With the Barbados Aquatic Centre closed and minimal hours granted to access the beach during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) curfew, the management of Pirates Swim Club (PSC) has pooled together ideas and found creative ways using Zoom to keep their members engaged and entertained.
President of PSC, Rene Dulieu, said the programme called Pirates On-Line started just before the official national curfew began. It has been ongoing for the past six weeks and scheduled for five days in the afternoons.
He told Barbados TODAY the idea stemmed from reading about an oversea club that was doing something similar. Dulieu explained that it would not have been possible without the assistance of the parents, coaches and key international speakers such as respected open water swim icon Stephen ‘Sid’ Cassidy and South African-born Cameron Bellamy, a world record marathon swimmer.
“I actually read online about a club overseas doing the same thing and I decided we should do the same with some differences. So, I talked to our executive staff and we came up with a plan and we tried it out. We had to learn the ins and outs of Zoom and the new online platform because that is the way of doing business meetings and what have you right now.
CARIFTA swimmer Danielle Treasure was one of the senior members of Pirates Swim Club that led online exercises.
“Some of the parents assisted, they volunteered their time and we put it together. They did programmes on different days and then we reached out to different members of the public who gave some educational talks. Some of our coaches did so on various occasions. They gave technical guidance to the swimmers and then we had various people from overseas,” Dulieu said.
He added: “We have four land training sessions (using Zoom) every week and one educational session. In the earlier days when the programme started we were doing it twice a week. On mornings we were doing technical lessons where we would have one of our head coaches give some demonstrations, some technical feedback and advice. And in the afternoon we would do land training exercises.”
Dulieu said the management of PSC – in existence for over 25 years – is already seeing the benefit of having these types of online sessions.
PSC has a membership total of 60 swimmers with well known names such as CARIFTA swimmers Danielle Treasure and Deigo Dulieu who are two senior members of the club. Pirates On-Line caters to seniors, intermediate and beginners. Dulieu gave credit to the land training exercises and advocated for the programme to become indefinite.
“The land training is done through Zoom and the trainer schedules a time and everybody logs on and we all participate live from our own homes. Kenny (ABC Gym) gives his instruction, demonstration. Sometimes the senior swimmers organise classes as well through Zoom.
“We are going to keep it going until I guess the pool opens back or until the club can train as a club. It is something we encourage to continue at least a couple times a week. What it has shown us is that we need to do more land training as a club. And if Zoom is the platform to do it on, if that’s more convenient for everybody because obviously time is an issue for everybody, once school starts back, then maybe that’s the way to do it,” he said.
The beach became accessible for the first time yesterday after being prohibited for a few weeks and members from the club took the opportunity to have a swim. As president Dulieu pointed out, they were unable to visit the beach as a group because of the current COVID-19 restrictions. However, he expressed his elation at seeing persons enjoying the beach for the first time in a long while.
“It was wonderful to be back on the beach. They were very happy to be swimming again. This is the longest they haven’t swam for a consecutive period ever. We don’t have a pool or anything, so it was nice. It was great to see everybody cooperating; the people on the beach exercising and what not. Everybody seemed to be keeping their distances, it was crowded but people were keeping their distance and it seemed everybody was happy to be out there.
“We are not doing it as a club right now because we don’t want to encourage… The mandate says groups of three only from the same household. So, we don’t want to encourage any club activities just yet. We are hoping that improves in phase three in the next two weeks. But right now we are encouraging our swimmers to go out and swim but on their own or within their family groups. If we start making it a club activity then you start getting groups of ten and 15 kids together and we don’t want to be irresponsible,” Dulieu stressed.
While admitting he was the brainchild behind the idea of Pirates On-Line, Dulieu said it would not have been possible without treasurer of PSC Erin O’Neill and personal trainers Lain Watson and Jamie Harrison who volunteered their time.
Among the list of speakers and their subject areas were Dave Farmer (stroke technique), Cameron Bellamy – world record marathon swimmer (achieving the impossible), Kenny from ABC Gym (maintaining strength during lockdown), Sid Cassidy – United States of America national open water coach (why should I start open water swimming), Jonelle Drakes – physiotherapist (looking after your body), Matthew Wright – Barbados national triathlete (balancing school and athletics), Jamie Harrison – personal trainer (nutrition) and Janelle Meyers, mental health consultant (how athletes can navigate the COVID -19 experience).
morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb
