This year, O'Fallon kids can drown those winter blues by hanging poolside at the Renaud Spirit Center. Each Sunday from 4 – 5 p.m.,  kids ages 7-14, non-swimmers and swimmers alike, are invited to grab an inner tube and hop in the pool for a game of water basketball.

The program that began last November has five kids currently enrolled. The four-week program runs $12 for O’Fallon residents and $15 for non-residents.

The next four-week session will begin Sunday, Feb. 6, and on March 15 and 17, a tournament is scheduled. 

The rules for water basketball are similar to regulation basketball, except that you must remain in your tube, no feet are allowed to touch the bottom and flipping opponents out of their tubes is legal.

The idea was spurred from a program conducted Aquatic Specialist Matt Harris saw at Southeast Missouri State. “It’s a good cardio workout and if you like swimming or basketball, you can do both,” Harris said.

For more information, contact Harris at mharris@ofallon.mo.us or (636) 474-8130. Or contact O’Fallon’s Parks and Recreation staff at 636- 474-2732.