June 3, 2026: NASA Go Fever
Greetings,
We've made it to June. We are one month away from the start of Q3 (July-August-September). Although we don't deliver public shareholder earnings, I find the Q1-Q2-Q3-Q4 business & finance system more useful than semesters/sessions (when I programmed swim lessons as a pool manager) because the dates are fixed.
Each quarter, I'm reminded to look at personal & business achievements in the year to date. I also review goals to see if we're still in alignment to achieve them by the end of the year. I'm not a huge goal setter, but we all get too caught up in the day-to-day minutia that it's easy to lose track of the bigger year-over-year picture. So, as an action item this week, I would encourage you to look at anything you set in January to see where you can still course correct before December.
I recently started watching the Apple TV show Star City. This is a companion/ parallel show to For All Mankind. If you haven't watched it: FAM starts in the 1960s during the Space Race, but it's an alternate history: the Soviets land on the moon first & JFK does not get shot. (This isn't a spoiler - it's right in the trailer I've linked). It's perfect for people who love period pieces (me) and space stuff (my husband). Note: if you watch FAM, the most recent Season 5 was terrible, so you can safely stop at Season 4.
Star City is just starting up, so there's only a few episodes out (throwback to the 90s where you have to wait for a new episode to drop each week...) but I recommend it if you need something completely different from modern life.
Where I'm going with this: it reminded me of the business principle called NASA Go Fever.
"The term “Go Fever” was coined by NASA after the Apollo 1 fire in 1967. Three astronauts died in a training exercise two weeks before Apollo 1 was scheduled to take off. A short in the electrical circuit sparked in the highly oxygenated air in the module and within seconds the entire module was engulfed in flames. “Go Fever” refers to a desire to push forward and take chances when marginal or substandard conditions exist. It was found to be rampant at NASA and was fostered by a macho “go hard or go home” attitude of both the astronauts and management." - source
If you watched the trailer above for Star City (also here), you can literally hear this concept at play. I also see this all the time with all aspects of aquatic operations: new facility development; old facility renovation/expansion; special events; and even day-to-day operations.
There's pushing your team forward purposefully to help them grow outside their comfort zone, and then there's pushing ahead with a completely arbitrary deadline because you don't want to lose face or cede ground.
As my best friend likes to say: rejection is redirection, and I thought about both of these principles yesterday when something in my personal life that was nicely slotted into a certain time frame was threatened to be rescheduled, and the delay would literally (not being hyperbolic) impact many aspects of the next 12-15 months of personal travel.
However, like those sports teams who make parents wait 24 hours before emailing the coach or referee, after a bad night's sleep (because let's be honest: I still thought about it all night), the immediacy of driving forward with the original plan has lessened such that I can think more clearly about the real (not perceived) consequences of different courses of action.
Like me, I guarantee there is something in your home or professional life right now that is subject to NASA Go Fever.
You need to identify 1) what it it is, and 2) whether there is real external or merely perceived internal pressure to do something that otherwise needs more time/resources/information. Nobody is going to remember the intent to accomplish something. What they're going to remember is the failure to execute badly. Nobody is going to care it's because we wanted to "try" and get it done; they'll remember how badly pushing forward damaged/delayed the real, complete outcome.
I swear I'm not trying to generate rage bait (this video set off a bomb in this Facebook group - oops!) , but this crossed my desk last Friday:
Columbus community pool closes for summer due to leaks and safety concerns
I know nothing about this community, but my honest first reaction was "Why are they relying on a grant for this?" which you can see commenters agree with me.
We need to be responsible for maintaining our own infrastructure. Period.
Here's everything else I've been reading & thinking about in aquatics this week:
This Summer’s Teen Job Market Is the Toughest in Decades
You can read it here without a paywall. "One bright spot this summer: Lifeguard positions advertised have jumped 78% from this time last year, according to Indeed." I wish there was a source back to Indeed so we could understand how they achieved this metric - increased job postings does not mean increased staff or positions, so I'm not sure how excited we can really be about this statistic.
Goodman Pool announces new waiver process for the 2026 season
I like this idea in principal, but if none of this data entry can be completed online or in advance, this is going to put an unnecessary burden on frontline staff (typically young people) on hot summer days when people are jostling to get into the pool.
How Much Does It Cost to Fill a Pool with Water? Expert Tips
I'm sharing this pricing because I often speak to pool operators who consider it cheaper/easier to drain water from the pool ("the solution to pollution is dilution") when there's a chemical balance issue. The reality is there are tons of costs (heat, chemicals, water, staff time, lost revenue, etc.) associated with what is falsely perceived as an "easy" solution.
Royal Life Saving Australia is seeking members for a National Multicultural Community Advisory Group
Happy to see that some organizations realize aquatics is historically white. If you haven't seen it, throwback to this excellent session with Dr. Audrey Giles from 2021.
