Swimming has been one of the sports hit the hardest by lockdown.
The nature of it – dozens of folk indoors sharing the same changing facilities and pool – doesn’t lend itself to social distancing.
Some clubs were able to get time in the pool in between lockdowns, but others weren’t.
As part of a series over the next couple of weeks, reflecting on the impact of lockdown on sport in West Lothian, Swim-IT head coach Fiona Donald spoke to the West Lothian Courier about the challenges her club, the swimmers and their parents have faced over the last 12 months and what they have learned from the experience.
A club with around 80 members, they were named Club of the Year by Lothian Disability Sport last year.
Some of the swimmers were gearing up to compete in the national championships when everything ground to a halt.
She says: “This winter lockdown has hit much harder. We were able to go back for a little bit at the end of the first lockdown and then had it taken away.
“We were allowed back in September until around the first week in December and we’ve been off since then.
“We were lucky to get back for a little bit because I know there are clubs who haven’t been back for the whole year.”
Despite the challenges, she believes the first lockdown had its positives in the beginning.
It allowed a recharge of the batteries and for the club, and its members, to reflect on what was working and have a break from the pressures of competitive swimming.
“Over the first lockdown we did outdoor fitness training and some open water swimming,” she says.
“So some of the guys were at least getting to swim, even if it wasn’t in a pool.
“The first lockdown was actually quite a welcome break, initially, because there was a lot of pressure.
“We were training for the Scottish Nationals, which is the biggest event of the year for some of our swimmers.
“So there was pressure on themselves, pressure on myself as a coach and parents as well. For it to be cancelled was tough but actually allowed everyone to sit back and reflect.
“Why is there so much pressure on competitions? We should be enjoying it and embracing it.
“A lot of the kids were going into exams, as well, so I do think it was quite a welcome break for most.”
She added: “Swimming tends to be 100mph and it involves quite a lot of commitment, time, and training so I think the first break was a good thing to have that time off.
“It was good to take a step back. When we went back into training, we didn’t have a written plan. We just observed and let everyone build things back up at their own pace. That was a big change.
“There was a big learning curve as well because some of the kids had grown several inches and you then have to adapt to what they can now do having not seen them for a few months.
“We worked with them on how they were feeling and coping and took things from there. That’s what we’ll be doing again when we go back. Listen to the swimmers, take on board what they’re saying and work around them. Let them get back into their stride again.
“I think this year’s going to be a write-off for competitions so we can go into the next few months without that pressure and let them just enjoy being back in the pool again.”
While there may have been some sense of enjoyment with the initial lockdown, she says the change was drastic following the second lockdown that struck in December.
It was important, she says, to focus on the mental health side of things and adapt with her school age swimmers – and their parents – spending several hours online before being asked to jump on a club Zoom call.
“The winter lockdown has been really hard,” she continued.
“I feel like the kids have been a lot more mentally fatigued. They can be online during the day with school and then they’ll have Zoom calls with family before having to go online in the evening with ourselves or other clubs. You can see it’s taking a toll. They’re drained from it all.
“We were doing quite long sessions, an hour and a half, during first lockdown, but they’ve been cut down to 30 minutes.
“The attendance has been much better and it’s making sure they’re not too long on Zoom.”
She added: “We’ve also been taking the focus away from swimming and fitness.
“This lockdown has been more mentally and emotionally challenging so we’ve been focusing on that side of things.
“We ran mental health workshops, for the parents as well because they’re struggling too.
“We’ve done cooking classes, games nights and monthly challenges and scavenger hunts that can be done on their own time.
“Last month we had a TikTok challenge where they had to submit their dance videos, which was really good fun.
“It was something different and I think the focus has to be on the mental and emotional side of things just now rather than physical.
“It was a bad winter and that didn’t help. The first lockdown, families were able to go out for walks but you just couldn’t really do that for large parts of the second lockdown.”
The club, she says, have tried to be mindful of everyone’s challenges and new way of life.
They’ll focus more on flexibility going forward and says drop-in sessions designed for anyone to simply chat away have been a big help.
She commented: “We’ve had drop-in sessions where we just run a Zoom meeting and if anyone wanted to talk, they can.
“It didn’t have to be anything serious, it just needed to be an outlet. I know that if I’m feeling low, someone to just talk to about anything or nothing in particular can help.
“You have to really be understanding about the challenges everyone has faced.
“Everyone is going through their own struggles. Family dynamics have changed so you have to understand there are other things going on that are more important.
“We know that a lot of families have gone through some really hard times and a lot of our swimmers and coaches, myself included, have really struggled at times.
“I’ve been trying to check-in with the swimmers and their parents. I’ve always said that everyone is allowed to feel whatever it is they’re feeling. It’s a challenging time.
“But we have to try and get out of the rut, too. If you’ve had a bad day, see if you can do a 10 minute work-out just to try and break that cycle.
“It’s been difficult, and there’s been down moments and struggles for everyone and being aware of that is a big thing.
“I think that’s where being part of a club can be a real positive because you can jump on Zoom calls and chat to everyone.”
There’s now room for cautious optimism that the club can get back into the pool soon. When Swim-IT do go back, Donald says there’s been plenty of lessons learned. The most important of which is to look after yourself.
She said: “There’s lots we can take from the last year.
“It’s given us time to reflect on what was working and what wasn’t. When we eventually get back to the pool, I’m excited to implement the changes.
“The main thing that’s been taken from lockdown is the importance of looking after yourself.
“You might want to be there for others and help in any way you can, but you have to make sure that you’re doing OK.
“That’s something that I hope everyone can take from the last year.”
