2020 Volume 31 Issue 1

VOLUME 31 | ISSUE 1 2020

U N I T E D

S T A T E S

S W I M

S C H O O L

A S S O C I A T I O N

we stand together SPECIAL EDITION

WORKING OUR WAY BACK Water Safety Education is More Important Now Than Ever NAVIGATING COVID-19 WITH SUCCESS AND SILVER LININGS

we miss you!

Times are tough right now, there’s no question about it. FINIS’ vision is to help everyone in the world enjoy the water and during this challenging time of COVID-19 we are determined to continue striving toward this goal.

While we may not be able to get in the pool, we can still support each other as a swimming community. We encourage you to join us every Friday at 1PM (PT) for our FINIS Friday Livecast. Each week we’ll interview inspriational and innovative guests from all arond the global swimming community in an effort to bring swimmers closer together. Use the QR code below to register & learn more!

And until we’re back in the water we hope you all stay safe and healthy!

We’re here to help! Feel free to contact us any time with questions or comments!

Marie Morefield 925.290.2657 | mmorefield@FINISinc.com FINISswim.com

FRIDAYS @ 1PM PT

IN THIS ISSUE TABLE OF CONTENTS 3

Letter from the President

6

Water Safety Education is More Important Now Than Ever

5 From the Desk of the Executive Director

7 Coping in Time of Crisis 8

3 Ways to Keep Coronavirus from Sinking Your Workplace Culture

20 Calendar of Events

22 Working Our Way Back

28 Lessons Learned During COVID Isolation 30 Team Building with

Zoom Scavenger Hunt 31 Staff Retention During

Challenging Times

11 Round Up of the Biggest Spring Workshop Ever

32 New USSSA Health

Concerns Course

12 Navigating COVID-19 with Success and Silver Linings!

33 Drowning Season Means

Media Planning

14 Honoring a Great Contributor to the Swim School World

34 ASSA Transitions

15 COVID-19: Now is the Time

for Leadership

38 Ask Al

15 New Member List

16 4 Keys your Business Needs to

Survive an Economic Downturn 19 Taking Control in an

Uncontrollable World

36 Tax Time

40 Members Share Marketing Ideas 42 Pentair Mobilizes to Help Meet

Ventilator Demand 44 Protect Your Swim Instructors

and Students 46 USSSA Membership Renewal

ASSOCIATION HEADQUARTERS 7100 E. Cave Creek Rd., Suite 109 Cave Creek, AZ 85331 480.837.5525 usssa@usswimschools.org usswimschools.org Executive Director Lisa M. Zarda, CAE, CNAP Editor Monica Martin ASSOCIATION OFFICERS President John Kirk, Little Otter Swim School Vice President Tracy Koleber, Nitro Swimming Treasurer Buffy Folise, Chicago Swim School ASSOCIATION DIRECTORS Karen Clay SwimWest Swim School Brad Grzelka Atlanta Swim Academy Bobby Hazen SAF-T-SWIM Melissa Taylor Small Fish Big Fish Swim School USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG | 1

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT “Sometimes carrying on, just carrying on, is a superhuman achievement.”

ALBERT CAMUS

I hope you are well and looking after yourselves. This is a hard letter to write because things are ever-changing. It is amazing to consider how much has changed in the last 45 days. There is always a bit of this when I write this letter. There is a lag between when it is written and when you read it. None of us have faced anything like this on a global scale. It has been a test for all those around us. We have seen true character come out, both good and bad.

JOHN KIRK SHARING WITH USSSA MEMBERS

I applaud all of you. This has been hard. We have all had days where we just needed to shut down and forget about all this. I have been buoyed by my friends and family and know that I could step away and come back ready to get back to work. I hurt for those of you who are afraid and uncertain. Those are natural feelings to have during this time. I am happy to talk with anyone. My cell is (704) 617-1935. Don’t face this alone, it can be overwhelming. Get some help within your tribe or find someone who can help you. Your well-being is the most important thing for you to focus on.

As we sat at the top of the first hill of the COVID-19 rollercoaster, I admonished you to focus on the things you could change. I believe this simple principle continues to be powerful. We have gone round and round about PPP and EIDL; and that is starting to work itself out. I hope you have received what you have applied for. Thanks to Sean Dever and David Gorman for helping us navigate these confusing waters.

Now, as we look towards the horizon and see the glimmer of light which heralds the new day, we have to start thinking about what our swim schools will look like as we are able to open. We have to gain trust with our families and our employees. This is the story we all have to work hard to tell correctly. Just because the governor or mayor allows us to open, that may not be enough assurance for our employees or families. We need to examine all our processes, buildings, and curriculum to look for ways to make them safer. We need to communicate what we have done and pledge what we will do in the future. This virus will be around for some time and we have to help people feel safe and secure with us.

“Hang on to your hat. Hang on to your hope. Wind the clock, for tomorrow is another day.” E.B. White So stay strong, stay resilient. All this will pass. Celebrate your victories. Mourn your losses. Know there is a new day coming. Rise up and welcome the sun in your face and be thankful for your blessings.

JOHN KIRK President US Swim School Association USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG | 3

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FROM THE DESK OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Hope, unity & encouragement As with a lot of things these days you need to pivot and change. This issue of Ready.

Set.Swim. is no different as we updated our focus and aim to provide you with a message of hope, unity and encouragement.

American actor, Christopher Reeve said, “once you choose hope, anything’s possible.”

While some days may be harder than others to find the hope, there is hope for the future. It will be a new future and new can be exciting. In this issue, Miren Oca (Ocaquatics) shares Lessons Learned During COVID and gives you, industry leaders, reasons to stay strong and hope for a new and positive future.

Mattie Stepanek, American poet, is known for saying, “Unity is strength...when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.” The members of the USSSA over these past weeks have been instrumental in coming together in collaboration like never before. We have three groups meeting weekly for Virtual Sharing Solutions in addition to our Monday morning Huddle hosted by President, John Kirk, and our weekly webinar updates. In this issue, we have a number of member ideas being shared. Lana Whitehead and Shaunna Risinger from SWIMkids USA reveal how they are keeping their staff busy and engaged during their “gift of free time.” Casey Del Prete from Swimming Safari Swim School shares a fun Zoom Scavenger Hunt that not only served as an icebreaker for a virtual staff meeting but as an opportunity to learn a little more about fellow staff members. You will also find a collection of fun social media family engagement ideas found on member swim school pages.

“In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity” Albert Einstein wisely said. We have all had difficulties put in front of us these past weeks. I hope you can find some comfort in knowing you are not alone. In this issue your board of directors have shared some of their tips on how to stay positive. We wish you all health and perseverance as we navigate a new future. We stand together!

LISA M. ZARDA, CAE, CNAP Executive Director US Swim School Association

WATER SAFETY EDUCATION IS MORE IMPORTANT NOW THAN EVER Hi, this is Bobby Hazen with Saf-T-Swim. These are challenging times and it’s been really upsetting that we can’t do what we all love to do, teach swimming.

As I’m sure you do, I miss our kids, our swimmers, our families, our relationships.

What has me most concerned is water safety. With swim schools being closed during the key months of spring, will we see increased drowning incidents? I am hoping this is not the case with continued education and one way I am making a difference is to work with water safety groups about the dangers of the virus as it relates to water safety education and drowning prevention.

We are also sharing water safety tips and videos via social media and email with our families. Here is a list of great water safety resources for you to stay connected with your families and educate your community about water safety, even when your doors are not open.

BY BOBBY HAZEN SAF-T-SWIM GREAT WATER SAFETY RESOURCE SITES • USSSA Water Safety Campaign in the Member Resource Pool my.usswimschools.org • Abbeyshope.org • Colinshope.org • Enddrowningnow.org • Joshtheotter.org • Michaelphelpsfoundation.org • Ndpa.org • Poolsafely.gov • Safekids.org • Stewietheduck.org • Stopdrowningnow.org • Thezacfoundation.org

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FUN WATER SAFETY LINKS & VIDEOS • Josh the Baby Otter Book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs9BRUuGlHo • Kids Alive Do the Five Pool Animation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsTZjgkMBcE • Pool Safely Song by Laurie Berkner: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6YHn7vPiM0 • ReesSpecht Life-A Little Rees Specht for Water Safety: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jio1fwUi-qI • Safer 3 Water Safety Quest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FH8L9OdZQI • Splish! Splash! Water Safety Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORe6oNJvBUI

COPING IN TIME OF CRISIS What are your board of directors doing to stay positive?

We asked each of the USSA board members to share ways they are staying positive during these turbulent times and here is what they had to share: PHONE A FRIEND. When I am feeling down or confused I pick up the phone and phone a friend. I call swim school friends, fellow board members, friends who have other small businesses, and of course family. One call that I make every day is to my father who has always been the voice of reason in my personal and business life. Unfortunately, none of these people have the answer to the problem right now, but each and every one of them have small ideas that all add up. They help with mindset and planning, help me stay out of the emotional rut and push forward. So, if you are feeling down, or not sure what to do, phone a friend, they all can help a little at a time.

BRAD GRZELKA ATLANTA SWIM ACADEMY COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS. My advice is to count the blessings in your life.

Even when things look like they are mounting against you, there are always things for which you can be grateful.

TRACY KOLEBER NITRO SWIMMING

STAY POSITIVE. Trying to get work done and guide three children in their school work is a constant daily challenge during these times. I have not 100% figured it out but luckily, my optimistic attitude is what is keeping me going.

I can see the positive in almost every situation, even when things go wrong.

Also, choosing my attitude helps during daily challenges. I can choose to be angry at this situation or see how it can bring me forward in my life. I choose to move forward!

BUFFY FOLISE CHICAGO SWIM SCHOOL CONNECT. I am going for a daily walk, playing games with the children and turning off the news. Connecting with friends and relying on the expertise of those around me in the association. I am taking a lot of deep breaths when I get overwhelmed with the children, dog and husband around me ALL OF THE TIME. KAREN CLAY SWIMWEST SWIM SCHOOL TAKE IN SOME FRESH AIR. With the spring weather starting to come to Long Island, when I need to take a minute, or to reflect, I go for walks with my wife and dog. Or I take my family and dog down to the beach for some fresh air. In the evenings I will sit by a fire pit in the backyard with a glass of wine or a beer.

I also try to remember these crazy times will pass, we all will get through this together, and slowly, over time, things will get back to normal. Then we can get back to doing what we do best, teaching kids the lifesaving skill of swimming.

