Updates
A Game-Changer for Winter Park: New Beach Volleyball Courts Coming to the Cady Way Complex
Winter Park High School District Champions. Image credit: Rachel Seneff.
We’re thrilled to announce a groundbreaking addition to the Cady Way Complex: three state-of-the-art beach volleyball courts! These courts represent more than just a place to play; they’re a leap forward for sports, community, and recreation in Winter Park.
Beach volleyball began in the 1920s on California beaches as a casual game and evolved into a competitive sport by the 1940s. It gained international attention with the FIVB World Tour in 1987 and debuted as an Olympic sport at the 1996 Atlanta Games. Now, it's a global favorite, blending athleticism and strategy, and is played at professional, collegiate, and youth levels.
The First of Their Kind in Winter Park
Beach volleyball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA), with its inclusion as a girl’s sport marking a major milestone. Until now, there have been no competition-level courts for beach volleyball in the Winter Park area. This new facility changes that, putting our city at the forefront of this popular sport.
The Winter Park High School girls’ team is a force to be reckoned with, being an odds-on favorite to win the state championship this coming spring.
College recruiting for beach volleyball is very competitive. To play at the D1 level, players typically have at least four years of high-level club experience. With the addition of these courts, even more high school sudents can join athletes like Wildcat senior Rachel Seneff, who plans to play for LSU:
With these courts, the team will have a home turf to sharpen their skills, host competitions, and inspire future champions. Expectations are high for their future success, and now the stage is set for them to shine even brighter!
A Hub for Competitive Play
These courts are built to the highest standards, featuring dedicated stands, a scoreboard, and the capacity to host high-level competitions. From high school matches to regional tournaments, Winter Park will become a destination for competitive beach volleyball.
Enjoyed by both boys and girls, club play allows for incredible opportunities young athletes to pursue their college, Olympic, and even pro dreams.
Fun for Everyone
Beach volleyball isn’t just about competitions; these courts are about connection and fun. Whether you’re playing a casual game with friends, organizing a family gathering, or hosting a corporate team-building event, these courts will bring people together. The sand, the sun, and the energy of the game make it the perfect backdrop for creating a day of fun.
Managed by the City of Winter Park
To ensure smooth operation and easy access, the City of Winter Park will oversee reservations and use of the courts. This streamlined system will make it simple for residents, teams, clubs, and groups to book the space for practices, games, and special events.
Building Excitement and Community
The addition of these beach volleyball courts isn’t just about sports—it’s about fostering community. It’s about giving residents and visitors a place to come together, whether they’re cheering on the Winter Park High School girls’ team, participating in a pickup game, or simply enjoying the lively atmosphere of a match.
Image credit: Rachel Seneff
Be Part of the Momentum
Winter Park is making history with the Cady Way Complex renovations, and these beach volleyball courts are a key part of the vision. Together, we’re creating a space where athletes can thrive, families can gather, and the community can grow stronger.
Let’s set up the future together. Your donation is 100% tax deductible. What legacy will you help us create?
With the addition of the three beach volleyball courts, new pool, and enhanced green space, Cady Way will once again be one of the premier sports facilities in Central Florida. But it will go far beyond being a training facility—it will also allow for many more community events to be held there.
📌 Although beach volleyball is currently a high school sport for girls in Florida, both boys and girls actively compete through club programs, with aspirations to play at the collegiate, Olympic, and professional levels.
Our Blue Dolfins Foundation is making this happen for the City, providing 100% of the funding through a mixture of private and corporate funds from well-known community partners. However, more private dollars are needed.
📌 Donations are 100% tax-deductible and can be made in almost any form: cash, checks, Venmo, or even stock gifts. Gift some stock before the end of the year and take advantage of the deduction while avoiding those gains!
👉 Contact Anne Gustin for more info about how to arrange this.
Thank you for your excitement about this project and for being a part of the Blue Dolfins family, 50+ Years Strong!
Stay tuned for updates on the courts' progress and upcoming events. Let’s serve up some excitement, Winter Park—these courts are just the beginning!
Diving into 60 Years of Community: The Heart of Cady Way Pool
For over six decades, Cady Way Pool has been more than just a swimming pool; it has been a place where lives are changed, families play, and dreams are launched.
For over six decades, Cady Way Pool has been more than just a swimming pool; it has been a place where lives are changed, families play, dreams are launched, and the community comes together. Beneath the shimmering surface of the water lies a legacy of hope, growth, and resilience—a legacy that we’re determined to preserve and expand for future generations.
This Giving Tuesday, as we look back on the incredible impact of this beloved pool, we are reminded of a few stories in particular that have unfolded here.
Stories like Coaches Joe Auer, Charlie Rose and Kim Schutzmeister Burke who discovered their passion for swimming in these waters, earned a college scholarship, and now coach, inspiring the next generation of swimmers.
Or stories like Winter Park Pines resident, Lisa Dowling, who grew up swimming here at Cady Way Pool. Now she has her three children diving in here, too.
