Sailors left out to dry

Steve Virgen

The Newport Harbor High boys water polo team will practice and play

home games at Corona del Mar High because the Sailors’ pool is under

construction and won’t be ready until Nov. 1.

The future appears bright at Newport Harbor, in regard to its

pool. But, for now, the situation is less than ideal for this year’s

Sailor players.

“It kind of sucks that we won’t have home games at Newport,” said

Sailor senior Michael Bury, a first-team All-CIF Southern Section

Division I performer last year. “It’s [the Newport seniors’] last

year and it’s a letdown that we won’t have our pool. All these years

to wait to be the big man on campus and now it’s like we have a brick

wall in front of us.”

The Sailors would be able to play the final week of the regular

season and, perhaps, playoff games, at home, if the pool is ready on

the target date of Nov. 1. For now, the Newport squad also practices

at Golden West College and sometimes the Sailors have to train in the

evening.

“In one word: frustrating,” Newport Coach Jason Lynch said. “The

kids have been pretty good about it. It’s a hardship. It’s not ideal,

but it has to be done. The seniors are disappointed, because they

wanted to play in their home pool. Hopefully, we can play the last

week of league. I hope, for their sake, that it happens.

“The pool is going to be awesome,” Lynch continued. “In the long

run, it will be great. It’s going to be a brand new pool. We are

thankful that the powers-that-be decided to do it and do it right.”

The pool renovation, which has been described as a major overhaul,

will cost roughly $1 million, said Paul Reed, the assistant

superintendent of business services for the Newport-Mesa Unified

School District. Reed said the construction will result in a new

deck. In addition, the district is planning to produce new locker

rooms and showers near the pool, though with separate funding.

The district received funds from the City of Newport Beach and is

in talks to receive another city pledge. Other money has come from

facilities reserves, the funds that come from sale of property and

are solely used for facility upgrades.

“The public will be very pleased when they see the end result,”

Reed said. “For all intents and purposes, it will be a brand new

facility.”

Reed said the district has adequate funds for the pool renovation

and he would be surprised if the project was not finished on Nov. 1.

“We are on schedule,” Reed said. “It doesn’t mean that we won’t

run into trouble, but, right now, it’s everything we’ve hoped.”

Reed became aware of damage to the Newport pool when he started

working in June of 2002. The pool’s surface began to crack and there

were problems with the drainage system.

“It wasn’t a good place for high school programs or the

community,” Reed said.

Newport’s pool was built in 1972 and Reed said it had reached the

end of its life cycle. So, the school and district planned for the

renovation, which resulted in two phases. One phase of repair was

intended, costing $620,000, but greater deterioration was found and

more construction was needed. Thus, the $1 million plan was put into

effect, Reed said.

The renovation is now in the second phase.

Lynch hoped the pool would be ready before the fall season, but

the Sailors now must travel to either Golden West or CdM for

practices.

Reed said the renovation plan had to go through the Division of

the State Architect, and that produced a setback that put the project

about three months behind.

“[The renovation] was supposed to start in March,” Lynch said. “We

wanted to avoid this situation.”

Lynch is optimistic about the new pool and believes the sacrifices

are well worth it.

Eric Tweit, Newport Harbor boys athletic director, expressed

gratitude for CdM’s help.

“This is an overwhelming task,” Tweit said. “We want to make sure

that everything is done right, so we won’t have to do it again. The

district stepped up and did us a great favor. The bad thing is that

the season is happening. All our boys are doing a good job of bearing

with it. They understand that if we can get through this [the pool]

will be great. Corona del Mar and Jerry Jelnick [the Sea Kings’ boys

athletic director] have been very cooperative. Hopefully, someday, we

will be able to return the favor.”

Bury said the team has been enduring the odd practice times and

different sites.

“I don’t think it will hinder us that much, because we’ll play

just as hard at any pool,” said Bury, who is hopeful the pool will be

ready Nov. 1. “That’s good [a date is set], but I’m not going to hold

my breath.”