{"id":432211,"date":"2020-05-15T17:13:02","date_gmt":"2020-05-16T00:13:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=432211"},"modified":"2020-05-22T19:45:54","modified_gmt":"2020-05-23T02:45:54","slug":"summer-leagues-cancel-in-ohio-nebraska-california-fights-to-open-pools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/summer-leagues-cancel-in-ohio-nebraska-california-fights-to-open-pools\/","title":{"rendered":"Summer Leagues Cancel in Ohio, Nebraska; California Fights To Open Pools"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Thursday afternoon, the Ohio<\/strong> government declared that public and private pools could reopen May 26<\/a>. That timeline, though, wasn\u2019t soon enough for the Tri-County Aquatic League to save its summer swimming season.<\/p>\n

The TCAL had announced earlier in the day that it would cancel its 2020 season<\/a>, leaving more than 1,500 kids from four counties in Central Ohio without meets.<\/p>\n

The TCAL is the latest in a slew of summer swimming leagues<\/a> to put their seasons on ice due to social-distancing restrictions in place around the coronavirus pandemic. The 13 teams in the TCAL stretch across Franklin, Fairfield, Licking and Muskingum counties.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany teams need at least two to three weeks to prepare, so we waited until the last possible moment,\u201d president Staci Stought<\/strong> told the Newark Advocate.<\/em> \u201cTCAL specifically is a league that exists to support the friendships within communities. Kids tend to swim year-round and are swimming with kids from different school systems, and it\u2019s wonderful, but leagues such as TCAL, you are swimming with your neighbors and your school mates. There is something extra special and makes it very sad for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Midwestern Swimming League, which serves Nebraska<\/strong> and portions of Western Iowa, followed suit with a cancellation Friday<\/a>. The City of Lincoln announced a delay in opening city pools<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In Pennsylvania<\/strong>, Allegheny County announced that its six public swimming pools and spray parks will remain closed for the summer<\/a>. The second-most populous county in the state has entered the \u201cyellow phase\u201d of Pennsylvania\u2019s reopening plan, but restrictions remain in place. Private clubs in the county have been split, with some closing and others attempting to open<\/a>. Other leagues in Pennsylvania cancelled summer swimming seasons this week<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In California<\/strong>, a half-dozen pools have had proposals denied<\/a> by the San Diego County health department to resume operations. Among those pushing for the reopening, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune,<\/em> is Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Community pools are included in Stage 3 of California\u2019s reopening plan. The state has only reached Stage 2. From San Diego County Health Officer Dr. Wilma Wooten:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s looking at the risk of transmission of COVID-19, based on the intensity \u2014 how many people are involved \u2014 and also on the duration \u2014 how long would an entity be in a particular (place). That\u2019s the reason pools are not in Stage 2, because individuals coming together, if they\u2019re not household members, just increases the risk for transmission. This is about gatherings. Again, to remind everyone, we are at zero gatherings at this time. We are doing that in accordance with the state.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Beaches are open, so ocean swimming is an option. But golf courses, parks, and tennis courts have reopened in the Golden State, and the push is on to have pools join that list. Reopening of private pools in other portions of the state have sparked controversy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s a matter of we haven\u2019t pled our case yet,\u201d said Sally Taggart,<\/strong> the general chair of San Diego-Imperial Swimming. \u201cNow is the time to pull this all together. We have the plan, we know how to do it, let\u2019s start doing it. I think the time is right. Maybe two or three weeks ago, it was right for golf. I\u2019m happy people are playing golf, that\u2019s great. I just want people to be able to swim in a pool as well. From my perspective, it\u2019s equally safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Swimming Through a Pandemic<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The postponements and cancellations wrought by COVID-19 haven\u2019t just affected the Olympics and the ranks of elite swimmers. They\u2019ve trickled down to neighborhood clubs and summer youth leagues, affecting thousands of recreational and competitive swimmers alike. Here is some of our coverage of COVID-19\u2019s effect on the American summer swimming calendar.<\/em><\/p>\n