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Dear Editors,

I am writing on behalf of the Cornerstone Diving Club in Connecticut regarding a sudden situation impacting our local youth diving community.

The Cornerstone Aquatics Center in West Hartford – a facility owned by the Town of West Hartford – has abruptly announced it will not renew the rental agreement for our year-round competitive diving program for the upcoming academic year. Furthermore, the club has been ordered to remove all training equipment by the end of July.

This unexpected eviction leaves dozens of dedicated youth athletes displaced, with no local deep-water facilities available for training. For many of these students, diving is a year-round commitment essential to their athletic goals and future collegiate opportunities. This decision was made without regard for their well-being or athletic careers.

As the Cornerstone Aquatics Center is a town-owned property managed on behalf of West Hartford taxpayers, we believe there is a critical need for public accountability regarding how local government facilities manage community youth programs.

We are organizing a united response and wish to share our story to advocate for a fair transition period or a reversal of this decision.

Sincerely,

Shu Qian
The mom of a young diver