Zwembad Het Sportpark

REPORT FROM THE OPENING DAY: I visited the new building "Zwembad Het Sportpark" on the opening day 2026-05-01. It was announced that there were a maxium of 400 free tickets if you arrive between 10:00 and 12:00, afterward you have to pay the regular fee. I traveled by train from Germany to Hengelo, I arrived the location at 11:00 by bicycle. If I consider the number of bicyles and cars in on the parking space, there might have been 100 visitors.

It was great opening with free popcorn ( but just after leaving the swimming pool hall ), free photo offer, extra entrance path with 3 decorated gates. Music was played from different sound systems, also for the outdoor swimming pool. The indoor and outdoor swimming pools, the whirlpool and the textile steam bath were open. The 2 slides were not available due to technical and legal problems ( the slide manufacturer got insolvent and so can't fix problems which were revealed by safety test ).

I had a great day, first time this year to swim in a moderate warm outdoor swimming pool ( 22°C ) with blue sky and much sun. For sporty visitors, mostly children, the water obstacle course "NinjaCross" ( a large technical device that can be lowered into the main pool ) was available for some time. I also used the steambath and the whirl pool, both were heavily used by families and children.

The lawn area belonging to the outdoor swimming pool will only be available next year after the old indoor pool building is demolished; currently, two excavators are actively working on the site. But it's great that the outdoor pool is open, even though it's separated by a construction fence. Some of the construction fence elements show a large map of the final plan for the sportspark, which I got explained by a very friendly staff member.

Positive culture: By the electronic system of the lockers, you may occuply more than one locker. There are large and small lockers, in addition to some large changing rooms. Additionally there are small safes situated next to the door to the outdoor area, i.e. far away from the standard lockers. In opposite to the lockers of the old swimming pool hall, there is a pledge, not a fee anymore.

Negative culture: (1) The swimming pool hall is constructed without space for depositing sports bags, without space for drinking & eating or resting and relaxing ( though there is a although there is a small kiosk with both indoor and outdoor counters that sells French fries ), i.e. there is no place for chairs nor for loungers. At the opening day, security staff in black clothes had the order to ask the visitors not to take any bags into the main swimming pool rooms. However some families who were visiting the nice outdoor children's water playground, carried large bags. So the new rule is broken from the first day on (2) There are 3 systems for door opening. The doors with electronic opening system require to press a red button, but which in some cases isn't next to the door. Danger by confusion in case of emergency. (3) There is no straight way from steambath & whirlpool to the door to the outdoor area, you have to walk around the pools and have to open doors at different locations to come from one swimming pool room to the next.

Ondanks verbouwing toch hele goede lessen gehad van Sam. Ben benieuwd naar het nieuwe zwembad.

Onze dochter is hier al ruim 29!! maanden bezig voor zwemdiploma A.
Echter wanneer ze zeggen dat ze mag afzwemmen, hebben ze elke keer weer een ander smoesje. Eerst de conditie wat niet goed is volgens hun(bij een kind van 6?), oke nou prima wordt aan gewerkt. Vervolgens is dat wel goed en mag ze niet afzwemmen omdat ze haar arm niet helemaal strekt. Pure onzin natuurlijk, het is zwemles en geen schoonheidszwemmen.
Ondertussen al bijna €1000,- kwijt en nu moet ze nog 6 lessen om te kijken of ze dan wel af mag zwemmen. Voor €1000,- heb je zwemdiploma A en B bij een ander zwembad.

Mensen zet uw kind hier niet op zwemles, ze zijn veel te lang bezig en volgensmij moeten ze de verbouwing er weer uit hebben.
GEEN AANRADER!!