The annual Bird Bath Swim Classic is back at the Erb Park Pool in Appleton Friday. The swim meet draws teams from around the state. Organizer Mike Madaloni tells Josh Dukelow on Fresh Take that the pandemic had a huge effect on competitive swimming.
“It was a big loss. Not only for our team but also for all the teams from around the state,” Madaloni says. “Swimming just stopped. Like last spring when things started closing down, we as a Y team are fortunate that we have our own pool. There are many teams that are independent that rent lanes and lane times from municipalities or school districts. That all stopped. There are some swim teams that for all intents and purposes went out of business.”
The Bird Bath Swim Classic was canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mandaloni says the event’s name is in tribute to the pools history.
“The original pool at Erb Park, which was built in the 1940s, was a round pool and had a diving tower in the middle,” he recalls. “And it kind of resembled a bird bath. And at the original meet they decided to name it after the pool at Erb.”
The 22nd Bird Bath Classic Swim Meet runs through Sunday.