BOBBY HAZEN SAF-T-SWIM

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: JOHN KIRK, BOBBY HAZEN, MELISSA TAYLOR, TRACY KOLEBER, LISA ZARDA, BUFFY FOLISE, KAREN CLAY, BRAD GRZELKA AT THE 2019 MILWAUKEE NATIONAL CONFERENCE GIVE BACK. To stay positive I am reminding myself daily of all the reasons I have to be grateful. I’m communicating with friends around the world and getting to spend more time with my kids and dogs. Everyday I am also looking for small ways to give back and have an impact on someone else. It feels better to give than receive.

MELISSA TAYLOR SMALL FISH BIG FISH ESTABLISH A ROUTINE. I’ve made it a point to not look at my phone first thing in the morning until I complete my routine of getting ready in the morning, including getting dressed for the day (except on Saturdays, which right now are pj day). It gives me some time to think about what I want to accomplish for the day and put myself in a positive frame of mind before taking on all the requests coming through email and text.

LISA ZARDA US SWIM SCHOOL ASSOCIATION FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN CHANGE. In times of uncertainty, we can get caught up in worrying about everything. It can be calming to figure out what you can actually influence and concentrate on that. Many times if we work on those factors; the other things will take care of themselves. Make a list of the things you can change and put your energy into those things.

JOHN KIRK LITTLE OTTER SWIM SCHOOL USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG | 7

3 WAYS TO KEEP CORONAVIRUS FROM SINKING YOUR WORKPLACE CULTURE No, the sky isn’t falling. It already fell.

BY ERIC CHESTER 2019 NATIONAL CONFERENCE KEYNOTE SPEAKER

8 | USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG

The stock market is in total upheaval. Schools, churches, businesses, and virtually everything deemed ‘non-essential’ is now closed – or very soon will be.

The economic ripple of COVID-19 is reaching into the depths of every business and has left countless owners, leaders, and managers in a state of panic, grasping for strategies to survive these troubled waters and keep afloat. We’re all experiencing a collective nightmare of epic proportions.

But try to put the stress and anxiety you feel aside for a moment and time travel with me into the future three months to a year from now. Reflect on your brand, your image, your company’s ‘persona’. Not through your own eyes or even the eyes of a potential client or customer, but rather, examine your workplace culture through the eyes of the ideal job seekers you’d like to hire in your mission to rebuild and recalibrate your operation.

There will be a lot of people looking for work – and you will likely end up with more applications than you know what to do with. But while the balance of power in the labor market will have shifted back to your side—the employers’ side—your labor woes will be far from over.

Among the masses of the unemployed will be the workers you really want; the ones who possess both the technical skills and the work ethic (i.e., soft skills) you will need to get your business back on track. Those individuals are going to be in high demand and short supply, and they will have multiple options as to where they choose to work.

Before agreeing to their next job, those top performers will want to know—and it will be easy for them to find out—how you treated your existing workforce when these crushing waves hit your ship and you started taking on water.

Did you push your workers overboard? And if you were forced to do just that, did you provide them with a lifeboat, or perhaps an inflatable raft? And if even that were beyond your means, did you toss out a life preserver?

The Employer of Choice in a given industry or community doesn’t gain that reputation by paying the highest wage. They don’t produce a culture of outstanding employee attitudes or customer service by simply offering the coolest workplaces when business is booming and the bulls are raging. Rather, it’s what they do throughout the turbulent times that establishes their workforce culture street cred.

Make no mistake, how you are treating your current workforce throughout the coronavirus epidemic is being recorded for future playback by all the workers you hope to attract when this pandemic has ended.

HERE ARE 3 WAYS you can make a positive impact in the world and secure your reputation as a great place to work:

#1 PROTECT THE HEALTH & SAFETY OF YOUR WORKFORCE Treat your employees as you would treat your children if they were headed out to a playground with a few sick (and contagious) kids. From providing masks, gloves, and sanitizers to offering a work-from-home option (if possible), prioritizing the physical safety of your people – even if it comes at a cost to your business in the short term – sends a clear message that you take care of your organization. That results in great word-of-mouth, a feeling of personal connection to the business, and an appreciation for being more than a cash register attendant. In the long term, it’s a no-brainer investment.

#2 PROTECT THEIR PAYCHECK BEFORE YOUR OWN

Iconic brands like Southwest Airlines, Nucor Steel, and Wegmans Food Markets are never left out of a ‘best places to work’ conversation.

None of them laid off employees during the Great Recession of 2008, nor did they cut salaries. And the brands that will long be remembered after COVID-19 are prioritizing their workers’ financial needs above those of the C-Suite. Kent Taylor, CEO of Texas Roadhouse, is giving up his salary and bonus for the remainder of the year to benefit his employees.

Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt hotels, and Delta, United, and Alaska Airlines are cutting paychecks at the very top to help ease the burden of their frontline workers. Big Box stores like Target, Walmart, and Whole Foods are actually increasing the salaries and health benefits #3 for employees. While preserving paychecks is an impossibility in some sectors and companies, and many small- and SUPPORT YOUR medium-sized businesses simply can’t afford it, true COMMUNITY leaders actively – and sometimes creatively – While many of us are instructed to stay home, that does seek ways to provide any financial assistance not render us helpless to those who are still out there serving they can for their frontline staff. us. If you have the resources, give generously to blood banks, food banks, homeless shelters, the Red Cross, hospitals, and First Responders. If you can’t give monetarily, find a way to pitch in with other resources that are sorely needed in your community (i.e., Is your janitorial storage closet stocked with rolls of toilet paper or hand sanitizers that could be better used by your laid-off workers or a nearby shelter?).

While this should be done without any expectation of positive press or PR, it’s amazing how what you do now will make or break the reputation of your culture when this madness comes to an end. And it WILL end.

Continued on next page...

USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG | 9

Remember the labor crisis you were facing a month or two ago when you were begging for applicants? That scenario will be back before you know it, and you’ll want your current employees to be bragging about how you had their back when so many of their friends found themselves drowning and forced to swim to another boat.

There has never been a better opportunity to prove that your business is a great place to work.

As the wise old axiom says: “This too shall pass.” But the memories of how you took care of your employees and your community during this incredible disaster will remain etched in their hearts and minds forever.

Eric Chester is a leading voice in the global dialogue on employee engagement and building a world-class workplace culture. He’s an in-the-trenches researcher on the topic of the emerging workforce and the dynamics of attracting, managing, motivating and retaining top talent. Chester is a Hall-of-Fame keynote speaker and the author of 5 leadership books including: Fully Staffed (2020), On Fire at Work: How Great Companies Ignite Passion in their People without Burning Them Out (2015), and Reviving Work Ethic (2012). Learn more about Eric at EricChester.com.

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BY ANNE SWANSON USSSA CONFERENCE & MEETING COORDINATOR

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ROUND UP OF THE BIGGEST SPRING WORKSHOP EVER

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SUGAR LAND MARRIOTT TOWN SQUARE, SUGAR LAND, TX

At this year’s exciting Spring Workshop in Sugar Land, Texas, we got to Round ‘Em Up cowboy style!

You know what they say, everything’s bigger in Texas, and this was a milestone spring event with the highest attendance in association history! In addition to hearing from popular local influencers on building your swim business network, attendees enjoyed an unforgettable presentation by Ron White, a memory expert. Ron was entertaining and provided multiple takeaways for attendees to increase their memory and make a big impact upon their return to their respective swim schools. Bob Hubbard shared advice on how to master the art of presentation and Miren Oca inspired with her session on hospitality in swim schools.

In the afternoon, attendees were treated to multiple breakout tracks focusing on topics for swim school owners as well as swim instructors. Attendees had the opportunity to observe an in-water session as well as participate in multiple workshops.

Networking was another big theme at this year’s workshop! In addition to two receptions, members had options to sign up for networking dinners and lunches making this Spring Workshop a well-rounded success. A BIG TEXAS-STYLE THANK YOU to all of our presenters, sponsors, exhibitors and attendees for making this year’s workshop a smashing success!

USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG | 11

NAVIGATING COVID-19 WITH SUCCESS AND SILVER LININGS!

BY FRANK SAHLEIN CEO, 3RD LEVEL CONSULTING

Vital information, resources and trends can be found on the (Facebook) 3rd Level Consulting Online Forum – FREE of charge – as well as at www.3rdLevelConsulting.com

Boston Consulting Group (BCG) puts it this way: “The formula for business success that worked a few months ago doesn’t necessarily work today. And leaders can’t know for sure what will work a few months from now. To win in the 2020s—and beyond— change will not be a choice.”

Let’s take a moment to take a deep breath, together, as we navigate the COVID-19 waters today.

• YES – OUR INDUSTRY is facing a dire Challenge but our response has been with Compassion, Collaboration, Communication and Creativity. Never sell yourself short!

• OUR STAFF is looking for Clarity and Leadership. By remaining calm and practical, you are demonstrating the Leadership that is needed. Who else in your organization is going to do it? The Helpers in your organization will rise up; it is already happening in your organization.

• OUR FAMILIES are reacting in a wide variety of ways (immediate drops, drops with heart, keeping part or full tuition going - with partial or full virtual classes online - soliciting donations to keep the business going).

• OUR CHILDREN ATHLETES are facing the same Challenges – like our industry, we must model the Compassion, Collaboration, Communication and Creativity that will get us through. Children will adapt and model the behaviors that we demonstrate.

• OUR SERVICE PROVIDERS are also rising to the Challenge with the same Compassion, Collaboration, Communication and Creativity traits.

• OUR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS – there has been a wide variety of response times for Industry Associations to respond with statements and resources, but these take time. And we must all work together!

For COVID-19, a business innovation definition is this one: “Innovation is any process that an organization has in place that will support and fully encourage the introduction of new ideas, new methods of work flow, new methods in technology, and/or new products or services.”

SILVER LININGS FOR SWIM SCHOOLS: • Parents are going to be thrilled to have their children back in classes, and will appreciate what we offer more than ever before (swim skills, socialization, water safety and much more).

• Our Swim School Community (owners, managers, service providers, consultants, Associations) has pulled together in a beautiful way! We are all very grateful for this heartfelt collaboration.

• Finally, there will definitely be opportunity for expansion for those who: (a) had adequate financial reserves before C-19; (b) used this “closure time” to rapidly upskill their staff; and (c) are planning on coming back even STRONGER than before – even via expansion and acquisition strategies.

12 | USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG

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HONORING A GREAT CONTRIBUTOR TO THE SWIM SCHOOL WORLD

BY ROSS GAGE AUSTRALIAN SWIM SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION

Time to pause and pay our respects for the super enthusiastic member of the International Swim Schools Association’s (ISSA) Board of Advisors – Steve Franks – who passed recently after a long battle fighting the impact of COVID-19 on his body. Steve was only 52 and a strong, fit, positive individual.

