The Shelbyville Sharks have had a rough time trying to find consistent practice time.

Earlier this year, the Sharks were unable to utilize the indoor pool at the Shelbyville Recreation Center due to the closure for repairs.

This early season closure forced the Sharks to work on “dry land” workouts, consisting of cardio and muscle building.

And now, due to the closure of public facilities caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, the Sharks are once again finding themselves having to work through dryland workouts in order to stay in shape for the summer season.

“With the pool being closed for repairs throughout the winter and now the quarantine, the Sharks swim team has missed their entire winter swim season. The period from February to April has been a time primarily to condition veteran swimmers and teach and train the incoming new swimmers,” coach Megan Betzelberger said.

It’s been a challenge to keep the team working out to improve the conditioning.

“Since we’ve been out of the water, our goal is to keep these kids active and moving, incorporating body weight exercises that strengthen and tones those muscle groups that they use in the water such as squats, lunges, tricep dips and core exercises like planks and a variety of crunches,” she said.

Betzelberger keeps in contact with the team, routinely posting workouts for the team to participate in and so far, the response has been good.

“Encouraging kids to work from home is a challenge. Whether it’s school work or exercising, sometimes it requires a little incentive to get the job done. What I decided to do with our swimmers is to post an “exercise of the day” daily on our Facebook page. The swimmers were instructed to choose from a variety of exercises working out legs, arms, core/abs, and cardio.”

“The workout must include the designated EOD and they email their work out to me by the end of each day. Each workout swimmers post daily enters them into a drawing for prizes at our ‘Back to Swim Night’ and ‘Summer Registration.’ I wanted this to be something fun and productive they can do while they are homebound. It’s something the whole family can get involved in,” she added.

Many dryland exercises consist of lifting weights and utilizing gym equipment. While gyms are currently closed, the workouts Betzelberger posts every day are things anyone can do virtually anywhere.

“Most of the exercises we are having them do at home are the same ones we would do on the pool deck while at practice. Lunges, planks, crunches, flutter kicks are all great ways to strengthen swimmers legs, arms and core. Additionally, some of our swimmers have incorporated running, walking and cycling for some cardio which are great cross-training activities to get their heart rate up,” she said.

Even with the pool being closed and swimmers unable to dive in and take laps, the feedback among the team has Betzelberger encouraged the workouts are keeping the team as fit as possible during the shutdown.

“Thus far, the virus quarantine has really affected our winter swim program and the condition our swimmers will be in when we can finally get back in the pool. I don’t feel we are at a disadvantage, however, because all the other teams in the RACE League are experiencing the same setback. Nobody is in the pool right now. Not even our Olympians, I suspect. I am hopeful to be back in the pool as soon as the city, state and federal governments release us from the social distancing restrictions.”

As with the official summer season, it takes a community to orchestrate the success of the team and the current social distanced workouts are no different.

The staff of assistants help Betzelberger organize and track the workouts of the day to help maintain the fitness of the team.

“The assistant coaches are fantastic. They have contributed to the list of drills that our swimmers can choose from to compile their personalized dry land work out. They have also been actively doing drylands exercises themselves to stay in shape.”

For now, the workouts from home seem to be the only way to keep in shape until the pool reopens and the team is buying into the current workout program.

“The response has been very positive. We have a handful of swimmers that are regularly working out and posting their workouts. I am really pleased and encouraged with their participation,” she said.