Maya McFadden Photo
Yahya, Rayyan, and Amira stay cool in Hillhouse's pool for open swim.
Growing up in Syria and Jordan, 18-year-old Ibrahim Alhraaki didn’t learn to or take an interest in swimming. Then he began attending Common Ground High School — and was offered a chance to become a city lifeguard.
Alhraaki was on duty Wendesday evening at Hillhouse High School’s open swim run by the city’s youth and recreation department in partnership with New Haven Public Schools (NHPS).
When he moved to New Haven from Jordan at age 10, Alhraaki did not know how to swim. Three years ago Alhraaki heard about the youth and rec department’s offering for teens and young adults to get certified as lifeguards. At 15 years old he learned to swim and next wanted to join a swim team. That didn’t work out, but he was encouraged to become a certified lifeguard.
He jumped at the opportunity to get a job. After completing training, Alhraaki began lifeguarding during open swim and summer camps during the day at the city’s public pools. This year from 10 a.m.-12 p.m Alhraaki is a lifeguard for summer camps that again visit Hillhouse’s pool from 1 – 3 p.m. He also works daily for open swim.
The Hillhouse pool is open to local residents looking to cool off until Aug 2. Swimmers 15 and under must be accompanied by an adult or by a teen who is at least 16 years old.
Alhraaki said the past three summers have been amazing. He also became a swim instructor for the city’s swim programming.
Having just graduated from Common Ground, Alhraaki plans next to head to the University of Connecticut (UCONN) and continue lifeguarding during his school breaks.
“I love it. It’s really good for students because it’s right after school,” he said. The job allows him to interact more with different people in the community and develop connections with his colleagues.
Ibrahim Alhraaki: on duty at open swim at Hillhouse.
The hardest part is sitting for several hours, he said. It pays off when he sees youth and families having fun in the pool and practicing their swim skills.
The most common reminders he must provide the public when on duty is no running and no jumping in the shallow end.
On Wednesday Alhraaki assessed one swimmer, of a small group of 12, for their ability to swim in the deep end.
Meanwhile in the shallow end, which is 3.5 – 5 feet, others splashed and floated in the water. Khadija El-Hazimy watched from the bleachers as her 8‑year-old son Rayyan and 5‑year-old daughter Amira played with their friend Yahya, 8, whom El-Hazimy also brought Wednesday. Throughout July El-Hazimy has brought her children to the pool at least twice a week to stay cool and exercise some more after a morning and afternoon of summer camp.
She said Hillhouse’s pool gets busy on hotter days, so she wishes there were more pools around New Haven available for families. For some time El-Hazimy would bring her children to Albertus Magnus’ pool, but that cost $5 for children and $10 for adults, more than she can afford on a regular basis. She has also tried out a public pool in West Haven, which she said is nice but doesn’t have good parking options. She’s also even tried going as far as Cheshire for its pool that cost $10 a day.
She also noted that she wishes the pool was open all summer and not just for July.
Earlier this year NHPS expected for three of its pools to be open this summer. Including Hillhouse’s they planned for a pool at Conte West School at 511 Chapel St. and John S. Martinez School at 100 James St. to be open. However delayed maintenance work changed those plans. The public school system’s two other pools, at Wilbur Cross and Career high schools, were expected to be closed this summer from the start.
Yahya, Rayyan, Khadija El-Hazimy, and Amira.
Yahya, Rayyan, and Amira’s favorite activities in Hillhouse’s pool this summer have been swimming underwater with goggles, playing water tag, and learning to swim with their feet better from the lifeguards.
“I want to be here forever! I wish it was my home!” Rayyan declared before getting back in the pool for its final 20 minutes.
Another frequent visitor to Hillhouse’s pool this summer was mother of two Claire Roosien. She lives a block away and is able to walk to the pool with her family several days a week.
Roosien moved to New Haven five years ago from Chicago, which has more pools open, for longer hours. She recalled being “really surprised that there’s only one public pool that’s free” when she first moved to New Haven.
Danny, Isaac, and Claire Roosien.