Before joining Water Babies UK in 2009 as CEO, Steve was Operations Manager at the Swim Teachers Association (STA UK) for 6 years. As posted by Dave Chandler, STA President:

“Today, we heard the really sad news that we lost one of our own in the swimming world. Steve Franks, there are no words - you were a leader, an inspiration and a game-changer, but moreover you were our friend and you will be sadly missed. Steve, when he worked for STA was amazing, everyone respected him and he went on to achieve equally amazing things with Water Babies – he was truly passionate about this industry and we thank him from the bottom of our hearts for the incredible difference he made. He will be sorely missed by everyone who had the privilege to work with him. Our sincerest condolences go out to all of his family and friends – with special thoughts to his wife Alison and his two children.”

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Steve was also a strong contributor to various UK Government bodies. The following statement has been issued by ukactive Chair Tanni Grey-Thompson and ukactive Kids Council Chair Adrian Packer on the news of Steve Franks’ death: “The Board and team at ukactive are devastated by the news that Steve Franks has passed away, and our hearts go out to his family and the team at Water Babies. His contribution to improving the health of children will always be recognised, as CEO of the hugely successful swim school organisation, or through his leadership as part of the ukactive Kids council.

Steve’s passion and energy for changing children’s lives inspired us all. His death is a huge loss to our movement, and we will be more determined than ever to deliver his ambition to improve our children’s health.”

FURTHER TRIBUTES; THESE FROM ISSA OFFICIALS Julie Zancanaro, Australia: “Steve was a great leader for our industry and really inspired us. So sad to lose such a vibrant and valuable man. Serving on the ISSA International Board of Advisors with him was an honour for me. He will be so missed.”

Rafaele Madormo, Brazil: “When the COVID-19 takes away a familiar face. I met Steve Franks in 2018 during a meeting of the ISSA, both as Advisors. From his first intervention, I realized his energy and knowledge. Then we participated in some video conferences, and the initial impression solidified. I didn’t know your friendship, but that didn’t stop you from nurturing admiration for your leadership and support for the growth of ISSA. The international market in swimming schools loses a great leader.”

Sharron Crowley, Canada: “Steve we will always remember your passion, enthusiasm, energy and drive. Thank you for being a Leader of Leaders.”

Bob Hubbard, USA: “A great loss to his family but also to our industry. He was a strong leader. So sad.”

Mark Saunders, New Zealand: “Steve was a great leader and so passionate about our industry and its future.”

Ulrika Faerch, Sweden: “Steve was such a powerhouse and so dedicated. First time we met, was in Ireland, I had the feeling a speed train just flew by. I stood there wondering what happened?

It was Steve with his quick mind, motor mouth and lovely British accent. I understood that if I wanted to keep up with this man I better gear up on every level or surprise him with something completely different. I geared down, stopped and became the station. We enjoyed a nice conversation before he got into gear and up to speed again. I will always fondly remember Steve, grateful to have met him. We’ve lost a powerhouse and a friend.”

COVID-19: NOW IS THE TIME FOR LEADERSHIP

BY GREG MCRAY, EA THE FOUNDATION GROUP

This morning as I write this post, I am at my desk with just 3 others of my team in the office. The other 25 are working from home for the next few weeks, starting today.

The parking lot of our office building, which is usually full, is half empty. What should have been a 35-minute commute through Nashville traffic was instead about 18 minutes.

Such is the weirdness of living in a COVID-19 pandemic.

We haven’t seen anything like this in the US in our lifetimes. You have to go back to the 1918 Spanish flu outbreak to see a comparable global health challenge. That pandemic killed upwards of 50 million people, including my great-grandmother, who succumbed to the virus at age 29. Whereas the Spanish flu targeted the young, this particular virus is targeting those least able to fight it off.

When we rang in the new year, none of us could have imagined what is happening right now. The economy was rocking, and 2020 was lining up to be a banner year for many of us. Now, things are grinding to a sudden halt, the stock market has lost 33% from its high water mark, and people are scared.

NOW IS THE TIME FOR LEADERSHIP! Yes, our nonprofits and businesses are going to take a short term hit. This will sting!

Yes, there is much uncertainty. Financially speaking, many are rightfully worried about their jobs and keeping their bills paid. Many small nonprofits and businesses don’t know how they’ll get through a sustained downturn.

Those of us in leadership have a responsibility to use our platform for good.

Don’t waste this opportunity to rally your employees and volunteers to rise to the challenge. Encourage them to follow the guidelines being asked for by our experts fighting this pandemic: social distancing, personal hygiene, and selfless consideration of others (no hoarding!). Encourage them that if we are all willing to do the hard things for a few weeks, hopefully we won’t have to witness the horrific things later.

We have an opportunity to keep this from getting out of control in the US. Do it.

Be part of the solution. Lead.

YOUR FOLLOWERS WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU Greg McRay is the founder and CEO of The Foundation Group. He is registered with the IRS as an Enrolled Agent and specializes in 501(c)(3) and other tax exemption issues. Reprinted with permission.

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4 KEYS YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS TO SURVIVE AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN

BY VERNE HARNISH GROWTH INSTITUTE ABOVE: VISUAL SUMMARY

BY KRISTIN MCLANE OF THE VIVID INK COMPANY. FOLLOW HER ON FACEBOOK AND LINKEDIN FOR MORE LEARNING SNAPSHOTS.

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The world economy has been hit hard and as leaders we’re all wondering the same thing: What can a business do to survive an economic downturn?

The only tool that’s going to get us out of this is right between our ears. The quality and speed of how we implement our ideas will determine how we pull ourselves through these tough times.

As the business leaders at mid-market companies, we have a big responsibility on our shoulders. After the Great Recession, 92% of job growth came from the mid-market category. I predict that it will be the same scenario this time round and it’s going to largely be the mid-market organizations pulling us out of this mess.

So you, the unsung heroes of our economy, play an important role. But you’re also not alone. If we stick together, we’ll get through this together.

I recently met with a group of leaders online to share the four keys you need to help your company survive an economic crisis.

Read on to learn the key takeaways to help you prepare your business for a recession, and come out on the other side thriving.

THE MOST IMPORTANT TAKEAWAYS: 4 KEYS TO MANAGE CHAOS MOVING FROM SMART GOALS TO FAST GOALS Adaptability is key. You need to move quickly — from faster decision-making to faster execution. This is why I recommend a move from SMART Goals to FAST Goals.

I’m sure you’re already familiar with SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-Based. With the current situation, it’s better to go FAST: Frequently Discussed, Ambitious, Specific, and Transparent.

FREQUENTLY DISCUSSED I want to emphasize that you cannot think your way out of this mess. You can only talk your way out. The only way to know what step you should be taking next is by having the right data. This is why you need to be talking to your team, customers, suppliers, potential partners, the market, and so on — frequently.

Having the right data in a timely manner will allow you to either pivot and build, or rebuild quickly. To achieve this under current conditions, you need to pick up the pace of communication rhythms. Meetings need to be shorter and more frequent.

For example, a lot of our clients are now having daily huddles twice a day – instead of the standard once a day. In addition to receiving crucial data and continuously aligning the team, this also helps everyone stay focused during unpredictable times.

Focus drives calm, which is absolutely crucial right now.

AMBITIOUS Most of us have already planned our Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal. But this is not the focus right now, right now you should be thinking about how to re-strategize. We need to assume that not one additional traditional dollar from our existing business model is going to come in over the next six months. We need to plan for the worst.

But we also need to hope for the best. Now is not the time to freeze or hide.

We need to adopt an ambitious mindset and play our cards to win if you want to successfully prepare your business for a recession.

What are the new opportunities you can seize?

How can you transform and adapt to take advantage of new opportunities?

SPECIFIC It’s very important then to be specific about what you want to achieve. Clarity is another thing that drives calm.

I’d like to share the example of Gene Browne from The City Bin Company. When I first met Gene, City Bin was in the depths of the 2010 crisis in Ireland. Gene had 60 trash truck drivers employed and was just trying to make payroll.

Gene sat down with everyone in his company and discussed his ambitious and specific goal: to get just an extra €40,000 every month for the next three months.

They would frequently discuss their progress daily with everyone and in the end, they achieved their goal.

I checked in again with Gene to see how they’re coping with the current crisis.

He tells me that they now have 160 employees. And with that, he has a new specific and ambitious goal to get through this crisis: Get an extra €150,000 in cash over the next three months.

To achieve this, Gene broke down the goal into achieving a specific monthly recurring revenue (MRR) of €50,000. By following the same formula of frequently discussing their progress and frequently celebrating their progressive wins with everyone, they exceeded their goal and have achieved €80,000 MRR. All this wouldn’t have been possible without a specific, ambitious goal that is frequently discussed.

Continued on next page...

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TRANSPARENT If you have bad news to share, put it up front. You don’t want to take your bad news and stuff it between two buns of good news as if it will hide anything. Deliver the bad news first, then be transparent on how you’re dealing with it. Then share the good news, if any, but don’t make stuff up.

Keep this FAST acronym in mind as you’re planning your operations on an hourly, daily, and weekly basis.

Of course, it’s easier said than done when you’re swimming in uncertainty. Almost every single day we’re being punched with new information that’s affecting our companies and industries. How can you confidently plan new goals and execute a new strategy amidst this chaos?

This is where the four keys to managing chaos come in. They will help you develop the agility and adaptability you need to adopt FAST goals and get through this crisis.

Growth Institute is the premier online training company for mid-size organizations and their leadership teams. We are shortening the gaps in business learning and development by providing the ecosystem and community that supports business growth and stability. It takes a village of gurus to build a great company. Our remote learning platform is that village and expert thought leaders are the gurus. The platform provides a safe environment to debate, learn, and implement the most practical business methodologies. Our dream is to help 10 million leaders scale their impact and reduce their drama. Visit growthinstitute.com to learn more about our promise.

Reprinted with permission.

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TAKING CONTROL IN AN UNCONTROLLABLE WORLD Right now, it might feel like the world is out of control and in some respects it is. Things have changed so suddenly and it is very hard to adjust, it feels overwhelming and scary for many of us. With so much out of our control in this situation, it is extremely important to remember all that you can control. By doing this, you replace a sense of powerlessness with the feeling that you do have the ability to take command and create positive forward momentum; something we all need right now. So for a few minutes, stop what you’re doing and walk through these two simple steps.

LIST EVERYTHING YOU CAN CONTROL

BY JOHN SPENCE

Think closely about this as these are important whether big or small. Ask yourself • What can I impact, influence and change?

• What do I truly have control of?

• What can I do today to take more control?

