly, it teaches a life-saving skill.
The Safety Argument
Drowning remains a serious public health issue in the United States. For children ages one through four, drowning is one of the leading causes of accidental death.
Even among older children and teenagers, swimming ability—or lack thereof—can mean the difference between life and death.
This is one reason why many advocates argue that schools should be expanding swim education rather than eliminating it.
Teaching children to swim does more than improve physical fitness. It reduces drowning risk, builds confidence in aquatic environments, and prepares individuals for a wide range of recreational and occupational activities.
When schools remove swim requirements without replacing them with accessible instruction, they risk widening the very disparities they claim to address.
What California Requires
At the K–12 level, physical education requirements vary by state. In California, the Department of Education mandates physical education instruction as part of the curriculum, but swimming itself is not a required component.
Districts have flexibility in determining how PE standards are met, meaning swim education is often dependent on whether a school has access to a pool and the resources to run aquatic programs.
As budgets tighten and facilities age, many districts have chosen to eliminate swimming programs altogether.
The result is that fewer students graduate with basic aquatic skills than in previous generations.
Lowering the Bar
Supporters of removing swim requirements often frame the issue as a matter of fairness or practicality. Administering swim tests can be logistically challenging, especially for schools without adequate facilities.
But critics argue that the solution should not be to lower expectations.
Education has always required students to meet certain standards—whether in reading, mathematics, or science. Few would suggest eliminating literacy requirements simply because some students struggle to read.
Instead, schools invest resources in helping students achieve the standard.
The same logic could apply to swimming.
Rather than eliminating swim tests, schools could expand swim instruction, partner with community pools, or incorporate water safety education into physical education programs.
Such efforts would not only improve health outcomes but also address the disparities in swimming ability that universities now cite as justification for removing requirements.
What We Risk Losing
The disappearance of swim requirements may seem like a small change in the broader landscape of education. But it reflects a larger shift in how schools define their role in preparing students for adulthood.
If education is meant to develop well-rounded individuals, physical competence should remain part of the equation.
Reading, writing, and scientific literacy are essential skills—but so are the abilities that allow individuals to care for their own health and safety.
Knowing how to swim is one of those skills.
When schools stop requiring it, they send a subtle message that physical capability no longer matters.
In a country already struggling with rising obesity, declining physical activity, and persistent drowning risks, that message may come at a cost.
Instead of abandoning swim education, schools should be asking a different question: How can we ensure that every student graduates not only educated—but capable of staying afloat?
Poolside Adventures and Landmark Aquatic have joined forces to bring big-impact attractions with a small footprint to aquatic facilities across the country. The partnership pairs Poolside Adventures’ AquaClimb®, AquaZip’N® and AquaNinja® FLX attractions with Landmark’s expansive nationwide reach and proven expertise in aquatic facility design, construction, renovation, and maintenance.
Poolside Adventures attractions add excitement to aquatic facilities without a major renovation because they anchor directly to an existing pool deck with no water hookups, special tools or added concrete and reinforcement. In fact, the modular AquaClimb® walls can start with one section and grow with budgets. The AquaZip’N® is rapidly becoming a new, safer alternative to diving boards as it only requires four feet of water depth, can be installed in just a few hours, and has a throughput of six riders a minute.
“Some municipalities can’t afford a new water park or perhaps cannot renovate their pool this year,” said Cherie Moy, VP of Marketing and Strategic Partnerships for Poolside Adventures. “Our products are an easy answer: a big impact with a small footprint, adding an ‘active attraction’ that makes the pool more exciting.”
“Landmark has a large footprint across the country, and we’re especially excited about their reach into HOA communities, a growing market where our partnership has already led to multiple installations,” said Moy. “Together, we will help clients find the right fit for their space, their budget and to add action and adventure to their pool experience.”
Matt Cappello, Vice President of Design at Landmark Aquatic agrees saying, “We’re excited to collaborate with Poolside Adventures to promote the versatility, ease of installation and entertainment value their products will bring to more pools across the country.”
