JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Swimming is an integral part of summer for many kids here on the First Coast, especially summer swim leagues that help kids keep their edge ahead of school season competitions.
Swim teams are big in Florida. Some of the best swimmers come from the Sunshine state. One of the best, Olympian Ryan Murphy, is a Jacksonville Wahoo himself.
However, with pools still closed because of the coronavirus, many teams have no place to practice.
Swim teams like the Wahoos rely on public and private pools to practice. With public pools closed and private ones turning them away for safety concerns, the swim season is in jeopardy.
Summers for Connor Lowery and his coach Carlos Mejia are usually filled with drills and exercises in the pool with the Wahoos.
Now the pools are quiet. The Wahoos don’t have a pool of their own and don't have an alternative.
“We don’t have a home,” said Lowery.
Lowery has a spot on FSU’s swim team as an incoming freshman, but he’s concerned about his first college season. His backstroke already isn’t what it used to be without access to the pool.
“I’m a little worried with not being able to swim and going there and getting beaten down even more," said Lowery.
For Mejia, who’s a school teacher, coaching the Wahoos in the summer is a second source of income.
While Governor Ron DeSantis is providing financial relief to Florida businesses, Mejia can’t get any help.
“That’s the major income for our family,” he said.
The summer team isn’t just a business for Mejia. It’s his passion. He’s been coaching for 12 years. The closed pools are a huge loss for him and the team he calls family.
“We create these athletes to become better swimmers and to reach better goals to hopefully go to college and swim or get their career to the next level,” said Mejia.
USA Swimming, the national swim association, has released extensive guidelines for teams to practice safe swimming with social distancing. Mejia, along with other coaches, said they just need a listening ear to help them get back in the water.
Swim teams across the state are reaching out to Gov. Ron DeSantis, pleading for him to consider opening pools as Florida begins to reopen.
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