COVID-19 Mitigation: Pool Reopening Resources

Rhode Island Guidance:

           ReopeningRI Website

           Phase 2 Initial Guidelines for Pools (6/15/2020 update)

           Summary of Phase 3 Guidance for Pools (7/2/2020)

  Center for Disease Control (CDC):

           Considerations for Public Pools, Hot Tubs, and Water Playgrounds During COVID-19

           How COVID-19 Spreads

 U.S. Masters Swimming (USMS):

           COVID-19 Restart Guide

           COVID-19 Member & Coach Resources

           Open the Pool Letter Template

           Club & Coach Services reopening consultation: clubandcoach@usmastersswimming.org

 USA Swimming: Facility Reopening Messaging & Planning (w/social distancing pool layouts)

 Nation’s Capital Swim Club (NCAP): COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures

 Pool graphics without swimmers for teams/facilities to plan and illustrate swimmer configurations:

          6 lanes  8 lanes  10 lanes  12 lanes  23 lanes

 Olympic Athletes and Swim Business Leaders: Letter to President Donald Trump

 New York Times 05/22/2020: Children May Be at Higher Risk of Drowning This Summer

 Fitter & Faster: Get Your Pool Open and Team Back in the Water Webinar 05/25/2020

 ONE: Swim Practice Social Distancing Protocol

 American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA):

           Planning to reopen your learn to swim program

           Personal Protective Equipment safety practices for your staff

           Training in-water staff for reopening

 U.S. Swim School Association (USSSA): COVID-19 Update Webinar Series

 Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA): Coronavirus Resources & Reopening Guidance

 Counsilman Hunsaker: Pool Operator COVID-19 Resource Center

 Total Aquatic Programming LLC: Aquatics Panel COVID-19 Webinar 4/14/2020

 Evoqua: Portable Ozone Disinfection Cart

POSTPONED: SwimRI vs Granite State Penguins Virtual Time Trials Smackdown

In light of pool and school closings, the national state of emergency and increasingly rigorous public health precautionary measures surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak, the GSP-SWMR virtual dual meet is postponed until further notice.

SwimRI Members & Friends!

In lieu of the canceled New England LMSC Short Course Yards Championship Meet, the Granite State Penguins have challenged SwimRI to a virtual dual meet consisting of time trials at our respective pools. We accept this challenge (assuming our pools remain open)!

GSP-SWMR time trials shall take place Saturday, March 14 through Sunday, March 22. During this nine-day period, we ask our coaches and group organizers to offer time trials at Masters workouts in any manner they choose – a dedicated time trials practice, a set or two off the blocks, or a few timed reps here and there during next week’s practices.

Swimmers may also do timed events on their own (with a timer), including as few or as many events as they please in accordance with the event guidelines and limits described below.

This event is informal and unsanctioned. There are no officials. The times will not count for USMS purposes, but will for our team points competition and bragging rights. In these respects, have fun and amuse yourselves via friendly competition and good-natured banter.

SWMR has more USMS-registered swimmers than GSP. However, I’m told that GSP relishes its David vs Goliath role and plans to go all out to beat us, to which I say bring it on.

We’re accepting GSP swimmers into our SwimRI Facebook Group, so let the trash talk begin!

WHAT:  SwimRI vs Granite State Penguins Virtual Time Trials Smackdown

WHERE:  At any Masters practice or on your own in any 25y or 25m pool. Click to view local practice locations and schedules.

WHEN:  From Saturday, March 14, through Sunday, March 22, 2020

WHO:   Anyone who is or becomes a USMS member affiliated with NEM-SWMR or NEM-GSP by March 22. Click to join USMS or renew your membership.

