Staff photo by Clay Schuldt Ben Doeden, Park and Recreations new aquatics and fitness coordinator stands in the new aquatic center. Doeden took over the position April 27.

NEW ULM– The new Park and Recreation pool is one of the premier aquatic centers in the region, and, as of April, a new aquatics and fitness coordinator has helped managed it all.

Ben Doeden was hired as the aquatics and fitness coordinator on April 27. Originally from Worthington, Doeden got his start in aquatics there and was involved in competitive swimming.

He later attended Minnesota State University and graduated with a parks and recreation degree. He worked with a program called Educational Talent Search. He received a master’s degree in experiential education. After an internship with St. Peter Park and Recreation, he applied for the position in New Ulm.

Doeden said he is now living the dream. Swimming and fitness have long been a part of his life, he said, and this position at New Ulm Park and Recreation is the perfect fit for him.

Doeden is excited to start working for New Ulm Park and Recreation after the completion of the new aquatic center. He said it is definitely the most state-of-the-art aquatic center in Minnesota and possibly the Midwest.

“Having that ninja cross is very unique and a really cool,” Doeden said, “as well as having nice new facilities, its hard to not apply for this.”

As aquatics and fitness coordinator, it is Doeden’s job to help hire, train and schedule staff for the operation of the aquatic center and other fitness areas. He also teaches some fitness classes and makes sure existing staff members maintain certification.

This is a significant undertaking. The aquatic and swim centers are one of the many industries hit by worker shortages in recent years. Finding enough lifeguard staff to safely open pools has been a nationwide issue this summer.

Doeden said New Ulm’s aquatic center has sufficient lifeguards to run open swim and other pool activities. He said eight lifeguards are needed to keep the pool running for an open swim.

Currently, between 12 and 14 lifeguards are working for Park and Recreation. However, this does not give lifeguards many days off. Most of the guards are in the pool eight hours a day. The department is seeking additional lifeguards.

A lifeguard training course will be held July 12-14. Anyone interested in attending this training course can contact the department by phone or online.

Doeden said lifeguard certification is a great thing to have; especially for young people. It looks great on their resume to see they held a professional certification.

Doeden is optimistic New Ulm Park and Recreation will find additional lifeguards. The upcoming training courses have generated interest already. Having a new facility has helped with recruitment.

He said 18 lifeguards would be ideal for staffing. If they could get 20 lifeguards, the open swim could be expanded. Other programs could be offered with increased staff.

He thinks the future is bright for all aquatic facilities. Swimming remains popular and research indicates as exercise it is great for the body. It is easier on joints. Physical therapists recommend swimming and walking. There is a walking lane at the pool because it is easier on the joints to walk in the pool than on land.

“I think it is on the way up, which is why we hope to get more and more lifeguards,” he said.

Doeden said there are 40 hours a week of lap swimming at the aquatic center, as well as three types of aqua classes: aqua dance, aqua exercises and aqua tonics.

He said the aqua dance class is popular and involves participants dancing in the water as a cardio workout. Aqua exercise is similar to aqua dance, but with more traditional exercises.

Aqua tonics is the same as aqua exercise but in the deep end of the pool, which forces participants to swim. The aqua fitness classes fill up fast. There can be 50 participants between two classes.

Doeden said since taking over the aquatic fitness coordinator position, there has been discussion of additional training and new programming. He said with the new aquatic center, Park and Recreation has space to do a lot of new things. This is only the first year the aquatic center has been open. There is significant potential for increasing activities at the pool.

Doeden said the most challenging aspect of his job is managing the different schedules and certifications for instructors but said the hard work is worth it.

“All that’s worth it in the end for the outcomes of hosting recreation of the city,” he said.

For Doeden, the best part of working in this field is seeing the difference he and the staff can make in a person’s life, such as teaching a kid to swim so they are no longer afraid of the water, or showing a senior citizen a new method of staying fit. All of the behind-the-scenes work pays off.

“[There is] a lot of the small wins on a daily basis,” he said.