New Jersey High School Swimmers Speak Out About Pool Shutdowns

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After New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced on Monday that all organized indoor sports, including swimming, will be suspended for four weeks beginning on Saturday and running through Jan. 2, 2021, high school swimmers spoke out in response on Tuesday.

Andy Moss and Jerry Zheng, both members of the Somerset Hills YMCA swim team, reacted to the news on a Fox News show.

“Yeah, we were definitely disappointed in the news; however, we know that the pandemic is super serious and especially given the rise in cases, it’s more important now than ever to take the precautions and the guidelines seriously,” Moss told “Fox & Friends.”

Murphy’s edict calls for the suspension of youth, high school and adult recreation sports, and applies to games and practices.

Because the New Jersey Sports Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) previously delayed the start of winter high school sports until January, those sports will not be affected by Murphy’s decision. However, club and YMCA programs will be expected to shut down for a month, leaving athletes without the opportunity to train.

The fact that swimming is affected by Murphy’s decision goes against a recent study by the New Jersey Swim Safety Alliance that identified zero COVID-19 breakouts among 200,000-plus people passing through 44 indoor pools between July 2 and mid-November.

“Our Y, staff at the Y, our coaches, fellow swimmers have done a terrific job keeping us healthy and safe and with the given study showing there were no reported cases across the 44 pools in New Jersey. We feel like we’ve earned the right. We have evidence, we’ve proven ourselves that we can train in a safe manner,” Moss said.

Zheng said protocols were being followed to ensure safety out of the water. He also said many of the club swimmers are worried about what the shutdowns continue to do for the future of swimmers, especially those aiming for college scholarships.

“We are looking forward to swimming in college and we are trying to get times that would be very crucial for the recruiting process, so, this is a very big part of our lives and we are ensuring that we can do anything to keep the sport going,” Zheng said.

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Kathy
Kathy
3 years ago

Covid is truly hurting high school juniors hoping for times for college recruiting. There should be a way for swimmers to get competitive times.

Ja Bounce
3 years ago

30+ facilities (Study link here — https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/study-zero-incidents-of-covid-19-infections-at-indoor-pools/)…
They report 212,641 people through their facilities since they re-opened.
They report 0 people becoming infected in their facility. Swimming World references a “specialist” (Bio here — http://www.uniroma4.it/?q=node/1035) that has been sitting on a Board Committee (last date listed 2017) & yet NO Scientific results are shared/posted as to overall direct/indirect of CL2 vs Covid-19… ALL 50 States & major facilities should be testing & sharing results!!!

Ja Bounce
3 years ago

30+ facilities (Study link here — https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/study-zero-incidents-of-covid-19-infections-at-indoor-pools/)…
They report 212,641 people through their facilities since they re-opened.
They report 0 people becoming infected in their facility. Swimming World references a “specialist” (Bio here — http://www.uniroma4.it/?q=node/1035) that has been sitting on a Board Committee (last date listed 2017) & yet NO Scientific results are shared/posted as to overall direct/indirect of CL2 vs Covid-19… ALL 50 States & major facilities should be testing & sharing results!!!

Jeff Dickson
3 years ago

Hell. In Kentucky, winter sports has been delayed-but the high school football playoffs get to continue. Explain that shit to me??

Les Citadins Natation
3 years ago

So unfortunate the people making the decisions are not guided by the science nor evidence…

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