The Recommended Guidelines by USA Swimming for Safe Practices

Swimming workout
Photo Courtesy: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

USA Swimming Guidelines

With more and more states allowing access to pools, it is worth repeating the USA Swimming guidelines that were sent out to ensure swimmers practice in a safe environment.

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-10 liaison who will be responsible for staying up to date on the community and state recommendations and any changes.

Building considerations need to be planned for as far as what parts of the facility are safe to use and in what ways.

As far as athlete participation is concerned, USA Swimming coaches should be in communication with everyone about their health each day and know what staff plan will help control the flow of athletes in specific spaces.

“A coach or staff member should ask athletes, as they come to practice, if they feel ill in any way, specifically listing certain symptoms, and send home those athletes reporting feeling ill or experiencing symptoms,” the guidelines state.

Symptoms include mild to severe respiratory illness with fever, cough and difficulty breathing, or other symptoms identified by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). It is recommended that athletes change clothes and shower at home.

“Make it clear that there is no penalty for missing practice and that if an athlete, or any member of their family does not feel well, they should stay home,” the guidelines read.

Social distancing should be practiced in all areas and the USA Swimming guidelines indicate how many swimmers can achieve this in different lanes with several visual aids. The visual aids are shown below for situations with different numbers of lanes and different numbers of swimmers.

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Practice Setup

 

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Katie Kuhl
4 years ago

Maryanne Barkley… an interesting way to do it, but yay! we are getting closer to being able to swim again ??

Maryanne Barkley
4 years ago
Reply to  Katie Kuhl

will do whatever just need it soon!?

Sarah Kirchman Evans
4 years ago

A step closer to getting bank into the water???? Phyllis D’Angelo Dissek

Raymond Vervlied
4 years ago

Bob Weber

Wendy Vanderhoof
4 years ago

Steve Vanderhoof

Bill Draves
Bill Draves
4 years ago

Guaranteed, if this is the new format, no team will be able to afford pool time, ever, unless it’s free.

Anonymous
Anonymous
4 years ago
Reply to  Bill Draves

Exactly

Leslie Medley
4 years ago

Angie Mac Beth Menasion Jessica Kornblum Moore

Jessica Kornblum Moore
Reply to  Leslie Medley

Leslie Medley I’m glad they are working through some options. Our pool is so small, I suspect we’ll have to do a significantly reduced schedule too.

Beth Menasion
4 years ago
Reply to  Leslie Medley

Jessica Kornblum Moore it’s so hard to envision how this will work!

Kerri Sullivan
4 years ago

Joe Leirey. Can u tell we are eager to get back

Denise Limi
4 years ago

Shelby Bayne

Shelby Bayne
4 years ago
Reply to  Denise Limi

Denise Limi I’ve been sending Jason so much info! It’s just ultimately going to be up to the diocese. But if we could present a plan that may help them feel more confident

Patti Matthew
4 years ago

Andrew

Daniel Smith
4 years ago

Briana Batesole, Joy Jones-Presley

Daniel Smith
4 years ago

Alex de la Peña?you see this?

Richa IJntema Cuevas
4 years ago

Chuck Elrick

Chuck Elrick
4 years ago

Richa IJntema Cuevas we’re making plans

Jiri F. Smetana
4 years ago

Let’s swim!!

Serge Score
4 years ago

Do newer pools use a chlorine system. Thought that went out in the 1990s

Anne Miglin
Anne Miglin
4 years ago
Reply to  Serge Score

Slightly elitist????

Jennifer Greer Bennett

Angela Stricker-Buenemann did you see this?

Heather Rasmussen
4 years ago

Jennifer Greer Bennett our problem is our facilities may not open because they are controlled by other entities.

Andrew Wilkinson
4 years ago

James Sweeney it’s getting close, surely ?

Jan Daly
4 years ago

I don’t know how the UK clubs will be able to do or even afford this. Many pool owners have increased lane/pool hire, which is crippling clubs.

Many uk clubs will really struggle to pay as the revenue from a reduced swimming numbers.

Plus I don’t know when/how or if swimming competitions will or if they can be run with social distancing. This is a key part of gaining revenue for many uk clubs.

Robin Lotz
4 years ago

A liason? How ridiculous

Angie Mac
4 years ago

Hmmmm…. asymptomatic spread accounts for the high level of contagion. By the time someone feels sick it’s too late. I don’t know about this. We might wait and see for this first round. No need to be the guinea pigs on this experiment!

MIchael
MIchael
4 years ago

Even before covid-19, kids are coughing and continually sick due to pool air quality. If that is not addressed, I don’t think this is going to work.

RJ
RJ
4 years ago
Reply to  MIchael

I completely agree. And for the asymptotic how is the enclosed air circulation and ventilation system going to prevent others from contracting it?