LIST EVERYTHING YOU CAN’T CONTROL

As you start thinking through this list, don’t be alarmed, it will be much longer than the first list with items like coronavirus, the quarantine, the government, the economy, that’s okay just list everything that’s happening right now that you have no direct control over. Ask yourself • What’s keeping me up at night?

• What are the top things that give me the most stress and anxiety?

• What are the concerns I seem to be obsessing over?

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THESE?

It’s not easy to answer these questions. Stepping back to analyze what you can and can’t control might feel daunting. However, these lists can drastically change your outlook for the better. Take this first list of what you can control and take massive control on those items, focus on them all the time. Meanwhile, look at the second list and let go of the things on that list. The hours of worry and fear will make no difference. Try not to think about them and every time they come into your mind, push them out and focus back on the things you can control. With these quick two steps, you will re-discover your ability to tackle these difficult times. As inspiration, I encourage you to check out the list my neighbor’s kids (13, 11, 10, and 8 years old) came up with of what they can control.

While your list of items you can control may look different from these boys, it serves as a great example of the many areas in life you can continue to take control of. I hope you find this helpful in this difficult time. I wish all of you good health and to stay strong.

For more than 23 years John Spence has traveled worldwide helping people and businesses be more successful.

John is the author of five books and co-author of several more, a business consultant, workshop facilitator, keynote speaker and executive coach with a client list that includes numerous Fortune 500 firms to small businesses, professional associations and other organizations. John’s areas of expertise include: leadership, high-performance teams, managing change, organizational culture, consultative selling, strategic planning, strategy execution and the future of business. John has made a career of “Making the Very Complex…

Awesomely Simple.” Visit www.johnspence.com. Reprinted with permission.

USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG | 19

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

SEPTEMBER 15-17, 2020

USSSA NATIONAL CONFERENCE TAMPA, FLORIDA TBD usswimschools.org/events

AUGUST 24-26, 2021

AUSTRALIAN SWIM SCHOOLS CONFERENCE GOLD COAST usswimschools.org/events

OCTOBER 4-6, 2021

USSSA NATIONAL CONFERENCE MAUI, HAWAII

usswimschools.org/events

OCTOBER 7-8, 2021

INTERNATIONAL SWIM SCHOOLS SPECTACULAR MAUI, HAWAII

usswimschools.org/events

20 | USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG

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WORKING OUR WAY BACK

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BY LYNN LEDFORD CAL ELITE KIDS

Normally at this time we are enjoying peak enrollments. We’re opening classes, training teachers and building class schedules. Our marketing is in high gear, our camps are underway, kids are having parties and we are selling goggles and swim diapers. Normally.

22 | USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG

Instead, here we are grinding our way through COVID–19.

Gathered at our Spring Conference in Houston, how could we have known that a global train wreck was barreling toward us?

I can’t begin to narrate how this virus has impacted you or me or our industry. To borrow from the words of others - it has been frustrating. Heartbreaking. Devastating. Unpredictable.

Scary. Overwhelming. Sad. I am not a natural cheerleader. I’m just not. And I am not in the mood for kind assurances that everything is going to be fine. I am more in the mood for rolling up my sleeves and pragmatically, systematically identifying every single possible thing that I can and should and might be able to do so that we can work our way back from this… so that we can survive and find our new normal.

WHAT IS NORMAL NOW? Who knows. I am certainly not an expert. But I can share what I am learning and what we are planning on doing at our facilities.

I hope that I might share something that will be of value to you, my friends. I am going to provide a bit of background and then share an outline of steps to consider that might help you prepare and safeguard your facility, your business, your employees and your customers as we prepare for the time when we can safely re-open. I invite your feedback, experience and expertise. Share with me. We can help each other. Rah Rah. TO BEGIN… Holly Sprague from Bridgewater Swim Academy sent me a link to “The Public Health Principles for a Phased Reopening During Covid-19: Guidance for Governors” prepared by John Hopkins’ Center for Health Security. I encourage you to read it. (https://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/our-work/publications/ public-health-principles-for-a-phased-reopening-during-covid19-guidance-for-governors) We know that every state will (or should) establish its own guidelines for reopening. John Hopkins was commissioned to conduct research and establish guidelines to collectively assist the governors in establishing their state’s re-opening plan. We have swim schools in every state and international members as well. Rather than focus on any one state’s intentions for reopening, I find the John Hopkins’ Guidelines to be a great, neutral resource. The report begins with a description of 4 Phases of Reopening.

PHASE 1 Community mitigation and increased diagnostic testing.

This is the social distancing mitigation phase we have been in for the last several weeks.

PHASE 2 Achievement of the following 4 goals: 1. A 14-day decline in the number of new cases; 2. Demonstrated rapid diagnostic testing capacity; 3. Assurance that the health care system is able to safely care for all patients, including providing appropriate personal protective equipment for health care workers; 4. Sufficient public health capacity to trace new cases and contacts per the National Plan to Enable Comprehensive COVID-19 Case Finding and Contact Tracing in the U.S. SOME BUSINESSES AND SECTORS MAY BEGIN OPENING DURING PHASE 2.

PHASE 3 The availability of effective therapeutic treatment and/or vaccine(s).

PHASE 4 Identification of policy priorities for increased preparedness for future public health threats.

Our individual states may provide similar or different steps. The John Hopkin’s Guidelines, however, provide a reasonable road map toward important goals that we all have in common and may provide valuable guidance.

As we prepare to open our own facilities in California and Illinois, our COVID-19 focus is to ensure that our facilities are as safe as possible for our employees, students and families.

SPECIFICALLY, WE HAVE SET OUR COMPASS TOWARD THE FOLLOWING 3 GOALS: 1. Reduce the number of people in our facilities at any given time; 2. Reduce the duration of contact with people in our facilities; 3. Reduce the seriousness or depth of contact with people in our facilities.

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PREPARING YOUR FACILITY There are many important physical efforts that can lower the risk of exposure in our facilities by reducing the quantity, duration and seriousness of exposure.

Here are some suggestions.

1. Cleaning and Disinfecting. The CDC has established common sense but thorough Guidelines for Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Facility. This is a great place to start. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/ disinfecting-building-facility.html 2. Reconfigure spaces to create additional viewing. Spaces that allow even one or two people to view from somewhere else, help create distance. Move benches. Place tape on seating. Consider adding viewing on the deck. (Note: Reducing the number of people in the facility is discussed below under “Protecting Your Students and Families.”

This section addresses physical facility related actions.)

3. Consider streaming classes. There are many streaming platforms available and some of our software providers have partnered with streaming platforms to help us.

4. Look to hands free self-service throughout the facility.

This means hands free water faucets, soap dispensers, hand dryers, paper towel dispensers, trash cans, hand sanitizers, etc.

5. Ensure hand washing water faucets (especially if you do not have hands free faucets) are set for a minimum of 20 seconds. Many are adjustable and are most likely set for water conservation goals rather than COVID-19 mitigation goals.

6. Install hand-washing timers. There are several child-oriented timers that play children’s songs for 20 seconds. Most of these, however, are not hands free; have an unnecessary 2-minute teeth brushing component; and are a bit pricey.

They are also not in stock. We are going to install a mini Alexa up high in our bathrooms with written instructions by the sinks to ask Alexa to play one of the listed 20 second hand washing songs.

7. Provide quality hand washing product. Most experts agree that the physical process of washing the hands (friction and water) plays the biggest part in washing the virus off.

However, we have a hundred opportunities to tell our story within our facility and that story should be rich in clear and convincing language that tells our customers that we are doing all that we can at every turn. For most parents, providing quality soap provides an immediate, visual cue that we care.

8. Establish and train for new Cleaning and Disinfecting Practices for your facility as part of your new normal.

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PREPARING YOUR BUSINESS 1. Stay informed. Your ability to determine when and how you can open will be predicated upon being aware and informed.

How many students you will be able to invite into your facility and your customers’ willingness to re-engage will play critical roles in helping you to plan your re-opening.

2. Liability Insurance. If you have requested a Participant Exclusion from your liability carrier, remember to give notice when you want that exclusion lifted so that your coverage can be reinstated. You may be able to report lower student participation which should reduce your premium.

3. Workers’ Compensation. Check with your state on the status of your Workers’ Compensation coverage and potential filings, rate reductions, etc. The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California recently announced that it would not submit its July 1 mid-year filing due to the impact of coronavirus on businesses. The impact of the pandemic and payroll and claim cost level should be considered as part of the Bureau’s Jan. 1, 2021, pure premium rate filing. In general, lower payroll equals lower premiums but there is concern about COVID-19’s impact on the Workers’ Comp Industry. While there are fewer claims being filed during the Stay-At-Home mandates, the industry expects a spike of claims amongst healthcare workers, first responders and essential workers. The only safe message is to stay on top of your reporting, push to move existing claims through the system (which will be more feasible when the healthcare industry is not inundated with the virus) and shop it around.

4. Essential Services: If you have turned down utilities or stopped essential services such as trash pick up, mail delivery, supply deliveries, etc., be sure to let them know what your needs are upon re-opening. This might be a good time to scrutinize all services and reduce where warranted.

5. Scrutinize recurring costs that you paused. Can you eliminate, reduce or renegotiate internet services, phone services, security contracts, stock photo contracts, subscriptions, data storage contracts, etc.?

6. Tackle your class scheduling. No one has a crystal ball, but at some point we need to determine how we are going to schedule classes. We all have our own scheduling schematics and unique customer bases. We operate in different counties and states and the virus itself has treated us differently as some of our communities have been savagely affected while others have seemingly not been touched. I think it’s fair to say most, if not all of us, will face student loss. How will you adjust your class scheduling so that you can balance the need to build enrollment with the need to reduce risk?

Will you keep your regular schedule with some reductions in outlying classes? Will you reduce class sizes?

Will you reduce the number of classes that you offer at any one time? Will you introduce a staggered schedule to reduce the impact of greater customer presence during class transitions? Will you drastically reduce offerings to protect payroll and add them back as enrollment dictates?

Will you elongate your schedule (by offering classes earlier

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and later and more on the weekends) to reduce the number of people in the facility at any given time? Will you reduce the number of days that you are open – perhaps using the off days to thoroughly clean? Everyone needs a plan.

Class schedules will play a critical role in our ability to manage our costs, build our enrollment and reduce risk.

7. Re-assess your team. Many of us will be forced to reduce our staffing due to reduced enrollment and/or efforts to reduce the number of students and parents in the facility throughout the day. In our operations, we are trying to balance our desire to be good to our beloved employees with our fiscal responsibility and to ensure that the company survives and that there are jobs to come back to when this is over, and in 6 months from now. This pandemic might serve as the catalyst to free up the employee or two who was in question before it began. We are going to systematically identify our varsity players, our junior varsity players, our bench players and those players that we need to release. We have to. Told you I am not a natural cheerleader.

