‘Let kids be kids’: Jacksonville to open pools, summer camps, youth sports

After an interminable spring where parents and their progeny clashed under lockdown constrictions, Jacksonville is ready to get the kids out of the house.

Mayor Lenny Curry, the father of three, said on Wednesday that the city was ready to make that happen, with a phased opening of public pools and city-funded summer camps.

The Mayor expressed enthusiasm for such a move before Memorial Day in an appearance with the Governor in Jacksonville to announce relaxed restrictions on youth sports and activities, saying it was time to “let kids be kids.”

Curry noted that in recent days, his team has been working to get kids into “parks, pools, and programs in a safe way.”

“Beginning June 8,” Curry said, five pools around the city will be opened, with more openings contingent on hiring and training staff.

Pools at public schools will be closed through June, the Mayor said.

Summer camps are also a-go, Curry said, with measures to protect health and safety, with camp sizes capped at 30 participants and safety precautions for campers and staff alike.

Expect a waiting list, Curry added, for the camps starting June 24.

A bonus: the camps will be free this summer, a nod to the difficulties of the pandemic. Lunches will also be provided.

Youth sports, meanwhile, have guidelines as they ramp up, including smaller groups congregating and phased in practices.

Shared water coolers are discouraged, while shared equipment should be disinfected after each use, Curry said.

Wednesday’s policy moves hewed to the Governor’s guidance, as is typical with this Mayor and Governor, two forty-something Republicans who have co-messaged throughout the crisis more than they had prior to corona-driven government restrictions on movement and the economy.

The Governor, who said last week in Jacksonville that “kids don’t seem to get infected at the same rates that some other adults get infected,” offered latitude for Jacksonville and other cities in deciding how to proceed with youth activities.

He said that to “overcook” the rules in an Executive Order would lead to “less compliance with” regulations. And that gave Jacksonville room to move.