‘No Plans To Displace’ Teams: YMCA Responds to Community’s Concerns About Future of Valles Pool
Not to sound like a troll, but if the pool closes for extended repairs, everyone will be displaced.
Cleveland’s pool problems are an easy a punchline, but this summer comes with good news
Read here without a paywall. I don't have any additional background, but it sounds like there's a lot going on in Cleveland that needs to be resolved to improve pool service levels.
City staff to explore free introductory swim lessons for Surrey children
Surrey is jumping on the bandwagon with the City of Vancouver (see last week's newsletter if you are a new subscriber).
Most Lincoln pools open after closing on Memorial Day
Either the journalist didn't understand the explanation or the organization misrepresented the root cause because this doesn't make sense from an aging infrastructure perspective "The heat brought huge crowds, and at some locations the combination of at-capacity swimmer load and high temperatures overwhelmed the filtration and chemical systems." Either the ops team doesn't yet understand how to manage water quality or someone let a chemical feeder run out.
Meta highlights AI glasses functions for users with disabilities
Let's add another layer to our conversation about AI tech in the pool area!
Lynette Hooker search: Bahamas allowing Coast Guard to send in US divers, official says
This is a role that I'm happy to see AI take in drowning incidents. This case is particularly sad because there's allegations the husband was involved in the wife's disappearance.
Woman accused of pushing child unable to swim into pool charged in Pettis County
Two hurt in chemical leak at Kansas water park
Middletown opens its first public pool since 2009 as nearby towns struggle to keep pools operating
It appears the community had no swimming pool for 26 years.
Oakland County swim school offering course to help adults learn to swim at their own pace
Aquatics for adults has an image problem. The woman feature in this video states what is obvious to consumers, but not to aquatic staff themselves: "There's nothing but kids on the [web] page." If we want adults to learn how to swim, we need to provide programs that suit their schedule & availability and we need to showcase that the aquatics facility we offer is also for them.
Influencer films himself violating strict safety rule with chicken nuggets on 93-mph roller coaster
I'm resharing this because trying to go viral at any amusement/recreation/aquatic facility is always now an occupational hazard.
Crystal Lagoons Launches New 500 m² Small Lagoons by Crystal Lagoons™ Model, Marking the End of the Commercial Swimming Pool Era
This is a press release, but I do think this is a product people want.
Aquatic Soft Skills That Quietly Prevent Incidents, Strengthen Teams, and Build Safer Facilities
Body of U.S. tourist who died in suspected drowning accident at Johnston Canyon recovered
Decomposition can cause submerged bodies to rise to the water surface.
After her son drowned, this mother successfully pushed for new water safety rules
Norwegian Cruise Line Just Revealed the Opening Date for Its New Bahamas Waterpark, With a 170-Foot Tower, 19 Slides and a Lazy River
I expect to be there in January 2027!
Royal Caribbean scraps Mexico water park after environmental backlash
This project will land somewhere else - another country, another state, etc. The design package is fully formed, it just needs a small tweak to the theming.
YMCA and Indwell announce sale of East End YMCA property
Matthew Perry’s assistant sentenced to three years, five months in actor’s drug overdose death
Perry fatally drowned in an outdoor hot tub.
California’s Last Surviving ‘Bubble House’ Is for Sale
I'm sharing this because the home is made of gunite/shotcrete, a substance we often associate with swimming pool finishes. It's pretty neat.
OpenAire announces development of retractable roof enclosures for Mattel Wonder Indoor Waterparks with American Resort Management
Also a press release, but interesting to hear that there will be more indoor water parks with entirely glass rooves.
Mattel Waterpark to Become Part of Weldon Mills Resort
Kingston water park plan deflates as sponsor deal falls through
Katie Crysdale
Lakeview Aquatic Consultants Ltd.
PS. Thanks to each & every one of you who have subscribed to our YouTube channel and watched the content we've been putting out. We are so close (less than 280 hours!) to monetization, a goal I've been working towards since 2019.
All our videos are produced with no financial support so I can be honest about my personal & professional opinions. However, videos also take a lot of time to film, edit & promote (the 8-minute lifeguard technique video below easily took 4 hours). We're pursuing monetization not because it will make us more than a few dollars per month (our watch time is far below less niche topics like food & lifestyle), but because of the increased profile and access to opportunities to visit more aquatic facilities and prioritize more time and resources creating more educational content for lifeguards, CPOs, managers, etc.
So, if you haven't watched any of our YouTube content before because you aren't a "YouTube person", please consider listening to a webinar during your next boring office task. We have something for everyone. If you know us for CPO, you might not realize I also talk about swim lessons and water safety.