8. The CDC has identified that “older adults and people of any age who have serious underlying medical conditions might be at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19.”

Require employees to complete a “Readiness to Return to Work Survey” in which they are asked if they have any underlying health conditions.

Ask and/or require employees who have self-identified as having underlying health conditions to not report to work until a later phase. This should be mutually discussed

between you and each employee. Be careful as you deal with employees who are over the age of 65. You do not want to buy yourself an age discrimination case in the wake of a pandemic. Question ALL employees equally and fairly. You may have staff who have heart conditions, diabetes, asthma, etc., of ALL ages.

Your “Readiness to Return to Work Survey” should also include an inquiry as to whether or not the employee has any close contacts who have or have had COVID-19.

You do not want to bring someone back into the pool whose spouse is battling the Coronavirus.

9. Consider having employees sign an Acknowledgement of Risk of Exposure to Communicable Disease wherein they acknowledge and understand that they may contract COVID-19 and other communicable diseases while working at your facility.

10. Add a Communicable Disease Clause to your Student Waiver, if it is not already there.

11. Establish and properly communicate financial policies that address how tuition and assessments etc., that have already been paid, will be handled in the event of a future unforeseen government shutdown.

12. Consider re-aligning your automatic billing period to a bi-monthly cycle. We have already been considering this. In the event of ANY drop, pandemic or otherwise, the amount of unearned tuition and potential refund in a bi-monthly billing cycle and the ensuing refund exposure for the swim school, is reduced. Some say a twice a month billing process spreads your cashflow. Some say it is easier to sell 2 automatic payments of $46 per month versus one payment of $92. Others say that twice a month billing increases billing workload, transaction fees and cues parents to drop twice as often. All interesting thoughts.

USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG | 25

13. Scrutinize ancillary programs that tax social distancing standards (Parties, Parents’ Night Out, Open Swim, etc.)

Perhaps these programs can be rolled out in a later phase of your reopening plan.

14. Review dates of perishable items in your facility before resuming re-sale.

15. Use best practices for handling and selling retail products, especially food items.

16. Create a media kit for parents, your website and social media sites, that outlines your reopening plan and the important measures that you are taking to help safeguard the students, staff and parents. Include engaging contributions from key staff. Be encouraging but be sure you do not use language that can be interpreted as a promise or guarantee that students or parents will not contract COVID-19 or any other communicable disease in your facility.

17. Speaking of which, review ALL communications with parents to ensure that there is no language that can be interpreted as a promise or guarantee of safety. Consider contacting your attorney to help you create and implement go-to clauses in your communications such as:

“While we are taking efforts to minimize the potential risk of exposure in our facility, low risk does not mean no risk.”

“Everyone has a role to play in taking actions to protect themselves and those around them.

Please be accountable for your own health and for the health of those around you.”

“We are sorry, students, parents and guests who have underlying medical conditions or who are in close contact with someone who has underlying medical conditions, should not participate or be present in our facility at this time.”

“Until further notice, all parents and guests are required to wear masks while in our facility and to practice social distancing.”

“While we are taking efforts to minimize the potential risk of exposure to COVID-19 in our facility, we cannot guarantee that COVID-19 will never be present or communicated within our facility. This consideration must be a deliberate part of your decision to re-engage in your activities with us.”

26 | USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG

PROTECTING YOUR EMPLOYEES 1. Establish and communicate written Guidelines for Returning to Work.

2. Follow testing guidelines and opportunities in your community and determine whether or not you can or will provide testing for your employees, if the testing becomes available to you.

3. Identify vulnerable employees (as discussed above) and determine the safest way and time to bring them back to work. Perhaps antibody testing will become an option.

Maybe working from home is an option or perhaps the safest choice is to delay bringing vulnerable employees back to work until Phase 3 or 4.

4. Focus on reducing quantity and duration of contact with customers and staff:

a. Facilitate work from home for admin staff and for the admin portion of teaching staff’s schedule;

b. Eliminate group clock-in systems. Facilitate clock-in from personal devices; reporting hours from home computers; establishing payroll based on set schedules, etc.;

c. Reduce or disable non-essential gathering or collective use spaces and items (break rooms, mailboxes, communal computers, employee refrigerator, drinking fountains, vending machines, etc.;)

d. Implement Hands Free Facility Guidelines (above) such as hands-free hand dryers, paper towels, faucets, trash dispensers, etc.;

e. Eliminate group use of office supplies and facilitate individual supplies that are marked per employee (communal staplers, scissors, pens, etc.);

f. Discourage employees from bringing in non-essential items to work such as backpacks, extra clothes, laptops, etc.;

g. Facilitate social distancing in office setting when possible. Move desks, create space, mark spaces;

h. Consider staggering office staffing to reduce quantity of staff present at one time and the duration of contact with one another;

i. Discourage staff carpooling;

j. Discourage before or after work socializing, meals, drinks, etc.;

k. Enforce 5-minute shift rule: Employees should be discouraged from being in the building more than 5 minutes before or after a shift, when possible;

l. Consider restricting onsite staff showering, changing clothes, etc.;

m. Prohibit non essential meals at work. Any meals and breaks legally mandated should be taken as required with extra effort to adhere to social distancing and hygiene standards.

5. Consider implementing a (hands-free) temperature monitoring policy for employees. Document recordings.

6. Provide and enforce the use of CDC recommended cotton masks for admin and gym employees and plastic shield masks for swim staff.

7. Install retail plastic barriers at front desk and at any area where an employee may repetitively serve customers.

8. Replace group meetings with virtual meetings, create written huddles, etc.

9. Implement, communicate and enforce personal hygiene standards.

PROTECTING YOUR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES 1. Establish and communicate written Guidelines for Program Participation and Presence in the Facility with the goal of reducing the quantity of people in the facility, the duration of contact, and the seriousness or depth of the contact.

2. Restrict the number of people in each space within your facility

a. Promote direct traffic patterns that eliminate or reduce each person’s travel, duration of presence and contact within the facility.

b. Encourage use of specific entries versus main door/ group entries, if possible. E.g. Preschool swimmers enter the pool directly from back pool exit door; campers enter the through the front door. Or, classes that start on the hour enter through the back door and classes that start on the half hour enter through the front door. Map out your traffic flow and be strategic. c. Adjust/stagger classes so that they do not start and end at the same time, thereby reducing the number of people in the facility at the same time, especially during class transitions. A less appealing alternative to me is to add 5-10 minutes between classes. For very large programs this can be an option. It just hits our already taxed payroll in a hard way by adding 80 – 160 minutes of payroll each day times the number of teachers. d. Consider adding a ‘dry’ or ‘on deck’ warm up to classes wherein incoming students start on deck – away from classes that are finishing up in the pool and exiting the building – thereby creating a natural distance barrier without adjusting class times.

e. Consider eliminating or restricting customer use of showers thereby reducing the quantity of people in a restricted space as well as the duration and depth of contact.

i. Perhaps you can offer a mix of these options to your customers – e.g. morning classes might be able to continue per your regular schedule but afternoon and weekend classes may be adjusted to the minimizing contact schedules.

3. Establish a mask policy. Will you not require masks at all?

Will you require all admin staff to wear cotton masks? Will you require gym teachers to wear cotton masks? Will you require swim teachers to wear plastic face shields? Will you provide masks/shields for your staff? Will you require all parents and adult guests to wear masks?

4. Consider purchasing bulk single use masks or simple washable cotton “give-away” masks for customers to help effectuate your mask policy. Cotton ‘give-away’ masks can be branded with inexpensive iron on logos or messages.

We are investigating this option now.

5. Identify and reduce non-essential touch points (listed above) such as drinking fountains, vending machines, coffee counters, etc.

6. Provide facility wide efforts (listed above) such as hands-free amenities, quality soap, hand sanitizers, etc.

THE NEW NORMAL. We will be implementing many of these suggestions. Some of these actions and restrictions will be temporary. We hope staff will eventually be able to carpool, eat lunch together, shower before they leave and share the same pen.

Some of these processes might end up being part of our new normal. Some might make us better. Many will be hard.

And expensive. We must work our way through this.

I do have a cheer after all. It comes from my heart. Let’s remind ourselves…

We provide an essential service that cannot be replaced with virtual programming and whose necessity will not be diminished by anything, not even a global pandemic.

What will remain steadfast and true in our crazy new normal?

Children will ALWAYS need to learn to swim.

f. Re-align seating and viewing for parents. Place sticker footprints where parents can stand or “X’s” where they can sit on a bench. Open up any other possible area for viewing. Add seating. Consider adding seating on the pool deck, streaming classes, etc., and the other guidelines set forth in the Facility section above. g. Consider reducing class sizes so that there are fewer students in the training space and fewer parents in the viewing area or facility. E.g. reducing group swim classes from 4 students per class to 2 per class. h If you decide to reduce class sizes, also consider shortening the length of your classes to reduce duration of contact in the facility AND to compensate for the financial consequences of reduced class sizes.

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LESSONS LEARNED DURING COVID ISOLATION

BY MIREN OCA OCAQUATICS SWIM SCHOOL INFANT-TODDLER COMMITTEE CHAIR

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Uncertainty is a fact of life right now and has been for several weeks. The COVID pandemic has caused many losses.

Many businesses have lost the ability to operate, employees have lost income, and we have all been moved out of our comfort zone and lost our “normal� rhythm as we knew it. But it is important to remember that some families have suffered the ultimate loss and have lost loved ones. I am sad for those individuals who got sick and for those who did not recover. I hope and pray for a cure soon!

But during this time we have also gained some valuable insight. Here are 7 of the lessons that I have learned during this COVID isolation so far.

LESSON 1 DO NOT GO THROUGH THIS ALONE! Leadership is lonely so make sure that you have a support group to help you through this complicated time. Very few people understand what we are going through as business owners. I know that my non-business owner friends have a hard time relating completely to what I am going through. And that is why this association is so very important. We can pick up the phone or get on a Zoom call with any number of people and talk and laugh and work through our challenges. I am grateful to the USSSA and it has helped me during this time!

GOOD LEADERS MAKE THE BEST OF DIFFICULT SITUATIONS. THIS HAS BEEN A TRYING TIME FOR EVERYONE, BUT LET’S MAKE SURE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE MEANINGFUL LESSONS LEARNED. IF WE ARE GOING TO DO SO IT WILL NOT HAPPEN ON ITS OWN. POSITIVE CHANGE ONLY COMES AS A RESULT OF INTENTIONALITY. FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CONTROL AND HOW YOU WANT TO BE BETTER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS. WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER!