Brent Fletcher
4 years ago

Keeping the kids spaced in the lanes is going to be interesting.

Sabrina Lumm Grader
4 years ago
Reply to  Brent Fletcher

Brent Fletcher when you have a group of 32 kids- another group of 30 and there are normally- 6 or more kids per lane-

If they want to go back to swimming – practices literally are gonna have to start in the mornings and run all day to be able to space them out- to accommodate some swim clubs and groups- or divide groups am omg practices etc-

Need to figure something out- my girl needs back in the pool

Karen Edwards
4 years ago
Reply to  Brent Fletcher

Brent Fletcher 1 kid per lane

Ja Bounce
4 years ago
Reply to  Brent Fletcher

Dry Land circuit training (1/3), Pool training (1/3) Dryland cardio (1/3).

Brent Fletcher
4 years ago
Reply to  Brent Fletcher

Sabrina Lumm Grader I agree. It’s going to be a strain on everyone but mostly the coaches. These mega teams out there potentially will not get as much water time unless they have the staff to spread it out all day.

Sabrina Lumm Grader
4 years ago
Reply to  Brent Fletcher

Brent Fletcher a huge strain on the coaches- totally

Brook Kubik
4 years ago

Cathryn Stewart Staudigl

Carol-Tony Brewer
4 years ago

Blake Brewer

Mike R
Mike R
4 years ago

The graphs, as well as the guidelines that are linked from this page, are highly ambiguous. What do the red and black colors represent? It does not take much thinking to come up with many ways in which the social-distancing may be broken because of bottle necks where kids will be close to one another, for instance where the cones don’t separate them by enough space, or where two swimmers are merely separated by a lane line (e.g., 18 swimmer graph opposite directions). One should keep in mind that the most powerful spread happens by aerosol (tiny droplets in breath), according to what we have been told so far.

Ashley Christenson
4 years ago

Jennifer Lathrop Tonkyn

Jessica Johnson
4 years ago

Amy Bennett Tiedemann

Amy Bennett Tiedemann
4 years ago

Jessica Johnson whatever it takes to get them back to swimming

Eric
Eric
4 years ago

I appreciate USA Swimming’s effort to help swim clubs re-open safely, but some of their recommendations could be considered unrealistic- teams with many swimmers who need to share their facility with other programs can’t meet all these guidelines. However, I am glad USA Swimming are putting these out as recommendations to help guide clubs, not rules that must be followed.

Michelle Burke Cormack

We will take literally anything at this point. ?

Diana Terry Bolding
4 years ago

Guidelines?? This is out of control- just open and let kids swim.

Usua Libano
4 years ago

Diana Terry Bolding IMO this out of control is called having a realistic responsible adaptive response.

Katie Christensen Pack

Grace Kroll did you see this?!?

Beth Esposito Bodine
4 years ago

Training can be accommodated, but how will there be meets? How will clerk of course run? How will spectators sit? IF there are practices, I doubt there will be meets.

Jeanne
Jeanne
4 years ago

Agree. How can you have a meet keeping 6’ apart? No one is answering that question.

Leslie Cichocki
4 years ago

USA Swimming now let the swimmers go back in the water. Please spread the the guidelines you gave to Mission Viejo to all other clubs.

Heather York DiFulvio
4 years ago

Leslie Cichocki They can only do so much if the municipal pools aren’t open.

Allison Gober
4 years ago
Patti Troyer Keller
4 years ago

If only our school would let us in before July 4.

Staci Hollingsworth Roberson

Open it all up !!

Maureen Fluehr Carll
4 years ago

No way.Far too many asymptomatic people.Many c!ubs draw people from many areas,some are hot spots

Doug Schack
4 years ago

Maureen Fluehr Carll so if there is a large number of asymptotic people…..wouldn’t that define this virus as far less dangerous than originally thought?

Maureen Fluehr Carll
4 years ago

How so?Ramps up the numbers by far because you have a false security that because they are not outwardly appearing ill,then there’s no issue The guidelines do nothing to protect.All of the symptoms they describe can easily be caused by illness much more benign than COVID.Where’s the rush to return to the water,even China has pulled back on their workouts at least according to them saying they see a second round

Doug Schack
4 years ago

Maureen Fluehr Carll smaller numerator, larger denominator, so the math works out. Not as dangerous as it was first hysterically sold to us by media and politicians.

Maureen Fluehr Carll
4 years ago

Lol,yep those 15 cases Trump mentioned disappeared quickly,right?

Doug Schack
4 years ago

Maureen Fluehr Carll I’m not denying that there’s a disease out there killing people. There usually is. It’s just that we don’t know anything about this virus, and apparently it can infect many who don’t even know they are infected, it can infect some with moderate symptoms, and it can kill a few. The d suggest you stay away from all media. They just want to sell you fear and hysteria and ensure you come back for more.

