Brenda Wilks currently serves as the Senior Aquatics Director at the Tom Taylor Family YMCA. She shares her thoughts on the struggles of the past year and a half and where we are as an association today.
Nine months into serving as the Senior Aquatics Director for the Tom Taylor Family YMCA (TTFY) was a fulfilling adventure after a long career in education. Once again, I was blessed to serve simultaneously as a teacher and learner. I was a member of an energetic team of teens, young adults, and very “experienced” people.
Every day we witnessed miracles: a child taking their first swimming strokes, an elderly patron discovering the therapeutic benefits of aquatic workouts, a life saved in the locker room to name a few. Our Safety Around Water program was in full swing, averaging 110-second graders per day. WE WERE BUSY!
Then we all received the message that our Y, our community, our state, and our country was shut down indefinitely. The hum of a high capacity, extraordinary organization was forced to slam on the brakes, release staff, put memberships on hold and lock the doors.
I knew how to devote time and energy to other projects, crafts, and hobbies. This was different. This was scary. This was lonely.
I decided to put my efforts into home improvement by designing and building a patio. Yes! A brick patio…that would serve so many purposes! It would definitely fill my days, keep me in shape and allow me to escape the constant, depressing reminder that the pandemic thwarted any nuance of normalcy. It also quelled my anger. I was angry; VERY ANGRY.
This project was not without its challenges. There was a stump in the middle of my future patio. It had to go; it was in the way and I was the one who had to remove it. With every swing of the pickaxe, I envisioned chopping the very essence of COVID, destroying it; leaving nothing but a smooth surface upon which to build my patio.
One day I was relaxing on my new patio when I received the message that I was to return to work.
Eight of us returned and began to tackle the daunting task of moving machines and equipment to align with newly-mandated regulations. ZOOM became the communication medium rather than something we do with our cameras. Elbows replaced handshakes and hugs. Like many of you, we cleaned and disinfected every inch of the building. While each day involved hard labor, we learned more about each other, our families and became a strong, cohesive team along the way.
As the days and weeks progressed toward limited opening hours, we realized that we had to wear many more hats. None of us belonged exclusively to the department to which we were assigned prior to COVID. Given the limited number of returning members, we also discovered that we developed stronger bonds with individual members. There was a sense of “we might have to reserve time, check in and wear a mask, but we will beat this” attitude among the TTFY community.
Throughout the phase changes, our team continued to assess newly-developed protocols and adjust them as needed. As we traversed each amended regulation, we adjusted the physical layout of equipment, reopened locker rooms, and provided increased access to workout rooms. Given the limited operational hours, we still supported all venues during the day.
Today, we are beginning to decrease space between equipment, boost class sizes, allow more swimmers per lap lane and increase our hours of operation. While we are able to rehire staff, some express that they want to continue to collect unemployment as it pays more than many of our part-time positions. Hiring new staff or those who choose to come back presented other obstacles in the absence of on-site training availability (CPR, First Aid, Oxygen, and Lifeguard). Many certifications expired during the COVID shutdown. They are unable to work until their certifications are renewed so the need for training intensified.
As we increase membership and the need for part-time support for reopened programs, full time staff still shoulder more responsibility, which results in taking some work home in order to meet deadlines. While these factors are not ideal, we all realize that there is a greater purpose for our extra efforts. We are coming back! We are successfully serving our community!
I discovered that there is a silver lining to the pandemic experience.
Like removing the stump to reveal a pristine surface upon which to build my patio, COVID facilitated transformation for all of us. In some way, we all dug down to the root, revamped, reassessed, reconstructed ourselves, and are better for it. We gain a renewed appreciation for our work, our community, and our world. While some of us lost loved ones or suffered from the disease, we remain united in our mutual support and love for one another. That love and support replicated throughout our facility and into the public. Our determination to do whatever is necessary to serve our community is the very essence of our Y mission and vision.
While I never want to experience another pandemic and I know we are not completely done with this one, I learned many valuable lessons about humility, patience, compassion, and pride. I am forever grateful to our Y family as we stood together in our unwavering determination to conquer the obstacles and sustain our organization.