LESSON 2 GIVE YOURSELF SOME GRACE! I can honestly say that it has been a rollercoaster ride of emotions and there have been some very difficult days. Forgive yourself for any mistakes made during this time….

I have made tons. We need to remember that we are entrepreneurs and that means we are creative, hard-working beings. We can get through this! Just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Don’t lose your ambition. There is light at the end of the tunnel….yes, it is a long tunnel but I see light. Focus on the light. The very best resource I found on this is a podcast that Craig Groeschel put out a few weeks ago at www.life.church/leadershippodcast/leading-through-crisis

LESSON 3 5 WORDS CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE! What kind of leader have you been through this crisis? I heard this tip several years ago and it has been very helpful to me during this time: what are the five words that I want people to say about me and how I handled this time? It has given me something to focus on every morning before I get up and make decisions.

Think of these five words now and every day act so that people will say these five words.

LESSON 4 ROUTINE WILL SET YOU FREE AND KEEP YOU STRONG! A healthy diet, regular exercise and high-quality sleep are always important, but especially so during this complicated time. You all already know this, so just do it!

Keep your body going to be able to handle the incredible stress during this time and to stay strong for the people who need you most right now.

LESSON 5 HEROES ARE MADE IN THE HARD TIMES Crisis is an opportunity for strong leadership. None of us know how this will play out and when it will be over but the best thing you can do for your team is to communicate.

Take care of your people by communicating frankly with them on a regular basis. Tell them what you do not know. The important thing is to stay connected and engaged with your people. They are scared and they want to hear from you even if you do not have all of the answers. If you are in a position of leadership, please remember that anyone can lead when times are great. The best leaders lead when things fall apart. Go out and be a hero!

LESSON 6 DO SOMETHING NICE FOR SOMEONE! Write a card. Send some flowers.

Call someone who you have not spoken to in awhile to check in.

You will gain far more than you give!

LESSON 7 LET’S NOT GO BACK TO NORMAL! Let’s go forward to a “new normal” with the lessons learned during this time. Obviously, we are going to have to make changes with new awareness around social distancing.

But let’s go for a new and positive normal. This is a time to start over.

Let’s remain connected with people and be genuinely concerned about the lives of the people we work with. Let’s come back as a stronger team. Work and family life have always been blended at Ocaquatics, but this isolation time has been an opportunity for us to get closer and see each other through a different lens. The “old normal” did not always allow for that.

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SEEKING A FUN TEAM BUILDING GAME? TRY THE ZOOM SCAVENGER HUNT

BY CASEY DEL PRETE SWIMMING SAFARI SWIM SCHOOL

GAME DETAILS Divide your Zoom call into two or more teams. The team with the most points at the end of all the rounds wins!

Make sure to write down who is on what team so when their pictures move on the Zoom dashboard you can keep track.

ROUND 1

The first person back with the item wins the point for their team.

1. SWIMMING SAFARI SHIRT 2. BATHING SUIT 3. TOWEL 4. PET 5. YOUR LUNCH ITEMS 6. ICE CUBES 7. HAND SOAP

ROUND 2

Best items win a point for their team!

The winning item is determined by the meeting organizer. Give everyone a set amount of time to pick the item they think best answers the question.

We set one minute.

8. SOMETHING PEOPLE ARE HOARDING RIGHT NOW? 9. SOMETHING KEEPING YOU ENTERTAINED WHILE AT HOME? 10. SOMETHING YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT? 30 | USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG

BONUS ROUND We gave everyone three minutes.

BEST COSTUME WINS 2 POINTS

STAFF RETENTION DURING CHALLENGING TIMES

BY LANA WHITEHEAD & SHAUNNA RISINGER SWIMKIDS USA

Normally, during this time of year our buildings are filled with the sound of splashing waves and the laughter of children. This year has been especially hard on all of us mentally, emotionally and financially. At SWIMkids USA we had to get creative to keep our staff employed during the shutdown. No one wants to train new staff at the peak of a season. This is why we have chosen to find ways to keep our staff engaged and on board while adhering to social distancing standards and staggered scheduling.

Here are some of our ideas.

We decided to use this opportunity to thoroughly clean and renovate the building.

We did not realize how many creative projects can improve our business had we not been given this “gift of time.” Some projects were more laborious than others, like draining the pools, cleaning, painting, staining and power washing. Others were more team building. Making videos for social media, redesigning our front desk area, updating information boards, building cabinets, creating a rock wall and training our staff.

With many people losing their jobs, we were able to hire a few new talented workers and start their training immediately. Many of our staff were already using their hours to train with our aquatic and gymnastic directors to sharpen their teaching skills. They melded easily into our already existing continuing education sessions. This gave us a great opportunity to evaluate their character and commitment.

Training videos have been on our to-do list for many years. This was the perfect opportunity to cross it off the bucket list. We are lucky enough to have staff members with children who we could use as demonstration subjects. Fortunately, this is a project that requires a lot of employee hours and enthusiastic devotion. It involves many team members working collaboratively towards a common goal. It’s a lot more fun than cleaning and painting a wall!!!

If you look for it hard enough, and get a little creative, you’ll always find a silver lining in challenging times. Good luck with your new projects!

NEW USSSA HEALTH CONCERNS COURSE NOW AVAILABLE

BY KATHY HUBBARD HUBBARD FAMILY SWIM SCHOOL INFANT-TODDLER COMMITTEE MEMBER

Our hyperfocus on health and safety today made us realize it’s a good time to share a short course titled, Health Concerns When Teaching Swimming to Children. These health concerns are often seen in our swim lesson environments. This course is being offered for free and is a new prerequisite for the Infant-Toddler and Special Abilities courses. The introduction to this course describes it well: “While most students enjoy healthy, happy swimming experiences, some children might develop health concerns as a result of their time in the water or they may have a health condition that impacts their water experience. It is important to be aware of these conditions and know how to prevent them or minimize their impact. We will cover a few of the most common health and safety concerns for young swimmers.”

USSSA has collected a number of well written articles by experts regarding health concerns that many of us see all the time in our swim lesson populations. Topics such as ear infections, fecal, pink eye, hyponatremia and more are covered in this new course.

Many of us have received calls from clients who phone us to voice their concern that “Susie” has just been diagnosed with “swimmer’s ear”. The inference is that it came from your swim school. We listen, talk, find out that they have been swimming daily in their neighbor’s pool or their community pool. How do you talk with confidence and empathy about the fact that their daughter never had “swimmer’s ear” in the past 8 months of lessons in our pool? Could it possibly be that the chemicals in the outdoor pools are not recorded 3 times daily and kept at a consistent level that is required and tracked in our pools?

Dry drowning? Despite the fact that many medical personnel have written and tried to educate about it, the term “Dry Drowning” seems to surface almost every summer season, creating fear in many parents. In the Health Concerns course, Seth C. Hawkins, M.D., Director of Lifeguards Without Borders and Medical Director of Starfish Aquatics Institute states; “Drowning is never “dry.” Nearly every major medical organization has spoken out against misleading terms such as “dry,” “near,” or “secondary” drowning applied to cases in which a patient got worse within hours of water exposure.”

Take this new course and you will find some great talking points, articles and examples to help you understand some of these issues better! Also, you will be better prepared to educate your staff and clients, when these questions arise.

Enjoy! Reach into the online USSSA Library and learn more about health concerns when teaching swimming.

Photo credit: Hubbard Swim

DROWNING SEASON MEANS MEDIA PLANNING

BY DAVID GORMAN SDN BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Drowning season is upon us, therefore this is prime time for USSSA members to plan for media exposure.

This is a positive opportunity and Stop Drowning Now has been fostering national media for the last 3 years.

BOD President, Jim Spiers, is tapped regularly for Today, Fox & Friends and other major national shows you can find on the SDN site.

Swim schools must be proactive - but not annoying and time-wasting - with media channels to get coverage. Annoying time-wasters are low-value story suggestions that only meet your needs and not the media channel’s. Here are some action points where you can customize the SDN content to your relationship-building with news outlets.

• Research the producers who cover children’s health issues in your community. The right categories might be lifestyle, parenting, community or family sections. Getting to the right producer is essential. Do your homework by looking at the other stories they have covered and what their priorities are. What time you present the story matters also. Pitch the story before 7am for the noon show, before noon for the 5pm show and before 5 for the 11pm show. Any story that runs in the 11pm show will generally also run again the next morning during morning shows (more bang for your buck).

• Make reporters’ lives easier by sending only valuable story pitches. Put yourself in their shoes. Be sure to solve their problems and not yours. You could lose credibility if you don’t use their time wisely. Make your pitch short (150-300 words). Make it clear by answering the basic journalistic questions: Who? What? Where? When?

How? Why do you care? Also, include contact and contact’s title. Make the value easy to understand - or they will simply throw the pitch away.

• Have a great attention-getting hook. A story example for this season might bring COVID-19 together with the start of drowning season. For example, “drowning season has started and COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders mean unexpected risks of kids drowning”. If you think of something even better in your community, give it a try. Share it with us.

• Don’t be discouraged if your pitch doesn’t get attention right away. It takes time and relationship-building with the reporters. Timing is also important. Expect the reporter’s need to balance your pitch with other urgent and timely story opportunities.

These can change from moment to moment. Follow the art of staying in touch without being overbearing.

• Finally – be prepared. If a journalist follows up with you, you might have to respond to their request immediately. Time is of the essence. The reporter faces real deadlines and huge pressure with the thousands of media channels that he or she must compete with.

Thank you to SwimJim’s Jaison Manns for his expertise and education of journalism and broadcast media. Jaison completed University of Michigan’s Graduate School of Journalism’s Master’s Program. He has been a producer at CNBC, Fox and other national media leaders.

When business conditions become more prosperous once more, please think of joining or rejoining Stop Drowning Now. We understand and respect the members who needed to suspend their monthly contribution, and we are equally grateful to those who have decided to keep supporting us. Thank you so much. Your generosity now and in the future makes our work possible and helps save lives.

USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG | 33

ASSA TRANSITIONS G’day from your Aussie mate! As you may have heard, I have decided not to seek to extend my contract to be Australian Swim Schools Association (ASSA) CEO past June 30, 2020. Over the past few months, I have been engaged with the ASSA Board in a positive transition process to ensure ASSA continues on its successful path.

BY ROSS GAGE 2017 USSSA HALL OF FAME RECIPIENT

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For those who know my deep love and commitment to the Industry, you will understand that this decision was not made lightly. The opportunity to further develop the role of General Manager of Carlile Swimming, whilst still being involved with ASSA, was a most appealing prospect. Though COVID-19 hit all that on the head; however, it is still time to explore new possibilities.