From infant swim lessons, summer swim camp and swim team training, to CPR training and water rescue training for police and firefighters, Cady Way Pool is used continuously throughout the year.
Read on to see some of the many reasons why we are so passionate about this revitalization project.
✅ Special Olympics and Beyond: USA Down Syndrome Swimming
Winter Park High School graduate Lauren Bergquist was introduced swimming when she was only 2 years old as a way to strengthen her lungs after a bout with pneumonia. Lauren was instantly hooked. Training at Cady Way Pool, Lauren has become a superstar in the sport.
Competitive swimming has taken her to competitions all over the world, from Canada to Europe to Australia. She’s won several medals as a representative of the United States and owns 6 American Records.
✅ Swimming: A True Survival Skill
Cady Way Pool is a cornerstone of our community, having taught thousands the life-saving skill of survival in a state filled with pools, lakes, rivers, and surrounded by the ocean. Drowning is the #1 cause of death for children under the age of 4, and hundreds of Floridians drown every year.
We are doing our part to change this statistic. That’s why we wanted to share this story from Annette Snedaker, who had this experience at the beach with her young teenager, Jared:
Annette Snedaker with her son Jared
Yesterday at the beach, we had a big scare. It was a beautiful day and we were there to relax - just like any other beach day. Jared & his best friend went out- about chest high - and began throwing themselves in and over waves.
We were watching. They were playing… Until they weren’t. One was stuck, scared, and asking for help. A riptide had grabbed hold.
A lifeguard recognized the boys were NOT playing. And raced over. She paused. Then stopped. But wouldn’t take her eyes off them. Jared and his friend safely touched foot on sand and had begun exiting the water.
I said anxiously to her, still not realizing they had been caught in a riptide, “That’s my son! Is everything ok? Was it them you were after?”
“Which one is your son - the big one or the little one?”
“The big one.”
“The big one just saved the little one. He pulled him out of a riptide.”
She could see my paralysis as I stood there processing how differently the day could have gone. OMG.
“It happens. It’s ok. They’re ok,” she reassured me. “But if waves are coming in criss cross, assume it’s a rip-tide and stay waist-deep. If feet are touching, you’ll be fine.”
Jared was next to me at this point and I said, “Buddy, do you realize what just happened??”
“I think so. I think I took him out of a riptide? He couldn’t move.”
“Yes, you did. You just quite possibly saved your best friend’s life. It doesn’t always end like that.”
A hundred people die from riptides each year.
I woke up today with an INCREDIBLY thankful heart for my son. I couldn’t stop thinking about how he didn’t think twice - at 14 years of age - to grab his friend’s hand and pull him the heck out of there. I’m sure it took courage. And thank God he feels comfortable in the water thanks to years of swim.
Jared starting swimming at Cady Way pool several years ago, and we are so proud of his efforts!
✅ The Gold Standard of Swimming in the United States of America
For decades, Cady Way Pool has trained athletes for Winter Park High School’s swim team, which has claimed 26 high school state team championships, over a 150 individual event state titles, and over 300 All American swimmers. In addition to accolades, the pool has enabled hundreds of swimmers to attend college on swimming scholarships.
Winter Park High School Hall of Fame member Chris Emig verbalized just how dominant the swim program has been in his Hall of Fame induction speech. It’s worth the listen, and, yes, you will get chills!
✅ The Legacy Continues
Cady Way Pool continues to provide a safe, welcoming space for lessons, training, and recreation. With the addition of a new 50m pool providing additional pool space, the City can provide that many more swim lessons and opportunities for young swimmers. Plus it’s an excellent gathering space for families and the community to connect for the next 60 years—and beyond.
Let’s dive into the future of Cady Way Pool. The stories we’ve shared here are just the beginning. Your donation is 100% tax deductible, so thank you for considering us on Giving Tuesday. What legacy will you help us create?
With the addition of a 50m Myrtha Pool and a total renovation of the existing pool area, Cady Way will once again be one of the premier aquatic facilities in Central Florida. But it will go far beyond being a training facility—it will also allow for many more community events to be held there.
📌 Even more important than athletic greatness is the access to learning to swim, a survival skill that every child should have. When drowning is the number one cause of death for children under age 4, we believe it is essential that ample swim space for lessons be provided.
Our Blue Dolfins Foundation is making this happen with the City through a mixture of private and corporate funding from well-known community partners. However, more private dollars are needed.
📌 Donations are 100% tax-deductible and can be made in almost any form: cash, checks, Venmo, or even stock gifts. Gift some stock before the end of the year and take advantage of the deduction while avoiding those gains!
👉 Contact Anne Gustin for more info about how to arrange this.
Thank you for your excitement about this project and for being a part of the Blue Dolfins family, 50+ Years Strong!
A History of Aquatic Greatness
From Olympic swimmers to World Records, Winter Park has a history of aquatic greatness.
Winter Park has a tradition of aquatic excellence. Our earliest residents swam in the many lakes that dot the area. In the 1800s, Rollins College students would even compete in swimming and diving events in nearby Lake Virginia.
