As we Look Ahead – A Message from Michael Kelly, C.O.O.

I hope this message finds you and your families healthy and safe.

HIGHLIGHTS

I want to wish you all a happy Labor Day weekend and many happy returns.  For the YMCA, it has been 175 days since we closed for COVID-19 and it has been a “labor” of love as we try to get our Members to be ‘happy” to “return”.

First, the “labor” …

We spent the first 100 days since closure trying to determine how and when we were going to be able to operate our facility during a pandemic.  At the same time, we took advantage of the closure time to renovate and repair as well as offering childcare services to Greenwich Hospital workers, hosting a blood drive and providing equipment to our Members so they could continue to exercise during these challenging times.

The upfront labor permitted us to be successful for the 75 days since reopening our doors to Membership and permit us to:

  • Run successful Day Camp and Early Learning Center operations while providing much-needed childcare over the summer.
  • Open our pools to allow Aquatics teams and general Membership access to our cool, wet waters during a hot summer.
  • Turn part of our parking lot into workout space for those Members not comfortable exercising inside the building.

The labor extended to having our third party laborers with us to bring much of our building and aquatics renovation to closure.  We completed the installation and calibration of the building air conditioning and Olympic Seresco.  This week, we completed the installation of the Alumni Pool Seresco system with calibration to follow.  We labored through some misfortunes throughout the period – damage from power surges and rain storms to the Olympic Seresco while trying to work through multiple access points and following protocols for pool chemistry and cleaning surfaces due to COVID-19, all during periods of excessive heat and humidity.   Add our elevator being damaged in yet another storm and the labor load seemed insurmountable at times.

That all said and after all our hard work, I believe the air and water quality have never been better, the building has never been cleaner and our elevator is back in business.   I appreciate your patience as we worked through these challenges.

Then, the “happy returns” …

It was great to have the initial wave of Members join us soon after reopening.   As noted, the pools and building were busy with our younger Members joining us for summer time activities.  We added some of our more popular Group Exercise classes to the schedule but they were attended on a reduced basis from their previous levels.  The Wellness Center/Base Room/Gym/Turf was limited to 20 participants and we would rarely reach “Full” status.

As the summer progressed, we tweaked our approach on a weekly basis to keep current with the rules, try to accommodate Member concerns and the ever-changing climate.   We readily recognize that there are compliance challenges to new requirements – be it government mandated (e.g., social distancing, face covering) or implemented by the Y (e.g., reservation system).  We do our best to enforce and look to our Membership to be mindful of their fellow Members so we can hopefully put the pandemic in our rear view mirror.

With all the above as background, I feel the shifts as we start the “happy return” to the familiar.

  • Expanded hours beginning Tuesday, September 8:
    • Monday – Friday, 5AM – 8PM
    • Saturday & Sunday, 7AM – 5PM
    • We will monitor the hours and modify as necessary.
  • Swim Team time trial – on August 28, we ran an “official” internal time trial for our swim team. As was previously reported, team has been training hard and with no “formal”/”usual” swim meets on the horizon, want to have the team see the benefits of their labors this summer.  Event was a success on many levels:
    • We demonstrated we could operate such an event and still be compliant.
    • We will build upon this experience to host other aquatic events this fall.
    • After 100 day lay-off and 64 days of training, there were many impressive swims.
    • Special congratulations to Christian Lanuza and Lucas Hodgson for Championship-qualifying times!
  • Our Fall Program Registration opens to Members on Tuesday, September 8 with the programs starting on September 26.
    • We encourage you to register online
    • Be on the lookout for pop-up classes the prior week.
  • Olympic Pool Swim Lane Reservations – as we feel that deck traffic is manageable and there is a Membership desire to swim longer.
    • Shift all lane reservations to begin on the 0:15 (e.g., 5:15, 6:15, etc.)
    • Permit swimmers to book back-to-back sessions.
    • We are going to monitor and modify as necessary.
  • Childwatch is back!
    • 7 days a week from 8 AM – 12 PM
    • Free with your Family Membership!
    • Please call the front desk to book your reservation. Reservations may be booked up to one day in advance.
  • Activities
    • Wednesday morning runs and walks at 6:30 AM beginning 9/16 with the Greenwich Road Runners
    • Tri-Club return to training beginning in October

There is a lot happening at the Y – those who have returned have seen and commented on it.  If you canceled or froze your Membership – you have one free visit to determine whether it is time to return to the Y and there is no joiner fee for those who canceled due to COVID-19.

If you have not already joined us, we look forward to seeing your happy return.

 

Stay Healthy, Safe & Thriving!

For additional information, please contact Michael Kelly, C.O.O. at mkelly@gwymca.org.

For general inquiries, or questions about your Membership, please contact the Member Services team at frontdesk@gwymca.org. 

 

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