Swimmer Safety Plan & Expectations 

1. Follow coaches instructions on deck and in the water.., of course  :)
2. Wear flip flops. A common ailment for swim teams are plantar warts. We've been pretty good with this in recent years, but not always, so please have your swimmer wear flip flops or sandals on deck, in locker rooms, showers, and bathrooms.
3. When it gets colder, please ensure your swimmer dresses for the weather. After swim practice, let's make sure our swimmers put a hat over their wet heads, wear socks/shoes/boots, and clothing to keep their backs and chests warm. Again, this is a common mantra of mine in all previous years to ensure our team minimizes illness. 
4. On our website under resources, there some good articles that deal with sports nutrition, sleep, and life balance for athletes. 
5. A recent, fairly common ailment, is COVID. As the coach, I certainly do not want to see anyone fall ill, or have a portion of the team need to quarantine and miss practices or meets. The YMCA does not enforce masking for its patrons in general, but for youth sports while attending practices and meets, 11/under swimmers and unvaccinated swimmers are expected to wear masks in the locker rooms and on deck. 
6. While in the pool, we will reinforce the expectation that swimmers should exhale down into the water, and not into each other's faces. 
7. We will reinforce some social distancing protocols on deck and in the pool as well. They will not be as stringent as when we had only 3 swimmers per lane, but we are transitioning and modifying to balance safety with group activities. 
8. Certainly, as 11/under vaccines become more widely available, it is likely we will be able to continue modifying the above safety strategies.

Stay Safe & Resilient,

Coach Drake