EVENTS:  Any scoring events offered at the canceled NELMSC SCY Championships

  • Click to view the complete event list

  • Max of 12 individual event per swimmer (no per-day limit)

    • Up to 10 events from the Harvard Meet’s March 21-22 event list
    • 500y freestyle
    • Either the 1000y or 1650y freestyle

  • Max of 4 relay events per swimmer (no per-day limit)

    • 200y FR, 200y MR, 400 FR, 400 MR
    • A swimmer may only compete in the men’s or women’s or mixed relay -- e.g., you cannot swim in both the men’s and mixed 200y free relay
    • All mixed relays must consist of two women and two men

ENTRY PROCESS:

  • Times should be submitted that day or the next day – e.g., if you swim a timed 100y backstroke time trial on March 15th please submit that time by the 16th

  • Swimmers or coaches may submit multiple entries over multiple days

  • All entries must be received by 11:59pm, Sunday, March 22

  • GSP members shall submit times promptly to mindy.williams@simmons.edu

  • SWMR members shall submit times promptly to douglas.sayles@swimri.org

  • Emailed entries must include the following data:

  • Any times submitted without tenths or hundredths of a second will be completed with .99 or .X9

SCORING:  All events will follow the scoring system used at the NELMSC SCY Championships, up to 16 places per age group. Click here for scoring details.

RESULTS:  Mindy will promptly compile all submitted times and points by age group in Hy-Tek and provide to Doug for posting on the SwimRI website in PDF form.

  • Interim results will be updated online every one or two days assuming there are a sufficient number of entries to warrant regular updates
  • Swimmers from both teams are encouraged to monitor the interim results and to try and outscore each other

STAKES:  Bragging rights, and a potential wager involving beer

COVID-19 PRECAUTIONS:

If you feel sick do not attend any practices anywhere. People at higher risk of getting very sick from COVID-19 should consult a doctor before attending. Everyone should closely read this public health information and act accordingly: https://health.ri.gov/diseases/ncov2019/

In light of the cancellation of the Harvard meet and other large events in New England and across the country, there are legitimate questions surrounding all group gatherings of any size right now. However, the CDC deems chlorinated pool water safe (although the surrounding facilities are another matter), swim practices are generally limited to 5 to 30 people at a time, and many swimmers want to continue exercising as long as practices are still being offered.

It is in this context that we hope this virtual meet will add a bit of fun to help combat the current environment’s uncertainty and anxiety.

Good luck everyone. Be safe and go SwimRI!

SwimRI Local Heat Results for the USMS 1-Hour ePostal National Championship

Congratulations to the 84 Masters swimmers from the SwimRI, NOSEY and Nutmeg Masters workout groups who, during January and February, collectively amassed 318,265 yards for New England Masters Swim Club in our Rhode Island heats of the 2020 USMS 1-Hour ePostal National Championship at the University of Rhode Island, Roger Williams University, and Community College of Rhode Island.

Also, thank you for donating over $1,600 to the URI Women’s Swimming & Diving Team and over $1,000 to the RWU Men's & Women's Swimming & Diving Team!

COMPLETE RESULTS FROM URI, RWU & CCRI HEATS:

2019 USMS Top Ten Relays Include 23 SwimRI & SCY Performances

2019 USMS Top Ten Relay Performances with NEM-SWMR and NEM-SCY Swimmers

Source: USMS Printed Top Ten Listings

200 SCM Free Relay

#4 – Women 120+ Behan/Hurley/Winslow/Dombrowski

#1 ALL AMERICAN RELAY – Men 160+ Wallace/Theroux/Allen/Card

400 SCM Free Relay

#10 – Men 160+ Burtchell/Sayles/Johnson/Gilson

400 SCM Medley Relay

#2 – Men 160+ Theroux/Allen/Wallace/Card

#7 – Mixed 120+ Burtchell/Dombrowski/Sayles/Winslow

#7 – Mixed 240+ Uustal/Porter/Elturkmani/Gurchiek

200 LCM Medley Relay

#4 – Men 200+ NEM-UNAT Barnes/Ottinger/Broglio/Weissman

#9 – Mixed 160+ NEM-UNAT Barnes/Ottinger/Behan/Stokes

400 SCY Free Relay

#3 – Women 18+ Dombrowski/Winslow/Bonin/Treanor

#7 – Women 18+ Garr/Palm/Carchedi/Haas

#3 – Women 35+ Nappi/Walton/Cotsonas/Neuendorf

#8 – Women 55+ McElroy/Rodewig/Phelan/Hevenor

#8 – Men 18+ Zhu/Gonzalez/Theriault/Hernandez

#1 ALL AMERICAN RELAY – Men 35+ Garcia/Theroux/Duru/Barnes

#7 – Mixed 45+ KielyKilpatrick/Dwyer/Wilkes-White/Ladas

400 SCY Medley Relay

#6 – Women 18+ Carchedi/Mellen/Wilkes-White/Haas

#8 – Women 18+ Behan/Wright/Treanor/Ludovici

#9 – Women 25+ Winslow/Bonin/Dombrowski/Miyano

#4 – Women 35+ Cotsonas/Walton/Nappi/Neuendorf

#4 – Women 55+ Garr/Rodewig/Phelan/Hevenor

#8 – Men 18+ Zhu/Gonzalez/Theriault/Hernandez

#3 – Men 35+ Theroux/Garcia/Barnes/Johnson

#9 – Men 65+ Garr/Nelson/Manfredi/Shearer

SwimRI Organizes Local Heats of USMS 1-Hour ePostal National Championship

UPDATE: These organized heats are now open to any USMS member regardless of club affiliation. If your preferred heat is full select another heat, let us know, and if possible we'll move people around to fill all the lanes.

This winter the SwimRI workout group is once again helping its parent club, New England Masters Swim Club, defend its national title in the USMS 1-Hour ePostal National Championship by running organized heats for USMS-NEM-SWMR members on January 26th at URI, February 9th at RWU and, if needed, a makeup heat on February 22nd at CCRI. If you're not a 2020 member, click here to join or renew.

In this USMS-sanctioned event you may swim whatever stroke(s) you wish, at whatever pace you wish, continuously or with breaks. All participants must be USMS members and adhere to the event rules. For past years' results, click here. To read about the long history of the 1-Hour Swim, click here.

By reserving a spot in our local heats via our SignupGenius form you agree to honor your commitment (barring emergency) and consent to NEM-SWMR coaches officially registering you in the 2020 USMS ePostal National Championship and submitting your splits and yardage on your behalf.

The $30 swimmer fee includes the $10 USMS event registration fee and a $20 nonrefundable donation that covers pool costs and supports the URI and RWU varsity swim teams, in exchange for which the college swimmers will count and record splits for us during our Hour Swim heats. You can donate more to either college team onsite at the swim via cash or check. If you prefer, you may bring your own counter/recorder.

The SwimRI coaches reserve the right to adjust swimmers' heat and lane assignments if/as needed.

Sunday, Jan 26th @ University of Rhode Island (48 swimmers = 2 per lane x 8 lanes x 3 heats)

The URI complex opens at 7:30am for check-in. Warm up opens at 7:45. Heats start at 8:10, 9:30 and 10:50. All NEM members welcome as space allows -- priority given to those who practice at South County YMCA. At 12:30pm there will be a post-swim lunch party at Cap'n Jack's Restaurant -- family/friends welcome. For more info contact Stuart Cromarty at swimlane4consulting@gmail.com.

Sunday, Feb 9th @ Roger Williams University (48 swimmers = 2 per lane x 8 lanes x 3 heats)

Check-in and warm-up open at 7:30am. Heats start at 8:10, 9:30 & 10:50. As usual, we will hold the post-swim party at Aidan's Irish Pub, where we'll announce the winner of the total yardage betting pool. Each participant will have the option to contribute $5 cash to the pot and guess the aggregate yardage of all three RWU heats. To see last year's results, click here. For more info contact douglas.sayles@swimri.org.

Saturday, Feb 22nd @ CCRI Flanagan Campus (12 swimmers = 2 per lane x 6 lanes)

Makeup heat for NEM Swim Club members who cannot join us at URI or RWU. Heat starts at 10:20am and costs $15 per swimmer ($10 USMS event registration fee + $5 CCRI pool fee). Please arrive by 9:50am or earlier if you want to warm up. Arrange for your own counter in advance (consider asking a Saturday Masters practice swimmer to stay and count for you). For more info contact Stuart Cromarty at swimlane4consulting@gmail.com.

TO SIGN UP FOR ONE OF THE ABOVE HEATS, CLICK HERE.

Can't join us on the above dates? Ask a friend to count for you during January or February and submit your results online via the official event website by March 8th. Every yard counts toward NEM Swim Club's total!