BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho Central Aquatic Center (ICAC) is now open to the public, welcoming any and all who seek to swim laps, take lessons or practice aquatic sports. The ICAC includes, but is not limited to, an eight-lane competition pool and a six-lane warm-up pool.
The center focuses on teaching water safety in new and engaging ways, while also hosting a fun and entertaining environment for people of all ages and abilities to enjoy.
People can expect to have access to swim lessons, community lap swimming, aqua fitness, lifeguard training and much more.
Co-founder and co-developer Ryan Stratton stresses the importance of this new addition to the Boise community where people may learn, play and exercise simultaneously.
“[My team and I] talked about the need for more pools, the need for more water space and when COVID hit and everything shut down, that was our cue,” Stratton said.
One of the primary purposes for this space is to teach as many children and adults how to swim as possible.
The ICAC serves as a complementary service, as Stratton believes that Boise and its surrounding areas need more adequate water spaces.
What sets this facility apart from others is its ability to transform from a public lap pool into a competitive space for schools to practice and compete against one another across a wide variety of water sports.
A local water polo coach plans on using this new facility as an opportunity to increase his team’s pool time and invite more curious individuals to join the team. Mark Stevenson has been the head coach for a high school water polo club for six years and hopes to use this facility to his and his team’s advantage.
“When we didn’t have pool time, that [was] the biggest limiting factor. So, this pool gives us another opportunity to have a couple more teams in the valley,” Stevenson said.
Joanne Sarich, a local parent whose son plays water polo, is excited to see where this facility takes the Boise community, for both children and adults.
“Well let’s just start off how gorgeous it is. It’s a beautiful, beautiful pool setup,” Sarich said. “[The ICAC] will help alleviate some of the pressure that the Boise West YMCA has … so it will be great for water polo, swim, diving and help open it up for everybody.”
The center expects to have a major economic impact on the area and its surroundings. The Greater Boise Auditorium District and Idaho Central Credit Union, among many others, helped create this space for everyone to enjoy, especially as the Treasure Valley enters its high summer temperatures.
“We’re just a welcome environment. We’re happy to see everybody walk in the door and happy to see them get in the pool,” Stratton said. “The response we’ve had from the community in the first few weeks of operation have just been outstanding.”
The Idaho Central Aquatic Center is located at 3575 South Findley Avenue in Boise. For those interested in donating or getting involved, visit https://www.gbacswim.com/.
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