Valley Pool

We’re all water babies, aren’t we?
I’ve been watching my little girl, Iris, shiver and chatter her tiny teeth, blue-​lipped, for the better half of the summer at this pool. That’s because it’s pretty darn cold in these waters, which was the case in my High School pool, true of all school pools across the country. And while I’d prefer the hypothesis that the temperature is directly related to budgeting, me thinks it actually has more to do with a certain unspoken swimmer’s code: wussies not invited. Yeah, you’ll suffer the initial plunge, but if you’re dedicated, you can stay plenty warm by your own volition. So here’s your warning, wussy. These waters aren’t for the faint of heart.
Every kid in New Mexico should learn to swim. Valley offers some great classes at friendly prices taught by, well, you guessed it, teenagers who know how to swim and double as lifeguards, and adults are invited, too. Overall, the instruction has been effective, but it’s regimented and somewhat baselined, so if you have some experience in the water already, go ahead and sign up for a class that might challenge you, otherwise you’ll be stuck with, well, New Mexican swimmers, er, drowners. Don’t hesitate to sign up for the next level.
The facility, aside from the chilly H2O, is unusual via ABQ standards. Sort of an A-​Frame, the bones are wooden, the ceiling is high, and there’s plenty of free swimming. About two-​thirds of the main pool is dedicated to lap swimming. A second (smaller) diving pool is a great learning spot for the adventurous. And a third pool for little bitty kids is located outside, under the burnin’ sun, a wading pool. Slap sunscreen all over your zombie before he/​she enters, that heat is intense.

Both my kids took swimming lessons here and were very successful. The instructors are great, and the kids learn to swim while having fun. It was a great summer activity, and now they both can swim, and even dive so well!
*It can get very busy during free swim hours, but is a nice in/​outdoor pool, and theres other offerings like lap times or classes.