Recap: From Surviving to Thriving — Strategies for Success in a COVID-19 World

On July 23, Community Rec Magazine presented a new virtual roundtable that discusses strategies to help your facility thrive — not just survive — during the COVID-19 crisis.

The panelists were Chris Tointon, the president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska; Art Krueger, the director of The Wave Aquatic and Fitness Center in Whitefish, Montana; and Todd Rockoff, the president and CEO of the Tucson JCC in Tucson, Arizona.

The following is a summary of the top takeaways from the roundtable, including how to prepare for a possible facility reclosure, adjusting cleanliness and safety procedures, and bracing for the continued impact of the pandemic:

Operational Procedures

• Be a good steward of your facility and its mission — set a good example for members on following distancing and safety guidelines, and constantly coach staff on how to enforce these policies.
• Have internal planning sessions to discuss how to adjust procedures if local governments put more restrictions in place.
• Create different entry points in your facility for various populations to avoid crossing paths and promote social distancing.
• Require all staff members to wear masks, and require members to wear masks unless they’re swimming or doing in an activity — such as tennis — in which participants are sufficiently distanced.

Communicating to Members

• Publish your safety and cleanliness guidelines so members can access them.
• Create “how to” videos that demonstrate new guidelines — where to enter the building, where to park, how to navigate the facility and maintain social distancing, what programs are available, etc.
• Transparency is key — being as open as possible about what’s happening at the facility will help put members’ minds at ease.
• Consider hosting a public Zoom call members can join to make suggestions and/or voice concerns.
• Don’t over-communicate — find a middle ground of keeping members informed without swarming them with emails or social media posts.

Emphasizing Your Importance to the Community

• Ask how your organization can set a good example for the rest of the community and other businesses in the area.
• Advocacy for childcare providers is very important to the future of the community after the pandemic.
• Speaking with government decision-makers and/or policymakers when and where you can — even informally — can give clarity on what your facility is able to have open, as well as share the importance of your facility being open.
• Consider partnering with other health and wellness facilities in your county and/or state to form an alliance through which you can communicate with the governor’s office and advocate for community rec centers as essential businesses.

Preparing for Possible Reclosure

• It’s important to support your staff — emotionally and financially — while navigating a possible reclosure.
• Expand your facility’s essential services, such as child care and youth education, to boost your organization’s standing as an essential business.
• Put your cleanliness and safety protocols into practice and be conspicuous about them — the cleaner your business is perceived to be, the more likely it is to stay open.
• Everyone — staff and members — has to own cleanliness. It’s everybody’s responsibility.

Fallout from the Pandemic

• New business development will (and likely already has) come to a halt, since organizations won’t have the capital to support these projects.
• It’s important to keep essential services like childcare and food delivery programs going even while facilities continue to operate at a limited capacity.

To access the on-demand version of this webinar, click here.