Northern Virginia Swim League Cancels 2020 Season

by Robert Gibbs 24

May 07th, 2020 Coronavirus, News

The Northern Virginia Swim League (NVSL) perhaps the single-most star-studded summer swim league in the country, announced today that the 2020 season will not take place due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an announcement on the league’s website, the NVSL Executive Board said that, after gathering input from public health officials, government officials, and the 102 teams that make up the league, it was clear that the league would not be able to safely operate in a way that did not “put overwhelming logistical and organizational pressure on the League’s teams.”

A number of nationally-recognized names got their start — or at least some fun SCM racing — in the NVSL, and the star power continues to be strong enough that USA National Team member and 12 time individual NCAA All-American Andrew Seliskar no longer holds any league records. Future Texas Longhorn Anthony Grimm swept all of the boys 15-18 records last summer, erasing Seliskar’s butterfly and IM marks from that age group.

A list of just a few other prominent names from the league’s top ten times board includes: Ryan Baker, Sean Fletcher, Brandon Fiala, Chuck Katis, Janet Hu, Cassidy Bayer, Amanda Kendall, Ashley Danner, Anna KeatingKate Ziegler, Ed Moses, Markus Rogan, and Isabella Rongione, among others.

The NVSL’s cancelation comes as teams across the country are preparing to restart training as some states begin to re-open, but often with social distancing protocols in place that will make it difficult to train as many swimmers at a time as teams are used to be able to do. In other instances, some cities have announced that they do not plan to open up city-owned swimming pools this summer, in some cases due in part to financial issues.

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Guerra
4 years ago

Congratulations! We nuked our economy and our livelihoods to kill a fly. I want to congratulate our media, politicians and health experts. They really nailed this one.

RJ2
4 years ago

Horrible decision. Other leagues are trying to work something out, we absolutely could have done something.

Guerra
4 years ago

Clubs are going to fold and coaches are going to lose their jobs. The April unemployment rate is now 14.7%. Four points higher than at any time since World War II ended. And it was ALL voluntary! This is insanity. The entire country needs to be opened back up today.

Swimmer
4 years ago

MCSL also.

SwimDMV
Reply to  Swimmer
4 years ago

Do you know something the rest of us don’t? MCSL board meets on May 21st. Nothing has been announced.

Admin
Reply to  SwimDMV
4 years ago

MCSL has announced that they will cancel their championship meets, but the last update we saw they were still trying to have a regular season of some kind.

Wondering
Reply to  Swimmer
4 years ago

Yea, but nobody pays attention to them….

Mark Nedza
4 years ago

The Atlanta Swim Association marches on! We’re doing everything we can to get the kids in the water. “If one child gets to swim this summer, it would be worth it”. Let the kids swim!

HulkSwim
Reply to  Mark Nedza
4 years ago

Forget about the rest of the people more at risk dying around you… That one kid getting to swim is WAY more important.

HISWIMCOACH
Reply to  HulkSwim
4 years ago

Did he say he was recruiting people in nursing homes and elderly to time and officiate? I missed that part.

HulkSwim
Reply to  HISWIMCOACH
4 years ago

Oh, is that the only risk? Elderly people being directly in contact? Hmm. Neat.

Gator
Reply to  HulkSwim
4 years ago

“Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.”
-Yoda

HISWIMCOACH
Reply to  HulkSwim
4 years ago

Personal responsibility seems to be a concept that escapes you. I trust people will be smart. Not sure what you believe.

Mark Nedza
Reply to  HulkSwim
4 years ago

Just trying to make the best of a bad situation with the safety of children and others first and foremost. What can we do? How do we do it? When can we do it? Let’s stay positive and follow the law.

swimmermom
Reply to  HulkSwim
4 years ago

My father is 77 years old he is so frustrated by this situation and doesn’t agree that 100% of our society should be restricted to this degree. People need to be able to make their own choices and take their own risks. If you are elderly or vulnerable yes your life will be disrupted for a longer period of time and you will need to make a personal decision on if and how you physically integrate with the rest of society. I also agree that there should be accommodations to help this population. But the rest should be able to make their own choices and get back to life. Will it be the same, of course not. Is everyone willing… Read more »

SinkorSwim
4 years ago

“Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.”
-Yoda

JP swam
4 years ago

Stupid

Coach John
Reply to  JP swam
4 years ago

Dr. “JP swam” dropping knowledge in the comments….oh wait…..

HISWIMCOACH
Reply to  Coach John
4 years ago

Specific data from a meatpacking plant that tested its 2700 employees: 1200 had #SARSCoV2, 90% asymptomatic, 12 hospitalized (1% of positive cases), zero deaths:

HISWIMCOACH
4 years ago

Can we rename the website “SWAM” yet?

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