It’s been a wonderful first week back in the swimming pool for Hart Swimming Club. With swimmers out of the water since mid-March, it did not take long for the coaches to start putting all the swimming squads through their paces again and for the swimmers to get back to what they do best!
Chairman Spencer Farmer had this to say “Hart SC has worked very hard during lockdown to get our swimmers back into the pool as quickly but as safely as possible. We are the first and only swimming club in the area to be able to offer a full training schedule to all our members. This could not have been done without the close support and collaboration with our friends and colleagues at Hart Leisure Centre and St Neots School, our two key training facilities. The Garrison Swimming pool is currently being refurbished and we intend on being back there when it reopens later in the year, further expanding our pool time for our members.”
The Hart SC Committee and Coaches have worked closely with the management team of EveryoneActive at Hart Leisure Centre to ensure a clean and safe environment for all swimmers. Spencer added “Working with Luke Charlton, General Manager of Hart Leisure Centre, Hart SC appointed a COVID19 Officer to complete full Risk Assessments for all club activities in line with Swim England ‘Club’ and ‘Pool Operator’ Return to Pool Guidance documents. Health Screen and Swimmer Declaration forms have been completed by all swimmers, coaches, volunteers, and any parent that must enter the leisure facility.”
HartSC also wished to pass on a thank you to all parents, many of which have volunteered to be COVID-19 Liaison officers, who will attend every training session to assist all swimmers & coaches with the smooth, safe and socially distanced running of each training session. The Liaison staff will help take a register of everyone attending each session, including details of which lane they use during training.
Hart Swimming Clubs training sessions take place in a ‘closed’ and ‘controlled’ environment in the Leisure Centre, which helps ensure the safety of all club members.
Swimmers are training in the same lane for every training session with restricted number of
swimmers in each lane, in line with Swim England guidance.
Swimmers also arrive to the pool ‘beach ready’ to limit the use of the changing village before and after training and swimmers are encouraged not to use the changing facilities wherever possible.
Everyone must always hand-sanitise their hands on entering and leaving the leisure facility and follow a one-way system in operation through the changing village and around poolside to ensure social distancing guidelines are observed.
Head Coach Darren stated “Swimmers quickly got to grips with the new procedures very quickly and once they had entered the water, lock-down soon became a distant memory. It was wonderful to see the enjoyment all the squads (children and adults) got from swimming once again. I’ve never seen so many smiles on faces… and we didn’t take it easy on them for their first training session back in the water!
The importance of swimming as a sport and exercise for both physical and mental wellbeing is clear, especially when you see the happy faces on all our swimmers the moment, they enter the pool.
Not only will swimming be key to tackle the governments new obesity targets for the country but its also proven that regular swim training, is known to be effective for lowering incidences of depression and anxiety and improve sleep patterns. Swimming releases endorphins, the natural feelgood hormones that lead us to experience a greater sense of happiness and wellbeing. Just what is needed after lockdown!”