About Landmark
Since 1967, Landmark Aquatic has helped communities and organizations bring complex aquatic facilities to life and keep them performing. Today, we are the nation’s largest integrated commercial aquatics platform, providing design, construction, renovation, restoration, and maintenance services nationwide. Our construction-led expertise and long-term service capabilities give customers one trusted partner across every stage of a facility’s lifecycle. For the life of your pool. Learn more at www.landmarkaquatic.com.
About Poolside Adventures
For more than 20 years, Poolside Adventures’ flagship AquaClimb® has led the market for poolside climbing walls. Its full line, including the AquaClimb® Luxe, AquaZip’N® and AquaNinja® FLX, delivers challenging, safe fun for swimmers of all ages. For more about Poolside Adventures visit www.aquaclimb.com.
Vic Harshman brings extensive pool building experience to key leadership role
- Decades of proven pool construction experience across Nevada, Arizona and Texas
- Previously served as Shasta Pools’ exclusive excavation contractor
- Predecessor handpicked Harshman to grow position under new leadership team
SCOTTSDALE, Arizona (October 5, 2026) – Shasta Pools, Phoenix Metro’s most recognized pool builder, named Vic Harshman as Head of Residential Construction. Harshman joins the new leadership team with more than three decades of hands-on industry experience and a long-standing relationship with the company to one of its most critical leadership roles.
Harshman has held senior construction leadership positions in Arizona and Texas, and worked closely with Shasta Pools, developing firsthand knowledge about the company’s standards, culture and customers. The appointment reflects the momentum Shasta Pools has built since its August 6 acquisition by Dansons Capital Group, Accrual Equity Partners, and Hydro Construction, and positions the full-service 60-year old pool company for continued growth.
Leadership Perspective
“Vic brings exactly the kind of no-nonsense, customer-first leadership our residential construction division needs,” said Jeff Thiessen, President, Dansons Capital Group. “His philosophy is deeply aligned with ours. Keeping customers’ needs as the foremost priority at every stage of the build process is at the center of everything we do, and Vic lives that every day.”
Harshman’s career in pool construction began at age 19, when he purchased a backhoe and launched a business digging plumbing trenches and footings. When the housing market declined in the late 1980s, he relocated to Las Vegas and began excavating swimming pools, a move that led to the creation of Harshman Excavating.
Harshman built and operated excavation businesses in Nevada, Arizona and Texas, primarily serving the pool industry, and served for a period as Shasta’s exclusive excavation contractor.
In 2012, Harshman joined A&A Manufacturing, serving pool builders across an eight-state region and growing annual sales by 10x. In 2020, he joined Keith Zars Pools in Texas as Director of Construction, where he brought together decades of ownership, leadership and industry knowledge.
A Return Rooted in Relationships
“I have always believed that strong relationships, hard work, accountability and taking care of people are the foundation of a successful business,” said Vic Harshman, Head of Residential Construction, Shasta Pools. “Shasta has been a meaningful part of my career for many years. I am genuinely excited to come back and help lead this team into a very exciting future.”
Harshman steps into the role with the full support of Dan Thiessen, Chairman of the new ownership team, and John Mortensen, the outgoing head of residential construction. Mortensen recommended Harshman for the position and will now serve as the company’s lead trainer. That transition reflects Shasta Pools’ commitment to investing in its people and preserving institutional knowledge as the organization continues to grow.
ABOUT SHASTA POOLS:
Shasta Pools is Arizona’s trusted name in custom pool building, proudly serving the Valley since 1966. For 60 years, Shasta has transformed backyards into beautiful, functional spaces where families relax, entertain and enjoy life. The company specializes in new pool construction, remodeling, pool service and landscape design with plans for expansion into the home services market to provide customers with complete home care solutions. Learn more at ShastaPools.com.
