Copoco is a hidden gem in Concord, but not after you read this

By Tim Goodwin - Jun 2, 2015 | 0 comments

There’s always someone to talk with while lounging pool side.

Look at that backhand stroke by Barbara Ruedig.

They sure do like pool noodles.

That’s the view you get before heading down the Copoco slide.

Maura Willing is a longtime member of the Cooperative Pool Club of Concord.

There are many great things about being a member of the Cooperative Pool Club of Concord, Copoco for short, and synchronized deep end jumping is definitely one of them. Just look at all those happy faces about to get a nose full of water.

Psst, we’ve got a little secret for you.

Actually, some people call it one of the best-kept secrets in Concord, but it won’t be for long once you keep reading. Anyway, if you’ve ever been driving along Little Pond Road, say between Thackeray and Fisk roads, and either not paying attention to the road (which is extremely frowned upon), or just daydreaming in the passenger seat, you’ve probably caught a quick glimpse of what looks like a blue slide through the trees. What is that, you’ve probably thought?

Investigate a little further and you’ll see there’s a gate, followed by a short driveway and a dirt parking lot. If you really look closely, you can almost see what that slide goes to – a rather large pool. But this isn’t in someone’s backyard or on the list of seven pools owned and operated by the city of Concord. This is Copoco, also known as the Cooperative Pool Club of Concord, and for a yearly fee you can actually make your way through the gate and see all that the club has to offer, which is more than just a pool with a slide.

“It’s one of those things that makes Concord so special,” said club president Tracey Lesser.
Copoco was established way back in 1959 by a group of families who were simply looking for a place to go for a swim. At that point, the city pools weren’t around and sure, there were lakes and ponds, but there’s just something glamorous about the pool life.

“A group of families got together and hatched the idea,” said Matt Miskoe, whose family became members when he was a young kid and who now has a membership for his own family. “It was just to provide a place to swim.”

The pool, which is still in it’s original shape but got a new liner last fall, was dug in 1960 for the whopping cost of $17,676. In today’s world, it would probably be at least a cool half million to put that thing in. Over time, four tennis courts were added, as was the pool house, which was rebuilt in the early 2000s, along with some of the awesome things that kids like to do in the summer – a full length basketball court, a tether ball area, a sand box and swing set, and enough tables and green grass to casually enjoy a picnic lunch. And if catching slippery amphibians is up your alley, there’s a frog pond, too.

“You see people use the club in different ways,” Miskoe said.

We know what you’re thinking: This is probably one of those clubs where only the elite of the elite are waited on hand and foot by young chaps in all-white attire. But that is not the case. Not by a long shot.
“It’s a club, but it’s not a club,” said longtime member Maura Willing.

“People who know it, love it,” said Joan Goshgarian.

Like the name says, it’s a cooperative. So if you sign up to join, you actually kind of in a way own a little piece of it. When something needs to be cleaned, fixed or replaced, more often than not it’s the members who step up and get their hands dirty.

“It’s always been a cooperative where the members effectively care for the property,” Miskoe said. “For the most part, if it can be done by our members, it’s done by our members.”

Right now, Copoco is open 3-6 p.m. on weekdays and noon to 6 p.m. on the weekends. But once school gets out, the pool hours extend from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. – and that’s every day. When it comes to hitting a few balls back and forth on the tennis courts, people play at all different times of the day, and that’s because you don’t need a lifeguard to make sure you’re safe. Just remember to sign in.

“I grew up going to a club like this in the Midwest,” Lesser said.

On a typical summer day, you’ll see kids of all ages running around the grounds, throwing down their best cannonballs in the deep end, smacking the tether ball as hard as they can and playing capture the flag. And parents don’t seem to mind letting their children roam free.

“It’s one of the few places left where you can just let your kids go,” Lesser said.

There are swimming and tennis lessons three nights a week, along with women’s round robin tennis nights on Tuesdays and Thursdays and BBQs on Wednesdays. Throughout the summers there are get-togethers like the Splash Bash, the mixed doubles tennis tourney and the sleep out.

“If someone is new in town, it would be a great way to meet people,” said Barbara Ruedig.

A full membership for the family costs $832 for the summer and gives you unlimited access to all Copoco has to offer. A tennis-only membership is $572, and there’s also some sustaining membership offers, but you have to be a part of the club for 10 years to be eligible. While there used to be a wait list, that is no longer the case.

“It’s been very stable. We’re maintaining our numbers, but we would like to get bigger,” Lesser said.
And all that’s really asked of you is two hours of volunteer work per summer.

“It’s a minimum of two hours, but there are a lot of members who do a lot more,” Lesser said.
“You realize in the end you’re benefiting the club and yourself,” Miskoe added.

To learn more about Copoco, visit copoco.yolasite.com or email copocomailbox@comcast.net.