Grounded in Operations. Built for People. Focused on Equity.
Equitable Aquatics exists to help aquatic and recreation organizations create safer, more inclusive, and more sustainable systems for staff and communities. The work goes beyond surface-level training and into the policies, practices, and daily decisions that shape real experiences in aquatic spaces.
At the center of Equitable Aquatics is the belief that inclusion, safety, and strong operations are not competing priorities. They are deeply connected.
About Kate
Kate Connell (she/her) is a Certified Park and Recreation Professional with over 15 years of experience in aquatic operations, staff training, and leadership within the municipal parks and recreation sector. Prior to founding Equitable Aquatics, Kate served as an Aquatics Director for the City of Iowa City, where she led large teams, managed complex facilities, and implemented inclusive programs, policies, and personnel practices in real time, not hypothetically.
Kate brings a rare blend of operational credibility and equity-focused education. Her work is informed by years of hiring, training, supervising, and responding to incidents alongside aquatic staff, not just teaching about them from the outside.
Through Equitable Aquatics, Kate has become a nationally recognized speaker and consultant, delivering more than 50 virtual and in-person sessions at state and national conferences. Her work focuses on the intersection of aquatics leadership, staff preparedness, inclusion, and risk management, helping agencies move from intention to implementation.
Kate’s approach is practical, direct, and rooted in the realities of aquatic work. She prioritizes actionable strategies, realistic training, and systems-level thinking that respects both staff capacity and community needs.
What Is Equitable Aquatics?
Equitable Aquatics is a consulting, training, and education firm serving aquatic facilities, park and recreation agencies, associations, and industry organizations.
The work focuses on:
-
Inclusive and effective staff training
-
Leadership development and culture-building
-
Operational audits and documentation
-
Risk reduction through realistic preparedness
-
Equity-centered policies and practices
Equitable Aquatics partners with organizations that want to improve how they train, support, and lead their teams while creating aquatic environments that are safer and more accessible for everyone.
Why This Work Matters
Every person deserves to feel safe, respected, and supported in aquatic spaces, and the systems behind those experiences matter more than many organizations realize. The way staff are hired, trained, supervised, and supported influences not only operational success, but also how employees and patrons experience an organization every day.
Strong aquatic organizations aren't built by choosing between safety, inclusion, and operational excellence. They're built by recognizing that each one strengthens the others.
Equitable Aquatics helps organizations move beyond good intentions by examining the everyday practices that influence how people experience aquatics. The goal isn't to add more work. It's to build stronger systems that help people thrive while improving consistency, accountability, and long-term operational success.
The 3 P’s of Inclusive Aquatics
A foundational framework used across Equitable Aquatics trainings and consulting is The 3 P’s of Inclusive Aquatics:
Personnel
Programming
Policies
How staff are recruited, trained, supervised, and supported. This includes hiring practices, onboarding, training culture, communication, and accountability.
Who programs are designed for, who they unintentionally exclude, and how access, cost, scheduling, and outreach impact participation.
Rules, procedures, and enforcement practices that shape daily experiences for staff and patrons. Policies can either remove barriers or reinforce them.
This framework helps organizations assess where gaps exist and where change is both possible and sustainable.
“ Equity in aquatics isn’t an add-on. It has to be built into design, policy, and daily decision-making from the start. ”
— Kate Connell
Founder & Aquatics Consultant