Dolfins News 5-20-2020
Hello Dolfin Families!
These are crazy times! I wish I was writing to you with a start date for swimming but unfortunately the Contra Costa County Health Order & CDC guidelines are still not allowing pools to open until Phase 3. Phase 3 could be coming soon, but we just don't know right now. I know a lot of you have seen and signed petitions to open pools and it definitely feels good to try to do whatever we can to help get our lives back to normal, but all Korey and I can do is have a plan ready to go, when they say we can open. Part of what we are planning for is how we will protect our staff in the event they need to make a water rescue or provide emergency care – activities that require close personal contact with the swimmer. We are participating in discussions with aquatics facilities both locally and across the nation as we plan for how we can safely open.
Links:
Contra Costa Health Department Health Orders
Contra Costa Health Department Shelter at Home Order through May 31 FAQ’s
CDC Considerations for Aquatic Venues
You may have heard of other swim teams opening their pools and offering swim clinics. This is in clear violation of the order and does not factor in any lifeguard rescue procedures that need to be modified as a result of the coronavirus. The only pools allowed to be open right now are backyard pools and pools used for therapy for medical purposes. With Memorial Day weekend here and school ending, I know everyone wants a plan for summer and my hope is that we will be able to have small group clinics. The times may need to change to allow more practices with smaller groups. It may not be possible to have coaches in the water, so we may not be able to have programs for swimmers that need hands on help in the water, such as Mini-Dolfins or any new younger swimmers. This is very sad to me because this is how most of our swimmers start out. I am hopeful that things will improve in the Fall so we can offer our Pre-Swim Team clinics for those swimmers.
If you would like a refund for Mini-Dolfins or Dolfins you can contact Korey at [email protected]. If you want to hang in there and hope we start swimming soon, we will adjust your fees once we know how many weeks we can swim. We will send you an email with details as soon as we are given the green light to open the pool.
I also wanted to share information on some free resources that might help you during this time.
- UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals is hosting a free webinar “COVID-19 and Kids: Understanding the Risks and How to Help” on Wednesday, May 27, 1:00-2:00pm. Register for the webinar here.
- The American Red Cross has a new free online only course “Psychological First Aid: Supporting Yourself and Others During COVID-19”. You can find the class details and take the class here.
I am missing the splashing sound of the water, the smiles on your swimmers faces, the fun I see them have with their friends and our summer family. I'm still hoping for some summer swim fun! It's funny how much you miss something when it's not there anymore! Please cross your fingers and toes so we can dive back into the pool soon! Feel free to text or email me with any questions.
Miss you all!
Coach Talli
cell 925-216-7932
[email protected]