Check out this gallery compliments of the Rollins College Archive:
✅ 1904: Early Olympic Swimming
The swimming at Rollins set the stage for Winter Park’s first Olympic swimmer: Rex Beach. The modern Olympic Games had just been launched, and the third set of Games was held in St. Louis in 1904. Rex competed in the one-mile handicap swimming race and in water polo.
The one-mile handicap swimming race was a type of competitive swimming event popular at that time. Unlike standard races, where all swimmers start at the same time and compete under the same conditions, handicap races were designed to level the playing field by giving slower or less experienced swimmers a time or distance advantage.
Olympian Rex Beach. Credit: Rollins College Blog.
However, the one-mile handicap race was not officially recognized as an Olympic event, and the water polo match was considered an exhibition game. Consequently, despite his participation, Rex did not secure an official Olympic medal.
✅ 1920s: Winter Park & Swimming Pools
Pools were not really needed with the abundance of beautiful, clear lakes; however, Rollins College built one of Winter Park’s earliest pools in the 1920s as part of the Lyman Gymnasium. This facility served the college for many years until the Alfond Swimming Pool was built in 1971, becoming the primary aquatic facility on campus. The Alfond Pool was named after Harold Alfond, a prominent philanthropist and supporter of Rollins College.
Construction on the Alfond Pool, 1971. Credit: Rollins College Archive.
✅ 1957: Cady Way Pool
The City also got into the pool business, starting construction on a community pool at Cady Way in the 1950s. The pool was named after F.W. Cady, who served as mayor of Winter Park from 1928 through 1933. The land for the pool was near the Showalter Airpark and the Dinky Line train. In fact, the pool had to be built at an angle from the road due to the curved route of the Dinky Line.
Top of the aerial photo shows the remains of the Showalter Airpark’s runways and the middle shows the Dinky Line railway curving around the Cady Way Pool. Credit: Orlando Memory
✅ 1966: World Record Set
The new Cady Way Pool was a premier facility at the time and hosted major swim meets. In 1966, swimmer Catie Ball set a world record in the 100m breaststroke at Cady Way Pool. Catie went on to win gold in the 1968 Olympic Games, set 13 world records, hold six American records, and be named “World Breaststroker of the Year” in both 1967 and 1968.
Olympic swimmer Catie Ball. Credit: International Swimming Hall of Fame.
✅ 1996 Olympic Swimming
Winter Park’s Jilen Siroky Bouwer started swimming competitively at age 5 for Coach Harry Meisel, the head coach of the Blue Dolfins. She says, “Coach Meisel watched me and gave me the chance to be part of a team when other coaches wouldn’t.”
That chance paid off just a few years later when Jilen made the U.S. Olympic Swim Team at just 14 years old, becoming the youngest U.S. athlete competing at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
Olympic swimmer Jilen Siroky. Credit: Notre Dame University.
✅ 1980s – Present Day: High School Domination
This long tradition of aquatic activities in Winter Park gave birth to a high school sports tradition that rivals the best. The Winter Park High School boys' and girls' swimming and diving teams have won 26 team state championships and hundreds of individual state titles. Winter Park’s Water Polo teams have similarly dominated the field since being recognized by the FHSAA as a sport.
In addition to state championships, Winter Park High School aquatic sports have enabled hundreds of students to attend college via athletic scholarships.
Winter Park High School coach Joe Auer with the Girls 200 Freestyle Relay team, which won the state championship in 2018.
✅ 2024: American Records Set
Currently, Cady Way Pool is the home training pool for one of Winter Park’s most decorated swimmers ever: Lauren Bergquist.
Lauren competes all over the world, proudly representing Team USA. She holds six American records and is the fastest American to ever swim her T21 events. Lauren swims in the USA Down Syndrome Swimming League and is an incredible role model for all swimmers.
Team USA swimmer Lauren Bergquist. Credit: Leslie Bergquist.
✅ 2025: A New Olympic-sized Pool
After 66 years, Cady Way Park is being revitalized to continue providing an atmosphere where, as 5-year-old Jilen Siroky did, children can dream of Olympic greatness.
With the addition of a 50m Myrtha Pool (the worldwide gold standard) and a total renovation of the existing pool area, Cady Way will once again be one of the premier aquatic facilities in Central Florida. But it will go far beyond being a training facility—it will also allow for many more community events to be held there.
📌 Even more important than athletic greatness is the access to learning to swim, a survival skill that every child should have. When drowning is the number one cause of death for children under age 4, we believe it is essential that ample swim space for lessons be provided.
Our Blue Dolfins Foundation is making this happen with the City through a mixture of private and corporate funding from well-known community partners. However, more private dollars are needed.
📌 Donations are 100% tax-deductible and can be made in almost any form: cash, checks, Venmo, or even stock gifts. Gift some stock before the end of the year and take advantage of the deduction while avoiding those gains!
👉 Contact Anne Gustin for more info about how to arrange this.
Thank you for your excitement about this project and for being a part of the Blue Dolfins family, 50+ Years Strong!
I’ll continue to keep you updated as we go.
Coach Joe