Title
2025 Parks and Recreation Summer Programs - Citywide
Description
This report provides the Transportation, Infrastructure, and Planning Subcommittee with an update on the Parks and Recreation Department's 2025 summer programs including PHXPlays Summer Camps and the aquatics season.
THIS ITEM IS FOR INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION.
Report
Summary
Each year, the Parks and Recreation Department (Department) offers safe and affordable summer programs for youth and families across the City. In addition to a wide range of classes at community centers and sports programs and events in parks, the Department operates PHXPlays Summer Camps and opens the aquatic season, providing access to public pools and swim lessons.
PHXPlays Summer Camp
The Department offers summer day camps at 26 citywide community centers (Attachment A) for youth ages six to 12, Monday through Friday, from May to August. To provide families with a variety of options, the PHXPlays summer camps offer flexible registration choices including weekly or monthly camps. A daily drop-in option is also available to accommodate families’ schedules. Prices vary and range from free to $80 per week, depending on the site.
All camps include a minimum of:
- Weekly themes such as superhero, circus, and safari week
- Arts, crafts, sports, games, team building activities, and STEM activities
- Daily meals with breakfast/lunch or lunch/snack options
- Onsite events and special activities
- Special guest presenters and entertainers
- Monthly field trips
- Camp t-shirts
The PHXPlays summer camp is marketed to participants who have previously enjoyed Parks and Recreation Department programs, including promotion on social media and distribution of flyers to nearby schools.
The 2025 PHXPlays summer camp registration opened on March 20, and will continue through the summer. Historically, registration numbers increase within the first two weeks of the program. In 2024, total youth participant registration was 2,291. Additionally, the 2024 PHXPlays summer camps utilized 175 teen volunteers aged 13 to 17 years. Teen volunteers gain a variety of valuable skills that help them in both personal and professional growth including leadership, teamwork, communication, customer service, time management, and problem solving.
The PHXPlays Summer Camp continues to offer youth and their families a safe, quality, and affordable summer program.
Aquatics
In 2024, City of Phoenix pools welcomed more than 267,000 visitors to the aquatic facilities. The Parks and Recreation Department provided programming including over 2,000 swim lesson classes, swim, dive, and water basketball recreational teams, and water safety classes with over 12,000 participants.
In 2020, all swimming pools were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the Department lost the majority of its aquatic workforce and, like cities across the country, has continued to face aquatic staffing shortages. In 2021, the Department opened 12 pools with limited programming. In 2022, 14 pools were open for the entire summer. During 2023, 12 pools were open all summer with six additional pools being open in only June or July, therefore providing access to 15 pools for public use at one time. In 2024, 16 pools opened all summer, while two pools were open for one month, June or July; therefore providing access to 17 pools for public use at one time.
Staffing and Training
Preparation and recruitment efforts for the 2025 aquatics season began in March 2024, first with enhanced training for Assistant Managers and Pool Managers, followed by ongoing Lifeguard certification courses from August to April to encourage individuals to complete the course early in anticipation of working the following summer. The Department continues to utilize a variety of methods to promote job opportunities for positions including Cashier, Lifeguard, Swim Lesson Instructor, Assistant Pool Manager, and Pool Manager. Recruiting methods include visiting high schools with direct interaction during lunch hours, physical education classes, career fairs, swim and dive teams, as well as other sporting events. Staff also distribute information to colleges through job fairs, participation at community events and through social media. To support recruitment efforts, the Department offers hiring and retention incentives ranging from $1,000 to $3,000, depending on the position. These incentives have been effective in attracting both returning staff and new candidates.
While the Department has seen positive results from recent recruitment efforts, the number of pools that can be opened is dependent on the ability to successfully recruit staff, specifically Pool Managers and Assistant Pool Managers, to operate the pools. To enhance recruitment efforts for these critical positions, the Department hosted 11 additional training sessions in 2024 for Assistant Pool Managers to better prepare them for opportunities for advancement in 2025. In addition, staff continued the hands-on Accelerated Assistant Manager Training program by identifying and training swim instructors interested in promoting to the assistant manager position for the 2025 season.