I sleep well, feeling confident that I have helped play a role in establishing Australia’s first Peak Industry Body for Swim Schools – uniquely solely focused on Swim Schools – the only Association where Swim Schools are the Constitutional Voting Members. And of course, the flow ons too: for example, the International Swim Schools Association.

Driving the development of ASSA over the past 4+ years has been a rewarding challenge. The many successes are a testimony to the vision, expertise and commitment of many. The structure and operational successes (eg Conferences) are there for ASSA to build upon and continue to prosper. Opportunity abounds!

What are some of the successes I am proud of? I love conceiving of ‘new’ things/ concepts (and/or bringing things together); eg, the ASSA-USSSA Strategic Alliance, the International Swim Schools Spectacular, Women Walking on Water, Australian Swim Schools Hall of Fame, ASSA Young Guns and the ASSA-USSSA disABILITYswimming Library. Of course, many people have contributed to the success of such ventures – primarily Emily McNeill and Nicala Harris.

NOTE: I AM NOT GOING AWAY! I WILL CONTINUE TO BE IMMERSED IN ASSA ACTIVITIES. THIS WILL INCLUDE: • Retaining the role with ASSA relating to Commercial Partner Acquisition and Relationships • Being a voluntary Advisor at Board Meetings, and • Joining the Inclusion and Water Safety Committees as a volunteer member ASSA IS IN GREAT HANDS, WITH A TOP-NOTCH LEADERSHIP TEAM. CRITICALLY: • The Board and Committees are first rate • Emily is doing a marvelous job as General Manager • Nicala brings vast experience • The events are world-leading • The services are broad and relevant, and • The Partner group – both Organisational and Commercial – is strong As mentioned, I was looking forward to a continuing involvement with ASSA. Little did I know, though, that the first significant engagement, sadly, would be as a result of the dreaded coronavirus. Coming onboard ASSA’s COVID-19 Taskforce, I readily proposed to drive a group determining the ‘impact of social distancing on swim schools’ – particularly as it pertained to a successful re-opening. The impact can be potentially massive – perhaps necessitating critical changes to the educational and business/financial modeling around swim schools.

As this piece is for my beloved United States Swim School Association (USSSA): a very brief note of my involvement. My first national conference was in 1993, in Orange County, CA – where Johnny and Cindy Johnson and John Bainbridge ruled the roost. John Coutts kindly introduced me around to many fellow Swim Schoolers (I had my own swim school: Westside Swimming, for 30 years) who subsequently became lifelong friends. Next was Tempe, AZ in 1995 – and meeting the likes of the Hubbards, Karen Kittelson Clay, Miren Oca and the Emler crew (Jan being able to trade sarcasm with an Aussie being one of many highlights).

The USSSA Conference is the time I most look forward to each year! Apologies to Santa and the Easter Bunny! It is overwhelmingly about catching up with old friends, making new ones and networking. I check out the program for the first time on the flight over. The vibe – sharing, caring and ‘family’ is what makes the USSSA – like ASSA – so special.

And... planning to make more contributions to the USSSA over the next 40 years (turning 60 this year).

ASSA President, Wayne Pollock, on Ross’s contribution to the Industry: Ross has been involved in this sector for nearly four decades. His list of achievements is long and impressive and reflects both his passion for teaching children to swim and his commitment to the industry and all that it stands for: • He was the architect and driving force behind the establishment of respected industry peak bodies such as Swim Australia, the Australian Swim Schools Association and the International Swim Schools Association • He has been recognised by his global peers via his induction into the US Swim Schools Association’s Hall of Fame in 2017 • He was instrumental in successfully lobbying the Australian Government to classify ‘swimming lessons’ as an essential education and life-saving service resulting in lessons for all Australian children to be categorised as GST exempt • He built momentum around the ground-breaking research conducted by the Griffiths University team who confirmed empirically and unequivocally the far-reaching physical, cognitive and social benefits resulting from a child’s exposure to swimming from an early age.

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS A3 | p4 Aquam | p4 C&H Financial | p18 CES | p37 Cressi | p45 Endless Pools | p43 FINIS | Inside Front Cover HDC Products | p13 iClass Pro | p37 iPlay | p43 Jackrabbit | p21 Neptune-Benson | p21 Pool Guard | p2 Tri Swim | p10

As they say, onwards and upwards!

USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG | 35

TAX RETURNS & ESTIMATED TAXES NOW DUE JULY 15

BY SEAN DEVER SEAN DEVER CPA & ASSOCIATES

WHO IS AFFECTED? This deferment applies to all taxpayers, including individuals, trusts and estates, corporations and other non-corporate tax filers as well as those who pay self-employment tax.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the federal income tax filing due date is automatically extended from April 15, 2020, to July 15, 2020. Taxpayers can also defer federal income tax payments due on April 15, 2020, to July 15, 2020, without penalties and interest, regardless of the amount owed. In addition, the payment and return-filing requirements for gift and generation-skipping transfer taxes due April 15 are now due July 15, matching postponements granted to federal income taxes and returns.

Many states have also extended their tax deadlines and payments for a number of taxes in response to COVID-19.

Please call for additional information.

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NO NEED TO FILE AN EXTENSION Taxpayers do not need to file any additional forms or call the IRS to qualify for this automatic federal tax filing and payment relief.

Individual taxpayers who need additional time to file beyond the July 15 deadline, should file Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time To File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. Businesses who need additional time must file Form 7004, Application for Automatic Extension of Time To File Certain Business Income Tax, Information, and Other Returns. Don’t hesitate to call if you have questions or need assistance.

FILE NOW FOR A REFUND Even though the filing deadline has been extended there is no need to wait to file your tax return especially if you are due a refund. Filing electronically using direct deposit is the fastest way to get a refund and most tax refunds are still being issued within 21 days.

THE STAFFORD ACT These extended deadlines are the result of the President’s emergency declaration and made possible by the Stafford Act. The Stafford Act, which was enacted in 1988, is a federal law designed to bring an orderly and systematic means of federal natural disaster and emergency assistance for state and local governments in carrying out their responsibilities to aid citizens.

Express Payroll is part of Sean Dever, CPA & Associates, an accounting firm which provides services such as: Small Business Accounting; Tax Preparation & Planning, Business Valuation, Succession Planning and Payroll Service. Sean focuses the firm’s services towards the children’s sports education industry, including swimming, gymnastics, dance and cheerleading. For more information, email sean@devercpa.com or visit www.devercpa.com. Reprinted with permission.

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ASK AL

BY ALVARO G. MENDOZA COMMERCIAL ENERGY SPECIALISTS, INC.

THE PANDEMIC HAS TURNED OUR BUSINESS, OUR EXPANSION PLANS, AND OUR ENTIRE SWIM SCHOOL WORLD UPSIDE DOWN. ONCE WE’RE PAST THIS, WHAT DO YOU SUSPECT MIGHT BE SOME LONG-TERM CHANGES TO THE WAY WE DESIGN AND/OR OPERATE OUR POOLS? WHAT CAN WE DO NOW TO GET READY?

Welcome back to our “Ask the Expert” feature, designed to assist you with issues related to swimming pool water, mechanical equipment, space conditioning and code compliance.

Ask a question, and we will try to answer to the best of our ability.

Yes, this is quite an unprecedented mess, isn’t it?

But working together we’ll all get through it. We might be able to draw some parallels to 9/11. While it was a totally different type of business interruption, there might be some similarities that we can use to plan ahead. The key is safety.

While there was already a very pronounced long-term trend toward safer, cleaner and better documentation from our facilities, we fully expect the trend to escalate. We’re already seeing it. Patrons are asking if the water is safe to swim in, if diseases can be transmitted via the facility, and how they can be ASSURED that the facility is safe.

We expect patrons to gravitate to safer places and expect that they will want proof of safety.

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Here are a few thoughts on how we can best tweak our approach for a post-pandemic swim school operation.

PHYSICAL CLEANING Some swim school facilities historically placed a huge premium on cleaning and DISINFECTING their common areas, lockers, pool decks, pool toys, teaching aids, etc., on a daily basis. Others quite frankly have not. This will change dramatically.

We are now infinitely more aware that diseases are retained and possibly transmitted on hard and soft surfaces for many hours or days. Who isn’t cleaning their Amazon boxes these days? We expect this to modify post-pandemic behavior in which patrons are going to want to smell “fresh and clean” pool areas.

What is on the preliminary list for consideration? There are ways to clean the deck area, including wiping down the hand rails daily with a mild alcohol or chlorine-based solution. Pool toys, lane lines, and teaching aids could also be cleaned and disinfected daily. The deck itself can be sprayed down with a chlorine spray using a verifiable pre-calculated solution of chlorine. One proven tool for such deck and toy cleaning is a WysiWash cleaning system, which uses a hose spray attachment with a calcium hypochlorite (cal hypo) tablet in the treatment chamber. There might be others that accomplish the same thing.

Of course, all door handles, leading in and out of the deck area could optimally be disinfected several times a day. It also goes without saying that chairs, changing areas, lockers, bathrooms, the lobby, shopping and bistro areas will get a thorough cleaning, although you might seek professional help on best cleaning methods, which we are not qualified to address here.

All in all, customers might feel more reassured if they walked into a fresh, maybe even an antiseptic or clinicalsmelling area.

Another possibility is to disinfect the air within the HVAC systems. Through our experience with Ozone and UV systems, we are well aware of in-line treatment systems that continually disinfect the recirculated air – inactivating some airborne contaminants and making the air smell clean.

SAFE, PROPERLY TREATED WATER Many international organizations, including the CDC, World Health Organization (WHO), PWTAG (Pool Water Treatment Advisory Group) and others have gone on record stating that COVID-19 cannot be transmitted in properly chlorinated water. These facts could be shared with our swim school patrons and promoted in all marketing and social media avenues.

However, the water MUST be made as safe as possible. This means that all hand-fed or manually-dosed chlorination systems, which produce verifiable peaks and valleys in treatment levels should optimally be replaced by a reliable automated treatment system, preferably one that monitors and controls via both ORP and direct-reading chlorine residual (in PPM), along with pH. Outdoor pools that utilize cyanuric acid stabilizer should consider the CDC’s 2016 guidelines that recommend stabilizer levels <15 PPM in an effort to more effectively treat for fecal accidents.

However, lower stabilizer also produces higher ORP levels that provide more instantaneous kill of undesirable organisms. Also, UV systems that many swim schools installed primarily to help reduce chloramines are also terrific for inactivation of spores, virus, and bacteria (including Crypto, Giardia, hepatitis A, and E. Coli) instantly, and in a single pass. That is just another reason to make sure that your school is equipped with a suitably-sized and properly maintained UV system, making sure that you can provide >45 mJ dosing on a continual basis.

