** Emailed out to the membership **
Good Afternoon,
PGRA has received the below most recent update from Ringette BC (December 3, 2020). This obviously greatly impacts what our season can look like. We will be putting a short pause to the season so we can fully digest and safely plan how to proceed within the mandatory restrictions. We are cancelling ice times from now (Thursday, December 3) and over this weekend in order to plan for the new restrictions and will advise early next week with renewed plans. As per the update below, dryland training is now prohibited so all Northern Sports Centre sessions need to unfortunately be cancelled effective immediately. The safety of all players and members is our priority – please watch for further communication at the beginning of next week. We have every intention to continue the season within the restrictions below, and require time to plan how this will/can look.
COVID-19 Update
Attn: All League and Club Association Presidents and Safety Officers,
The official Order has been published by the Provincial Government and the website has been updated to summarize the information. As the order is now published the restrictions are effective immediately.
The following restrictions are now in place:
- All adult indoor and outdoor sport is suspended;
• All structured youth and children sport is returning to Phase 2 of the viaSport Return to Sport Guidelines
This means that all games, scrimmages, exhibition play are now cancelled for all ringette associations. All 18+ and masters activities of any kind are cancelled until further notice.
What this means for Ringette:
- All adult ringette programming (18+ and Masters) is suspended; This includes any athletes carded to the Canadian Sport Institute (CSI) who are 19 years of age and older.
• All Youth and Children divisions (FUNdamentals to U19) has regressed to Ringette Progression 2 as per the Return to Ringette Guidelines; This includes any athletes carded to the Canadian Sport Institute (CSI) who are 18 years of age and younger.
• Physical distancing has been changed under the new Order. All participants must stay 3 meters apart effective immediately.
A person may permit a place, other than a private residence or vacation accommodation, to be used for, or may provide, sport for children or youth if the following conditions are met:
- participants maintain a physical distance of three metres from one another and do not engage in handshaking, high fives, hugging or similar behaviour;
b. the focus is on activities that have a low risk of COVID-19 virus transmission;
c. there are no spectators unless the presence of a spectator is necessary in order to provide care to a child or youth.
Summary of Ringette Progression 2:
- Physical Distant: “Skills & Drills”
• Staff: minimum 2 coaches (following Responsible Coaching Movement & Rule of Two), Recommended Ratio: 1 coach: 6 athletes
• Group Size: refer to facility restrictions and follow provincial health guidelines
• Group type: Try to keep the same group of participants and instructors together
• Focus of activity: remains community-based; and
• Game play is not permitted and activities should remain within the community.
In addition, to the above changes all other restrictions that were released on November 20th are still in place and being enforced. Those restrictions include:
- Mandatory Masks in all public indoor spaces except on the field of play
• No spectators in facilities
• Team Travel for sport is suspended
As a reminder, social gatherings are also suspended in BC. Parents and players should not be gathering together in parking lots, lobbies, hallways, etc. before and after ringette activities.
Dryland Training:
Ringette BC is aware that a number of Associations and teams have been hosting dryland training as part of their activities. In accordance with the recent order ringette teams are prohibited from participating in dryland activities that fall under the description of indoor group fitness activities specially noted by the Provincial Health Officer as: hot yoga, spin classes, high intensity interval training.
Ringette BC has been informed by viaSport that further information will likely be released on December 7th and there will be likely an additional order released.
Thank you again for your continued patience. We will continue to update you as the information becomes available.
Sincerely,
PGRA Board