To further build the talent pipeline, new for the 2025 season, the Department is introducing a structured Head Lifeguard program to provide leadership development opportunities for second and third year employees. This initiative is designed to prepare staff for future promotion into the Assistant Pool Manager role. In addition, newly hired Assistant Pool Managers undergo extensive training throughout the spring in preparation for pool openings.
The Department will continue to utilize the Shallow Water Lifeguard position in 2025. Introduced in 2023, this role was created to support individuals interested in lifeguarding whose swimming skills do not yet meet the requirements for deep water certification. Previously, these candidates were ineligible to enroll in certification courses. The Shallow Water Lifeguard certification allows participants to qualify in pools with a maximum depth of four feet, offering them an opportunity to develop their skills while gaining valuable experience and training.
The Department also engaged 2024 aquatics employees in off season events such as Fall-O-Ween, Trunk-or-Treat, APS Electric Light Parade, and Polar Plunge. These opportunities helped build enthusiasm for the job while promoting aquatics programming and employment opportunities.
2025 Aquatics Season
The 2025 pool season runs Memorial Day weekend through the end of July, with select pools open through Labor Day, as denoted with an asterisk below. This summer, 20 of the City’s pools will be operational. Pools were selected based on geographic location and pool attendance to ensure communities across the City have access to a public pool.
A total of 20 pools will open in 2025. The following 15 pools listed will be open during the entire aquatic season.
• Coronado • Maryvale*
• Cortez* • Paradise Valley*
• Deer Valley • Pecos*
• El Prado • Roosevelt*
• Encanto* • Starlight
• Falcon • Sunnyslope*
• Harmon • Washington
Four pools will be open for one month.
May 24, 2025, to June 26, 2025
June 30, 2025, to July 27, 2025
Additionally, thanks to the Department’s partnership with Ability360, Telephone Pioneer Park Pool will be open June 16 to August 29, offering swimming programs for the community. This partnership will enable the pool to be opened for the first time since 2019.
The following five pools will be repurposed into neighborhood splash pads as part of the voter-approved General Obligation Bond program, and are not scheduled to open in 2025.
- Alkire
- Grant
- Holiday
- Marivue
- University
Eastlake Park pool is under renovation and expected to be completed in fall 2025. Roadrunner, Mountain View, and Hermoso pools will not open this year due to staffing constraints.
The Department plans to provide transportation to City pools for youth who live in communities where pools will not be open and there is interest. In 2025, the Department plans to provide transportation to nearby City pools for youth from Muriel Smith Recreation Center, Faye Gray Recreation Center, Grant Park, Vernell Coleman Youth Center, Coffelt-Lamoreaux Recreation Center, Eastlake Community Center, Longview Neighborhood Recreation Center, Mountain View Community Center, and Beuf Community Center.
Programming
The Department continues to restore aquatic programming, offering youth swim lessons at all open pools, adult swim lessons, water exercise, and recreation swim teams at select pools. Youth swim lessons are for participants aged six months to 12 years old and will be held June 2 through July 24. Each session consists of eight, 30-minute classes. Due to the Department’s commitment to ensure programs are affordable and accessible to everyone, each session is $15, which equates to $1.88 per class. These prices are the lowest in comparison to other nearby municipalities. Also, thanks to a donation of $20,000 from the Arizona Diamondbacks and Presidential Pools, over 1,600 swim lesson spaces across all open pools will be discounted to $3 and will be available on a first-come, first -served basis.
Of the 20 open pools this summer, 16 will be designated Kool Kids pools that allow kids 17 years and younger to swim for free. Kool Kids donations this year include $63,266 from the Milwaukee Brewers and $7,500 from Salt River Project. Admission for open swim at non-Kool Kids locations is $1 for kids. At all pools admissions are $1 for seniors and $3 for adults.
Registration for June swim lessons, water exercise classes, and swim team opened on April 24, 2025; and registration for July swim lessons and water exercise classes will begin on June 14, 2025. Registration will be ongoing throughout the summer as space is available.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager John Chan and the Parks and Recreation Department.