Pools Begin to Reopen - USA Swimming Unveils Reopening Procedures

Kentucky LSC Files Proposal to Reopen Pools in State

Health officials in Kentucky have decreed that public pools won’t reopen anytime soon. But Kentucky’s local swimming committee (LSC) is fighting against those broad restrictions.

Amy Albiero, the general chair of Kentucky Swimming, has submitted proposals aimed at allowing private pools to work toward reopening during the coronavirus pandemic, even as broader prohibitions will keep most pools closed.

Albiero is at the forefront of that effort in her myriad administrative roles. On behalf of Kentucky Swimming, she filed a proposal to Gov. Andy Beshear this week that lays out a procedure by which the state’s 27 swim teams can reopen. The plans respect public health guidelines, including Kentucky’s Healthy at Work benchmarks, and follow USA Swimming’s resources on reopening.

Find out how Kentucky might reopen their pools by clicking the button below!

Why It Still Might Not Be Safe to Return to Lap Swimming

Lap swimming may not be deemed a safe activity if people are not adhering to social distancing guidelines.

As we get deeper into the month of May and online schooling comes to a close, many people will be hoping to spend their summer days by the pool. According to the CDC, “there is no evidence that the virus that causes COVID-19 can be spread to people through the water in pools, hot tubs, spas, or water play areas. Proper operation and maintenance (including disinfection with chlorine and bromine) of these facilities should inactivate the virus in the water.”

So as the virus starts to (hopefully) slow down, maybe a return to the pool could be possible for those longing to dive in and be immersed in that environment on a hot summer’s day. But according to a recent report from The Mercury News in San Jose, California, it might be harder than originally thought to social distance in a public pool.

Learn more about these safety concerns below!

USA Swimming Sends Out Guidelines to Make Practice Safe For Athletes

USA Swimming has released a set of guidelines for re-opening facilities and planning for the next steps as swimmers and teams begin to ease back into the water on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The guidelines stress that everything must comply with local, state and federal public health guidelines, but outlines several things to think about when re-opening facilities.

Check out the full guidelines here.

The first recommendation is each club designating a COVID-19 liaison who will be responsible for staying up to date on the community and state recommendations and any changes.

Click the button below to read more on USA Swimming's reopening guidelines!

Swim Practice Social Distancing Protocol

Can we safely swim with 6 people in a lane?

We hear a lot about the rules of running a gym with social distancing. There is plenty of support about managing our pool bathroom, or how to navigate at <50% capacity for a business. But as swim coaches the final key is to understand how to keep swimmers 6 or 10 feet apart while they are in a lane together. We can tether them to bungees on a lane line. 

We can have 2 swimmers per lane (one at each end of the pool). We can create complex lane position assignments with some swimmers at the wall and others in the middle of the pool. But none of these options provide us any long term value if we need to ‘socially distance’ our swimmers for months or longer. Having some swimmers start off the wall while others start in the middle of the pool creates chaos, collisions, and confusion for swimmers and coaches.

Click below for some interesting thoughts on swimming while social distancing!

Olympic Swimmer Molly Hannis Engaged to Matthew Dunphy

Molly Hannis shared that she is engaged on social media on Monday.

The Olympic swimmer from Santa Rosa, California,  was engaged to Matthew Dunphy during the weekend.

“‘Yes Yes Yes!’ A Million times, ‘Yes!” she posted on Instagram. “What an amazing weekend. I love you with all my heart Matthew. I can’t wait to be your WIFE!”

Read the full story by clicking the button below.