COMMENTARY: Are Splash Pads Really Enough for Lubbock’s Kids?

As the summer heat rolls in, many Lubbock families are left asking the same question: where are the options for older kids and teens?

With the city’s closure of public pools and the push toward splash pads, frustration is boiling over. Residents are sounding off, saying these installations are cute for toddlers—but leave everyone else out. One comment summed it up best: “My ten-year-old don’t want no splash pad… she tryna cannonball something.”

Parents are pointing out that cities smaller than Lubbock—like Frisco and Little Elm—offer full aquatic centers that feel like waterparks. Meanwhile, Lubbock’s teens are left with little to do besides wander the streets or hang around the mall, a setting many describe as just as chaotic.

The result? A growing disconnect between what the city thinks youth need, and what youth actually want. While splash pads are low maintenance and low cost, they don’t fill the void left behind by lost pools, Joyland, or even the old-school $2 movie theaters.

Residents like Larry Young say it plainly: “Now all we got is Water Rampage, and that’s $30 a head.” For many families, that’s just not doable on a regular basis.

The bigger issue? A lack of affordable, age-appropriate recreation is being linked to rising youth crime. With fewer structured outlets, many say Lubbock is setting its kids up for trouble—and missing a chance to invest in the city’s future.