Maureen Fluehr Carll
4 years ago

I’m not fearful,just not in a rush.I have enough level headed healthcare workers in my family to know that I don’t need a media outlet to know what is out there.We really don’t know how this virus performs but we do know that there are viral and bacterial illness that happen in water that’s containment by viruses and bacteria even in chlorinated water.,If wait and see and I’ll wait for a consensus from medical people before putting myself in a spot I regretted later.For now,let’s follow what’s asked of us.Chomping at the bit probably drags this out even onger

Andrew Maka
4 years ago

cool

Diana Terry Bolding
4 years ago

Open USA swimming- enough of social distancing guidelines crap – people are so afraid to be sued etc. it’s the fear factor.

Tim Ritchie
4 years ago

Diana Terry Bolding Are you a working aquatics specialist?

Nancy Harms
4 years ago

Tim Ritchie Tim, I think your question is a good one. Not sure all swim teams have the whole aquatics picture in mind. It definitely should be aquatics professionals (not professional coaches) advising in these decisions. The pool is more than a swim lane. Gosh it can be frustrating.

Diana Terry Bolding
4 years ago

Tim Ritchie nope but sounds like I need to be.

Jen Thompson
4 years ago

Diana Terry Bolding what is your educational background? I am very much in favor for my kid to get back in ASAP when it’s deemed safe, she is literally in the middle of recruiting for the class of 21. But I have seen this shit up close and if you think you have it figured out, then please enlighten us…

Tim Ritchie
4 years ago

Diana Terry Bolding At least now I know how to filter your decision making???

Allison Gober
4 years ago

Diana Terry Bolding ???

Maria Kennedy
4 years ago

Louise Starmer Susan Duggan Brid Cantwell

Dick Beaver
4 years ago

USA SWIMMING WIMPS.
Stop following the politician control freaks.
Get our swimmers back in the water.

Liz Baum
4 years ago

I’m so lucky that San Diego is letting us swim in the ocean now!

Flynn Burroughs
4 years ago

I have reviewed the new USA Swimming COVID related guidelines. Here are my questions, comments and concerns:

Based on what specific data were these guidelines created? Does anyone know? Does anyone care? Does it matter? It is after all being suggested that coaches make rather radical changes to how they and the sport itself operate.

Assuming that it is the reported severity of COVID, in particularly the Mortality Rate, that has led to the development of these guidelines, has anyone questioned or challenged the true validity of that risk?

Let’s look at mortality rate since it’s that which is being used to create the fear (and hide the facts) that is forcing these changes.

As of 5/2/2020, the COVID mortality rate in the US is reported as 6%. Mortality rate = number of COVID deaths / number of COVID cases X 100. So ~ 66,000 deaths / 1.1 million confirmed cases X 100 = 6%.

Here’s the problem with the math…

The denominator (number of cases) is only based on the number of “confirmed cases”. It fails to account for those who test positive for COVID antibodies or reasonable extrapolated data that can be drawn from those positive antibody tests.

Those who test positive for having COVID antibodies may have been asymptomatic or had mild (or even more severe) symptoms that they didn’t seek treatment for or failed to receive a confirmed COVID diagnosis for. So although they were clearly infected, they are not included as “confirmed cases” within the denominator of the mortality rate equation.

None the less, the prevalence of positive antibody tests indicate that both hospitalization & mortality rates are SIGNIFICANTLY inflated. Inflated to the extent that an accurate calculation would result in moving the decimal left and showing a true mortality rate of well under 1%.

That’s true even if only 1% of those tested for COVID antibodies test positive for them. As of May 1, NY has tested over 15,000 people for COVID antibodies. The preliminary results show 14.9 percent of the population have COVID-19 antibodies with some areas of the state testing as high as 27% positive. Other tests conducted at both Stanford & USC, as well as others places, have also shown a much greater prevalence than what is being reported and utilized to calculate the COVID mortality rate.

I won’t even bother getting into all the issues with the numerator (number of COVID deaths) aspect of the mortality rate equation. However here is what the Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, Dr. Ngozi O. Ezike, had to say on the topic:

“If you were in hospice and had already been given a few weeks to live, and then you also were found to have COVID, that would be counted as a COVID death. It means technically even if you died of a clear alternate cause, but you had COVID at the same time, it’s still listed as a COVID death. So, everyone who’s listed as a COVID death doesn’t mean that that was the cause of the death, but they had COVID at the time of the death.” Dr. Ezike outlined.

Wow.

Yet it is these invalid mortality rates that have terrified our society, shutdown our economy, modified our behavior, trampled our liberties, and is now leading to the creation of baseless & ridiculous “guidelines” for every industry + activity under the sun…including USA Swimming!

