May 9, 2020

On Thursday, May 7, the Chattanooga Area Swim League (CASL) Board held an online meeting to discuss the feasibility of holding a full or partial 2020 swim season, given the incredibly difficult situation we are currently facing with COVID-19.

The Board considered a significant amount of information from both local and state resources, USA Swimming, and the CDC in making a decision, as well as feedback from the League’s 14 teams. There was a lot of discussion from all of the team representatives as well as the Executive Board concerning the difficulty of ensuring the health and safety of all swimmers, officials, and parents who take part in both dual meets and the end of season City Meet Championship.

Due to multiple factors including Governor Bill Lee’s “Tennessee Pledge” which states that all adult and youth sports leagues will remain closed under the guidelines until further notice, as well as news that some of our teams pools have already decided not to open for the season, the Board voted to cancel the 2020 season. No dual meets will be sanctioned by CASL and the 2020 Bill Caulkins City Meet Championship is canceled. We sincerely hope that everyone understands and appreciates the difficulty of the decision to cancel the CASL Season for the first time since the League began. We feel profound sadness knowing the disappointment this will cause, but the decision was made to prioritize the safety of our participants, supporters, and communities.

The Board is particularly concerned with the impact this decision will have on members of the 2020 senior class, and we will be exploring ways to honor and engage with these swimmers during a special meeting on Tuesday, May 26.

Sincerely,

The Chattanooga Area Swim League Executive Board