FORT MILL – Just when you thought it was safe to get in the water – COVID-19 had other plans.
The already short summer swim season will be non-existent in 2020 thanks to the coronavirus. Both the Metrolina Swim League, which the Tega Cay Breakers participates in, and the Greater Charlotte Swim League, which three other local swims teams participate in, were canceled for this year.
Tega Cay’s streak of 11 consecutive swims titles in the Metrolina Swim League will have to be put on hold, despite the fact they were preparing to have about 200 swimmers on this summer’s team. The Metrolina league canceled their summer plans earlier this month.
“It just came down to all the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) rules and regulations and the pools wouldn’t be opened in time,” said Breakers’ head coach Kathleen Michaeli.
Michaeli, who is in her third year at the helm of the Breakers, said even if there would have been a season, it would have started later and not everyone would have had access to their home pools. The season was scheduled to start and end in June.
“We tried to see if we could push if off, but it was a matter of not having pool space,” she said. “We are looking at this a lot differently this year.”
Michaeli said her team was sad, but understood.
The Greater Charlotte Swim League also canceled their season earlier this month. The Springfield Greenwave, Baxter Barracudas and Fort Mill Sharks are all part of the Charlotte based league. Both the Greenwave and Barracudas swim at community pools in their neighborhoods, while the Sharks swims at the Fort Mill YMCA at the Complex.
“It is pure disappointment,” said Greenwave head coach Jen Molner.
Molner said she understands the reasoning behind the cancellation and was estimating she would have 175 swimmers on this year’s team including 30 new swimmers.
Swim meets can be crowded events, especially on the pool deck with hundreds of people involved in meets between swimmers, coaches, officials, and volunteers. Add in spectators in an enclosed environment in some cases for several hours, could be just what a virus like COVID-19 would need to spread.
“The safety of the swimmers is the league’s number one priority,” Molner said. “They wanted to make sure swimmers and coaches are safe.”
Neither Molner nor Michaeli said they believe not having a short summer swim season will be harmful to the local high school teams in Fort Mill.
“There is a lot of resources out there for kids,” Molner said. “The swimmers are doing other things to stay in shape. All the schools should be on the same level playing field.”
Michaeli added that as the summer progresses, pools should open up for swimmers.
“I think once pools open up everyone who wants to swim will swim,” she said.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
