Each week on the "COVID-19 Community Report," we share local news and resources, focusing on what’s impacting Davis and nearby cities in Yolo County during the COVID-19 pandemic. Today on Episode 35, I'll interview Koren Motekaitis about her longtime role co-directing youth swim program Davis AquaMonsters. We'll discuss impacts of the pandemic on youth sports, including how it's narrowing future options for recognition and scholarships. I'll also talk with Stacie Frerichs, executive director of the Davis Arts Center, about how they've had to pivot and change during the pandemic.
The Davis AquaMonsters are a local Davis-based swim team where kids of all abilities and backgrounds learn to swim, cultivate friendships, and have fun in the water. Continuing this inclusive swim program during this pandemic summer was especially important to Koren Motekaitis this year since the kids have already faced great stresses and losses brought on by requirements of social distancing. She described how well the children of all ages followed the new rules, and how inspiring it was to see their smiling faces as they left the pool, knowing that this activity was improving both their physical and mental health.
Stacie Frerichs spoke about how they reinvented their "summer camps" at the Davis Arts Center this year, and instead created programs delivered via weekly emails, specially created "art kits" that could be picked up or mailed weekly, and new how-to videos so their programs could be done either online with others or "off line" to reduce screen time.