County swim clubs continue meets amid pandemic

Little contact between participants makes it safe during pandemic

Things are going well for Jim Hutcheson’s swim program, the Severna Park Racquetball and Fitness Club Stingrays.

His swimmers’ times are improving ahead of upcoming virtual meets and no one’s tested positive for coronavirus.

And unlike other youth sports in Anne Arundel County, they’re still going.

Anne Arundel County executive Steuart Pittman suspended athletics operating through Anne Arundel Recreation and Parks on Nov. 16. Swimming, however, received a pass, as have sports such as pickleball and tennis, says Recreation and Parks deputy director Jessica Leys.

Currently, five county swim clubs have continued amid the pandemic. The county health department says no coronavirus cases have been reported.

“We view swim as an individual sport rather than a team sport and easier to manage,” Leys said.

Other winter youth sports such as volleyball, basketball and wrestling receive permits from Recreation and Parks to play in Anne Arundel public school facilities, and those were suspended “for public safety and also because the schools are not open for use for students, public or youth sports,” department spokesperson Colleen Joseph said.

According to Don Curtian, the director of environmental health in Anne Arundel, swimming is permitted because it’s a sport that allows for more physical distancing. Higher-risk sports such as basketball, wrestling and volleyball do not.

“A swimmer comes in contact with other swimmers for very short periods of time,” he said .“Even as individuals swim laps, they may pass another individual for just a brief