How One Club, the Naples Tiger Sharks, Cope with COVID-19’s Uncertainty

Swimmers from the Naples Tiger Sharks; Photo Courtesy: Michael Kidd

How One Club, the Naples Tiger Sharks, Cope with COVID-19’s Uncertainty

by Violet Johnston & Michael Kidd

A spectre is haunting our pools and teams – the spectre of COVID-19. A postponed Olympics is hard for swimmers – it is the quadrennial event where swimmers around the world bask in the global awareness that swimming is an incredible sport populated by the finest athletes in existence. Team enrollments grow, and up-and-coming swimmers are re-energized to reach the pinnacle of the sport – and let’s face it, we all need that sometimes.

The question becomes, What now? Coaches, parents, and leaders in the pool are faced with the challenges of COVID; they must choose between navigating harsh realities or giving up to massive obstacles.

The Naples Tiger Sharks, a team located on a US Navy Base in the Italian epicenter of the pandemic, is fighting on all levels to keep their season. Most people are here for three years, meaning 30 percent of the team and coaches change out every year, creating a constant infusion of new ideas but preventing deep roots to offer stability when the rug is pulled out from under the world.

The season started as the second wave of COVID was ravaging Europe. Three coaches were lost to schedule conflicts and military moves and the team was feeling the strain. Board members stepped up. More importantly, so did the swimmers. The team added two more captain spots to the team to augment the leadership stable. Each and every one of them took seriously the mantle of responsibility, from helping guide the younger swimmers, to enforcing mask wearing before and after practice and distancing in the lanes.

Our head coach worked to separate coaches so that if one contracted the virus, others would not automatically be infected, a strategy validated when one coach was recently diagnosed with COVID. Facemask holders were installed at the end of each lane to ensure swimmers could transfer from masked protection into the water and back again each practice, and team parents manned thermometers to check everyone coming to practice. Practices were also run simultaneously from each end of the pool to maximize the number of people in a lane, while reducing the numbers in close proximity to each other.

“I cannot be more proud of the entire Tiger Sharks organization, from the board working with local officials and public health officers to create a safe strategy, to swimmers supporting one another through this period of global turbulence,” head coach Chris Goetz said. “I am grateful to be associated with this group.”

Without question, the true heroes of the program were the leaders in the pool. Holding a captain’s role is always a huge responsibility, especially for students balancing schoolwork, home life, and other activities. COVID-19 only magnifies the responsibility. The captains of the Naples Tiger Sharks do all in their power not only to improve our techniques and develop new ideas, but to be a role model for young swimmers and establish a lasting bond between the team. Considering the obstacles we face during these unpredictable weeks, the six captains have focused on one thing in particular: optimism.

“We must do our best to keep the spirits of the Tiger Sharks up, and encourage them to keep working hard,” senior team captain Rocco Salata said.

Across the team, swimmers stepped up. Captains, older swimmers, and parents are organizing meetings and designing workouts. Ideas are spreading like wildfire; the team has become adaptable with everyone depending on one another. No one is left out or forgotten. Workouts designed by team captains focus swimmers on muscular endurance, stamina, core, and camaraderie. Who said you can not swim without a swimming pool? Not the Tiger Sharks!

Though Italy just closed all swimming pools for the next several weeks, the Tiger Sharks are not giving up. Within 24 hours of the shutdown, the coaches and captains launched an on-line Captains’ Cup competition to encourage swimmers to stay active, engaged and focused. Within the first week, we have seen over 70 percent of the team get involved and dryland groups are coalescing to make sure that our eventual return to the water is as smooth as can be.

All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.

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Lisa Kanak

3 years ago

Stay strong! You’ve got this!! Go Tiger Sharks!

Ann Rays

3 years ago

Awesome! Go the tiger sharks! ??‍♀️??‍♀️????

Anonymous

3 years ago

Way to go Tiger Sharks!