ABOUT DANSONS CAPITAL GROUP:
Dansons Capital Group, headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, is a family-owned and family-managed investment firm built on shared values, integrity and long-term vision. The firm was established by the founders of Dansons, Inc., the company that launched and sold Pit Boss Grills. The company takes a hands-on approach, actively seeking opportunities across global markets and multiple asset classes. Its growing portfolio includes strategic real estate development holdings across multiple countries, oil drilling technologies, and limited partnership investments. Guided by a deep commitment to quality and the communities they serve, the Thiessen family leads with gratefulness for the blessings God has given them and in turn supports those less fortunate. Dansons Capital Group continues to identify and cultivate opportunities that reflect their family’s values and generational vision.
ABOUT ACCRUAL EQUITY PARTNERS:
Accrual Equity Partners (AEP) is a founder-led, privately funded private equity group built on the belief that every person, every percentage, and every product matters. This commitment, known as the “Power of One,” drives AEP’s mission to empower businesses and secure legacies across fragmented, service-based industries. AEP partners with founder-led and family-owned businesses to overcome barriers and unlock their full potential through strategic investment, operational performance enhancement, and advisory services. For more information, visit AccrualEquityPartners.com.
ABOUT HYDRO CONSTRUCTION:
Hydro Construction, LLC (HydroCon) was founded in 1986 to serve Arizona’s commercial pool construction and renovation market. Under the leadership of Curt Lonsdale, the company’s commercial pool construction division now manages some of the largest and most complex projects in the country.
Flowood, MS, October 1 – The National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) is pleased to announce the addition of Jennifer Ibe as Membership and Sponsorship Sales Manager and Rachel Smith as Membership Marketing Manager. The two new positions strengthen NTCA’s focus on membership growth, retention, engagement, and delivering greater value to members.
“Growing and strengthening our membership is a key priority for the NTCA, and Jennifer and Rachel bring the experience and expertise to help us do that,” said Jeremy Sax, Deputy Director of NTCA. “Their complementary skills will allow us to take a more strategic approach to both membership development and the overall member experience.”
Jennifer Ibe, Membership and Sponsorship Sales Manager
Ibe brings more than 10 years of experience in association events, sales, sponsorships, relationship management, and strategic growth. Most recently, she served as Director of Sponsorship and Sales for the Global Workspace Association, where she led major conferences, sponsorship development, budgets, and initiatives that increased attendance by 33% and profitability by 30%.
At the NTCA, Ibe will lead membership recruitment, retention, re-engagement, and relationship development while supporting sponsorship and partner revenue opportunities. She will also represent the NTCA at major industry events and help strengthen relationships with members and prospective members.
Ibe holds a B.A. in Communications from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Rachel Smith, Membership Marketing Manager
Smith brings extensive association experience in membership, communications, digital engagement, and member programming. Most recently, she served as Digital Communications Manager for the Association of Electric Companies of Texas. Previously, as Director of Membership for the Texas Economic Development Council, she managed more than 1,000 members and developed programs to increase member engagement and networking. She also served as Membership Coordinator for the Texas Association of Community Health Centers, where she managed more than 5,000 members and led new-member onboarding and retention initiatives.
At NTCA, Smith will focus on member onboarding, retention campaigns, communications, digital engagement, webinars, events, and community development. She will also support membership analytics and digital initiatives aimed at strengthening the member experience.
Smith holds a B.A. in Communications with a minor in Social Justice from West Virginia Wesleyan College.
“Jennifer’s focus on relationship-building and membership development, combined with Rachel’s experience in member communications and engagement, gives us a strong team focused on every stage of the member journey,” Sax added. “We’re excited about what this means for our members and for the future growth of NTCA.”
About NTCA
Established in 1947, the National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) is a nonprofit trade association dedicated to the professional installation of ceramic tile and natural stone. It is widely recognized as the largest and most respected tile contractors’ association in the world. For those seeking to improve their tile business, NTCA provides unparalleled educational experiences, supportive peer interaction, unique cost-savings programs, and a commitment to help develop the skills needed to improve your work, recruit, train, and manage your employees, and ultimately, make your business more profitable. Find out more at www.tile-assn.com.
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