In the Dec. 31 Free Speech, a comment was made that the Kedron Aquatic Center should not remain open since it seems to be only for the swim teams.

Should Peachtree City also close the soccer and baseball fields, using the same argument?

My daughter swims with the Southern Crescent Aquatic Team (SCAT). The fees are fairly high, in part because of the rent that SCAT pays for the use of the aquatic center.

Why is my daughter’s chosen sport, competitive swimming, any less important than other sports like soccer and baseball?

She has developed a very strong sense of self-motivation, teamwork and is in very good physical shape. Swimming is a very physically and mentally demanding sport, and it is likely to grow given the recent success and publicity of Michael Phelps in the Beijing Olympics.

Please consider that SCAT is not the only user of the Kedron Center. There are multiple high school swim teams that practice at the pool and pay rent to use the center, several senior citizen activities and exercises are held there,and there is a good amount of open swim time when I often see very fit, as well as disabled, individuals swimming laps and otherwise using the pool.

We are the only metro county that doesn’t have a major aquatic center, and therefore a lot of stress is placed on the inadequate Kedron facility.

My daughter does not play baseball or soccer, yet we are very happy to have a portion of our hard-earned tax dollars used for those fields.

We are going to have tough decisions to make when tax revenues fall short of budget. However, let’s all consider that these amenities keep our property values high and bring new residents to Peachtree City.

Allen and Becky Phinney

Peachtree City, Ga.

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