Natchez and Adams County have invested in a first-rate swimming pool that has been certified to host regulation swim meets sanctioned by USA Swimming, the governing board of competitive swimming in the United States.

The potential for success with the pool is great, but the pool must be properly managed to ensure success.

The Natchez-Adams County Recreation Commission, therefore, made a wise decision in asking Metropolitan YMCA to hire an aquatics director solely devoted to managing the pool facility.

While the pool has great potential for hosting competitive swim meets and for fielding a competitive swim team, those are just a few of the options for taking full advantage of the pool’s uses.

Leisure swimming is a high priority and teaching people, young and old, how to swim also is a top goal for the pool.

Other programs could include water aerobics, poolside yoga and water training for athletes in other sports such as football and soccer.

Coordinating those efforts while managing the pool and its staff is a fulltime job, and Monica Bihm is a good choice to manage the pool.

Bihm has served as the pool’s swim instructor and swim team coach since it opened in June, first as a volunteer and later as a part-time employee.

Bihm was a competitive swimmer in her early years until she was sidelined by an accident, and she has remained an active swimmer throughout her adult life.

Hiring Bihm to manage the pool fulltime also will free up Natchez YMCA to focus more on youth programs such as soccer and T-ball that also are important to the community.

We wish Bihm the best in her new role, because her success in managing the pool will translate into success of the pool, which will be good for the community.