If it’s truly the math/science that is driving these decisions, then why are these critical factors being ignored?

Then of course there’s the demographics that are being brushed aside when offering guidance. For whatever the reported mortality rates are actually worth, they do clearly indicate that it is the elderly (65+), especially those immunocompromised, who make up over 80% of the mortality figures. This of course isn’t unique to COVID. The flu & pneumonia also pose a high risk to these groups, and an even greater risk to our youth.

Considering this, like during any flu/virus outbreak, it is those individuals who should take the greatest precaution to minimize their exposure. They are the ones who, based on all the data, are primarily at risk.

Fear sells though, and we’re all buying it. Shoot, we’re standing in line to buy it…6 feet apart.

It’s time to put facts before fear.

Maureen Fluehr Carll
4 years ago

Fact of the matter is this isn’t going anywhere until we’re told it is.In the meantime,do your part to do what needs to be done.to satisfactorily convince those who make decisions that it’s time.The fact is ,the few ruin for the many

Trina Jackson Falca
4 years ago

What do the swimmers do when they pass each other? I don’t get it.

Anonymous
Anonymous
4 years ago

Do whatever is best, and do it whenever

Elizabeth Bannon Scargill

Good luck coaches trying to corral younger swimmers and explain a set to them while they’re treading water in the middle of a lane ? But that’s why you get paid the big bucks?? Just glad to see a plan being drawn up to get everyone back in the water!

Tim Damico
4 years ago

Elizabeth Bannon Scargill what the hell?…..

Patsy Patterson Martin

Swimming in clorinated water is safer than standing in line a walmart.

Patsy Patterson Martin

Dang , I am 84 and I really need a swim

Nick Lizalde
4 years ago

JT Tiernan

Julie Cordova
4 years ago

TRUE THAT!

Mike McCluhan
4 years ago

Will a 16 year old life guard notify me when my swimmers are out of compliance?

Anne-Marie Tucker
4 years ago

Is swimming so important that we ignore that people are getting sick and dying?

My family wants to get back in the water BUT my kids should know that their 1st place medal is not more important than other humans.

Dick Beaver
4 years ago

Hmmm. Let’s see now. Only one swimmer on the wall at a time?? Or do they wear a diving MASK. Lol.

Ladies if you are afraid for your child, you have the FREEDOM to keep them home in isolation. You are NOT free to impose your fears on others.

Craig Lord
4 years ago
Reply to  Dick Beaver

They are free to have their opinion without being told to shut up, Dick. You have a different opinion – and that’s fine – and your opinion isn’t the one that’s prevailed in nations far and wide when it comes to swimming and pools with specific reference to the close contact of people. Again, get the desire to return but to you and all others in this thread, please try to be respectful of others and the views they hold when it comes to where people feel they stand on the spectrum of ‘caution required’. The kind of caution being built into ‘return to the water’ strategies has practical, health, welfare and legal considerations in the mix. Imagine we all took your advice and got all swim programs back to standard behaviour from tomorrow… then imagine contagion taking hold in the smallest of ways; you know, a couple of dead coaches and helpers and others, perhaps the odd swimmer (and we won’t mention grandparents) and guess what the first question would be? What did the authorities, USA Swimming included, advice us? Cue legal actions galore, cue chaos and pain for months, if not years ahead. One swimmer at the wall at a time for now has reasoning behind it, including the very environment at the end of each wall. Think about what that environment looks like: it is not all about chlorinated water (bottles, equipment, asthma sprays and on and on… all of that needs taking into account). Someone in this thread mentioned Sweden and pools never being shut. That isn’t true. It is correct that elite swimmers have been training under fairly controlled conditions. Not aimed at you specifically, Dick, but I urge everyone in these threads to be more measured in their views on the measured views of others and challenging efforts to find strategies to achieve what we all want to see – a safe return to water at a time of pandemic.

Kimberly Joy
4 years ago

We dont need guidelines. We need to be normal. This is akin to the flu – no reason peopld cannot swim like normal. This is absurd

Craig Lord
4 years ago
Reply to  Kimberly Joy

There you go again – NO! it is not akin to ‘flu. You’re spreading fibs, Kim. You can be better than that.

Craig Lord
4 years ago
Reply to  Kimberly Joy

Kim, on your way to enlightenment and consideration for others, perhaps even an encounter with human empathy, you might start your journey by reading this: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/05/finally-virus-got-me-scientist-who-fought-ebola-and-hiv-reflects-facing-death-covid-19

Tim Ritchie
4 years ago
Reply to  Kimberly Joy

Kimberly Joy OMG what world are you living in?

Daniel Smith
4 years ago

Briana Batesole!

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