When the new Campus Recreation & Wellness Center is completed next summer, the Iowa aquatics program hopes to make a big splash in the community.

With physical-education classes, men’s and women’s swimming and diving practices, and water polo and triathlon clubs, the pool time at the Field House is quite limited. Lap swim, master’s program swimming, and private swimming lessons have been the only major programs offered to the general public.

“The aquatics program has been pretty minimal for 25 or 30 years,” said Harry Ostrander, the director of Recreational Services.

But with the new rec center, that’s all going to change.

Officials expect the $69.2 million, 215,000-square-foot Campus Recreation & Wellness Center to be finished in August 2010, and it will offer a wide variety of aquatic programs.

The center will offer an eight-lane, 50-meter pool, a separate 17-foot deep diving well with four spring boards, and a leisure pool. Each of these will be in a separate tank, allowing for much more space than the 50-yard swimming pool that the Field House provides.

“This is going to be a real expansion of our program,” said Phil Julson, a Recreational Services program associate. “It’s a really exciting time. We’re looking forward to moving in.”

The venue will holds 1,188 people and will be the new home for the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams, as well as the latest addition to the aquatics program, the Iowa Flyers swimming club.

The Iowa Flyers is a registered USA swim club created to teach people about competitive swimming. The instructional club is available to all children ages 6-18 and swimmers from varying skill levels, ranging from developmental to masters, are accepted.

Club practices were held on Tuesday, but anyone still interested can join at any point during the swim season. Prospective swimmers are encouraged to attend a one-week free trial period to see what the Flyers have to offer.

“We hope to host a lot of age-group swim meets,” Ostrander said. “In order to make the facility function, we need a lot of these types of competitions.”

The completion of the new Rec Center will allow for more classes for everyone in the Iowa City community, including water aerobics, Red Cross swimming lessons, water-safety courses, and lifeguard training, Julson said.

For more information about the Iowa Flyers swim club, the new Rec Center, or any of the aquatic programs, visit the Recreational Services website at www.recserv.uiowa.edu.

“We wanted to develop a community outreach program offering opportunities for all people in the campus community,” Julson said.