Finally, systems that closely monitor their water quality parameters, digitally log their readings on a continual basis and digitally alert their team immediately of any lapses in treatment levels, are commonplace in leading swim schools today, and should help assure customers that these facilities are a safer learn-totype of interactive water quality control is rapidly becoming the norm, and a baseline for proper swim school operation.

SELF-PROMOTION OF SAFETY AND CLEANLINESS Even with the steps taken above, many feel that customers will return more quickly if they are more confident of the standard of care provided by a swim

school facility. This could be accomplished by self-promotion.

Facilities that: automatically control their chemistry, use new monitored self-reporting test kits, utilize drinking water-grade filtration techniques, utilize UV or ozone for supplemental treatment, or have implemented powerful remote control and alert notification systems, could have on-site signage that helps reassure patrons that the facility is safe.

They might also feature these significant investments in water quality control techniques on their websites to help further reassure parents that the facility places a huge premium on safety.

CONCLUSION At the end of the day, once the pandemic recedes, many feel that parents are going to go back to the important goal of making sure their kids know how to swim, to prevent drownings, and to helping kids of all ages become more confident and accomplished swimmers.

So, the long-term industry outlook appears to be very bright, and cannot be significantly derailed by a short-term health issue.

What is yet to be resolved is how we are going to integrate social distancing into lessons that have traditionally been a hands-on, face to face experience. With the innovative entrepreneurial nature of the many USSSA members, we are confident that new techniques and solutions will be developed in the near future.

Just like we never thought we were going to pack our toiletries in Ziploc bags, and take our shoes and belts off when travelling, many folks might think twice about ever having their kids take swim lessons in a dirty or foul-smelling environment, or one they perceive is not providing the safest possible aquatic environment.

You have the power to update and adapt your facilities to help provide these assurances. While now may not be the right time to update for some, others find that the timing might be perfect if the goal is to open up with a post-pandemic ready facility.

Best Regards, Alvaro G. Mendoza

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MEMBERS SHARE MARKETING IDEAS

BY ANNE SWANSON USSSA STAFF CONTRIBUTOR

KENDRA WALKER EMLER SWIM SCHOOL Daily book reading on FB It’s Story Time at Emler! Staff spend a few minutes every week day reading swim related books to students virtually.

MIREN OCA OCAQUATICS Online swim school Online Swim School is officially open at Ocaquatics! Daily tips and information help keep their students engaged.

TRACY LAMAN HOUSTON SWIM CLUB Bubble challenge HSC is helping bring the laughs with their Bubble Challenge! Teachers challenge each other and students to see who can blow bubbles the longest we could watch these videos all day!

MIREN OCA OCAQUATICS Gratitude box and #staypositive initiative A Gratitude Box is a fantastic way to remember all that we are grateful for, especially during hard times.

Ocaquatics sent out directions for a Shark Gratitude Box so families can join in on remembering all that they have. Teachers are also posting videos and pictures of reasons they are able to #staypositive.

PATTI KOMARA PATTI’S ALL-AMERICAN Patriotic song daily at noon on FB Patti Komora from Patti’s All American is bringing out all the patriotic vibes with daily patriotic songs on social media!

Tune in at noon central to join in.

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MICHA SEAL SEAL SWIM SCHOOL Pet pictures Who doesn’t love a good pet picture?

Seal Swim School brings the fun by posting staff pet pictures and inviting students to post pictures of their furry friends.

MIREN OCA OCAQUATICS Small business sunday They also started Small Business Sunday posts on social media, highlighting other great small businesses for their customers. Way to go, Ocaquatics!

JENNIFER HILL THE SWIM CENTER At home tips videos from teachers Teachers at The Swim Center are bringing students practical exersices and activities in videos that promote practicing swim at home.

JEFF GERSHE JUST SWIM, INC. Mailing underwater photos with we miss you note Everyone loves getting mail! Just Swim, Inc. is delivering cheer to students by mailing personalized underwater photos with a note. A great reminder of how much their students love swim!

KRISTEN JEANINE SWIM TUTORS USA Teaching an aqua fitness class online, google classes for kids activities and exercises Swim Tutors USA has kept busy by offering online aqua fitness classes and google classes for kids with activities and exercises. Great ideas, Swim Tutors!

LINDSEY HILLIER LYNNHAVEN DIVE CENTER AND SWIM SCHOOL Hosting a community blood drive Lindsey Hillier of Lynnhaven Dive Center and Swim School is looking to help her local community with hosting a blood drive. What a great opportunity to help others!

JEREMY STINE IDDY BIDDY POOL SCHOOL Posting a puppet show for kids online Iddy Biddy Pool School knocked it out of the creativity park with their puppet show on social media! Whimsical puppets discuss current events in an age appropriate and fun manner.

KIM WALTERS STONY CREEK SWIM CENTER Bathtime swim lesson video Stony Creek Swim Center is bringing the lessons home by having staff create videos of bathtime swim lessons. It’s adorable and a great way for parents to keep their babies swimming!

JOHN KOLBISEN LA PETITE BALEEN No pool swim school installments La Petit Baleen is bringing the classroom into student’s living rooms with their “No Pool Swim School”. Some lessons even offer homework crafts!

JOE OEHME NEW JERSEY SWIM SCHOOLS, INC. Teacher videos sending love to kiddos New Jersey Swim Schools, Inc is bringing the love to their students by posting video messages from instructors on their social media.

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USSSA SPONSOR NEWS!

PENTAIR MOBILIZES TO HELP MEET VENTILATOR DEMAND

BY DOMINIK ELSAESSER VICE PRESIDENT OF INDUSTRIAL FILTRATION AT PENTAIR

With the pressing need for a much larger number of ventilators, Pentair is responding. Their team has mobilized to ramp up production of air filtration components used in ventilators.

Photo credit: Pentair

This is an unprecedented time, and at Pentair our focus is on the health and well-being of our employees, our customers, and our communities. Like many companies, Pentair has mobilized to contribute critical technologies that are being used to help COVID-19 patients. As a leader in water filtration solutions, we also produce air filtration components that are components for ventilators, and we have ramped up production to help meet the increased demand for ventilators.

For more than 35 years, Pentair has engineered and supplied air filtration components for some of the world’s leading manufacturers of medical devices. And now, with the pressing need for much larger numbers of ventilators for hospitalized patients, Pentair is responding.

To meet customers’ needs, the Pentair team is increasing our output of the required filtration components. From the supply team to production, to quality, to engineering and customer service, our team has come together to respond to this crisis and living our Win-Right values.

INDUSTRY LEADING TECHNOLOGY Pentair’s filtration components are designed to help filter out bacteria and viruses in ventilators and other devices. The filtration components help both the patients and hospital staff with a two-way filtration system -- hospital air is filtered on the breath in, ensuring filtered air for the patient; and then also filtered when a patient breathes out, ensuring filtered air for the healthcare workers. This critical equipment is manufactured in accordance with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements, and each filter is tested to help ensure the highest quality in the industry.

As we continue to navigate these circumstances, we are proud to be expanding Pentair’s role in fighting COVID-19. We will get through these challenging times together. Stay safe, healthy, and positive.

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Reprinted with permission.

SWIM COACHES LOVE ENDLESS POOLS® Endless Pools swimming machines are used daily by swim schools, collegiate programs, and tri studios around the world. Our compact, easy-maintenance pools deliver our signature swim-in-place technology. You’ll get a friendly, no-fear environment for kids and unprecedented coaching opportunities for triathletes.

“I absolutely love coaching in our two Endless Pools! The two underwater cameras that we use are crystal clear because of the water quality. Endless Pools has really given us an advantage in offering our customers a highquality swim instruction experience!”

Chris Peters, Owner/Operator/Coach, SafeSplash + SwimLabs, Holland, OH

“Endless Pools expands my ability to provide the best technical advice possible.”

Dave Marsh, 7x NCAA Championship Coach/2016 Olympic Head Coach, Team USA

“It’s a whole new level. I can see every little detail and realized how little I could see before when people were constantly moving away from me.”

Kids Love Endless Pools Too!

Dominic Latella, Level 4 US Masters Swimming Coach/Founder, The SwimBox, Fairfax, VA

“The mirrors and the ability to drop a camera in at any angle just can’t be accomplished in any standard pool. This environment has taken my teaching to an entirely new level.”

Kim Brackin, Owner of Brackin Elite Swim Training, St. Petersburg, FL

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Make Strides Faster with Endless Pools.

Get a Free Consultation from John Satir: 800-732-8660, ext. 292 john.satir@endlesspools.com

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ONE-ON-ONE ATTENTION

Photo credit: Cressi

PROTECT YOUR SWIM INSTRUCTORS AND STUDENTS WITH THE CRESSI DUKE

BY PETE GIROLAMO CRESSI USA

The Duke is a full-face mask (FFM) and it is designed to give the user the opportunity to breathe easily.

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WHAT ELSE MAKES OUR MASK DIFFERENT FROM ALL THE OTHERS? AND HOW DOES THE DUKE ALLOW THE USER TO BREATHE FREELY AND ALSO EXPEL CO2 BUILD-UP AND NOT FOG UP THE VISION CHAMBER? These three features put Duke in a class of its own: • The advantage of lateral tube position • An excellent Anti-fogging effect • A minimal build-up of residual CO2 for all day wear

The reason why we have chosen to position the tube laterally is that it is the shortest route possible for airflow with minimal effort. And this is currently under patent.

This is one of the reasons why so many swim schools across the country are going back to work and limiting contact with their students using the Cressi Duke mask.

For more information, contact Pete.Girolamo@cressiusa.com

USSSA offers the best online resources in the industry!

Educate your team today.

HELP USSSA STAY AFLOAT

LOW MONTHLY PAYMENT OPTION AVAILABLE! EASY RENEWAL PROCESS: 1. COMPLETE APPLICATION FORM 2. OPTIONAL BACKGROUND SCREENING During these challenging times, the USSSA stands with you! Please consider renewing, on the monthly payment plan if best for you, so we can continue to offer you support and resources to help you navigate your way to a successful swim business outcome.

We look forward to continuing to serve you! Renew online at www.usswimschools.org/membership

NEW! FREE COURSE: HEALTH CONCERNS WHEN TEACHING SWIMMING TO CHILDREN BIG DISCOUNTS ON USSSA FLAGSHIP COURSES Offer expires 5/31/20 Infant-Toddler Instructor Training Course $15.00 per student Special Abilities Instructor Training Course $15.00 per student Movement & Brain Development Course $15.00 per student

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