Category: Athlete

How Sports are changing the world

Posted Glen MulcahyPosted in Athlete, Coach, Organization Executive, Parents

I would be remiss not touching on what is the hottest topic in the world of sports, the recent postponements of league and playoff games by Professional sports in response to the tragic shooting of Jacob Blake in Kinora, Wisconsin.

Yet another tragic moment where a white officer uses excessive force towards a black man, this time Jacob Blake being shot 7 times in the back when he was entering back into his SUV where his kids sat in the back.

Although it appeared Jacob had no weapon, the police now allege that he had a knife and put one of the officers in a headlock before he let go and went to enter his vehicle.

What they can’t dispute it the officer shot Jacob 7 times in the back in lieu of other means to subdue, contain him with his partner before using deadly force.

In lieu of potential criminal charges being brought forth for the very least assault with a deadly weapon (as Jacob is still fighting for his life in ICU and was handcuffed to his bed until recently when I am writing this) using deadly force to this extent he and fellow officers involved in the incident are put on “administrative leave” pending investigation of the incident?

Really?

What is the justification for lack of justice that has been called out now by many professional athletes starting with Lebron James, identified by commentator on ESPN as being of the top 5 most influential athletes in the globe when he shared this tweet

 

Having worked in security for BC Place Stadium for many years and been trained in use of “reasonable force” to deal with unruly fans and having worked with many police constables and sergeants as a result, I agree 100% with Lebron’s statement, pulling a gun is the LAST resort and first shot would be to subdue someone (i.e. shooting in the leg) or to be used in self defence for their lives (i.e. when gun pointed at them).  There is no way the officer in question can make either of those claims based on video footage.

Much like when I watched the video of George Floyd  when I watched the Jacob Blakes video where the officer pulling the trigger 7 times I was again sick to my stomach.

In lest we forget why the movement why BLACK LIVES MATTER has led to so many protests as a result, the issue of racism including white police brutality towards black people or other members of colour has been going on for decades which is what lead to the recent postponements of COVID-19 delayed league and playoff games.

The first by the Milwaukee Bucks who as a team took the stance they would not play and then the Orlando Magic and then the NBA postponed games on a Wednesday, much like they were the first league to shut down their season due to COVID-19 also on a Wed (Mar 11) and the NHL on the Thursday (March 12)

Fast forward 5 months, the NBA shuts down first, MLB and MLS canceled games but the NHL played on even though discussions started on Wednesday by a number of players to do the same?

Unlike COVID-19 league response to shut down the season, this time it was the players that pressuring the league and owners to do so as they had reached out to members of the newly formed Hockey Diversity Alliance (HAD) co-founded by Evander Kane and Akim Aliu that now includes many other minority members in the NHL.  The dialogue continued Thursday morning after the Vancouver Canucks had a team meeting and Bo Horvat and Tanner Pearson then reached out to Ryan Reeves who were scheduled to play that evening.

In ESPN article, Bo shared “We talked about it in the room this morning. We realize the impact it’s having on the world and in the sports community, seeing what was going on in basketball and the MLB. We wanted to go over and talk to Ryan and Vegas. We just all thought it was the best course of action,” Canucks center Bo Horvat said. “We have to come together. This stuff can’t stand. We need to educate ourselves and understand what’s going on in the world. There needs to be change. Us, being all together here as one, shows strength in the hockey community and in the world.”

 

As a result of pressure from the NHLPA and negative press they were receiving, the NHL then postponed games Thurs and Friday to protest Jacob Blakes shooting and will return to play Saturday

 

 

 

Ironically all of these events transpired the week that the MLB was to celebrate Jackie Robinson Day, on Friday Aught 28th, 7 decades after he broke the colour barrier for Major League Baseball.

Traditionally the MLB celebrates Jackie Robinson Day on April 15th, where all players wear 42 on all teams in recognition of his contributions to the game (which has been retired permanently for the league), but MLB was shut down to COVID-19 they opted for Aug 28th this year in lieu

This was to recognize the day that Jackie, his wife Rachel and children participated in the March of Washington in 1963, where Martin Luther King delivered his infamous “I have a dream speech”

Jackie was rookie of the year, MVP numerous times and helped the Brooklyn (now LA) Dodgers win the World Series in 1955.

This was no easy task for Jackie as the racial challenges he broke the colour line by himself and faced numerous racial challenges well before the civil rights movement, Martin Luther King and very March of Washington he participated in well after he retired and was nominated in the MLB Hall of fame in 1962.

He continued to be an advocate for the civil rights movement after he retired until he sadly passed away as a result of a heart attack in 1972 when he was 53 years old.

I have watched many sports movies over the years but one of my all time fav’s as a result of my Papa Johns (my step grandfather) love for the game of baseball was 42, the story of Jackie Robinson as I wanted to learn more of his favorite players.  He would share with me all the time that he was his favorite as he changed the game of baseball, as well as sports for the better and how disappointed he was he died so soon.

It was because of her love for the game of baseball, that it became one of the many sports that I played and became a fan of the Montreal Expo’s growing up in Montreal.  The recent postponement of NHL/NBA games reminded me of the lockout season where the Expo’s were the front runner to win the World Series in 1994.

It is also why this is one of my favorite clips from the movie and why all players wear 42 on April 15th every year since 2004.

 

Fast forward and many other sports and political leaders have come forth to open the colour barrier and reduce racism in sport and the world to include;

Bill Russell 60’s

 

 

As a member of the Boston Celtics in 1961 he lead other black players on his and opposing team St. Louis Hawks to protest racist behavior in Lexington, Ky although the game was played by white team mates.

He shared when interviewed afterwards “I am coming to the realization that we are accepted as entertainers, but we are not accepted as people in some places”

 

Muhammed Ali 60-70’s

 

Arguably the GOAT of boxing, and one I am the biggest fan of what he did not only for the sport, but also his fight against racial injustice throughout and after his career. One of the driving reasons he opted out of the army to go to Vietnam was due to the racial injustice in the USA he felt needed to fight more.

One of his most infamous quotes

“Why are all the angels white? Why ain’t there no black angels?”

Nelson Mandela 90’s

I could not write any post about racial inequality, injustice, or brutality without referencing I believe was one of the greatest leaders of our time, Nelson Mandela.

20 Years ago in the first every Laureus Global Sports awards he shared his infamous speech “Sport has the power to change the world” when he was asked to introduce the first ever recipient of the lifetime achievement Award Pele in 2000.

This after Nelson was president of South Africa where he was instrumental for ending apartheid after serving 27 years in prison of a life sentence but then pardoned in 1990 for conspiring to overthrow the state. During his first year as President one of the tactics he did to unify the country post-apartheid and integrate white and black constituents was provided advice and guidance to captain of their World Cup Rugby Team that South Africa was hosting they went on to win in 1995.

Colin Kaepernick

In 2012 he took over as starting QB for the San Fransico 49’ers and lead them to their first superbowl since 1994 and in a preseason game in 2016, he took a knee during the anthem as a protest against racial injustice, police brutality and systematic oppression.

The protests continued in 2017 until Donald Trump told NFL owners they should “fire” players that protest against the anthem (arguing it was disrespecting all the current and veterans of the military and the American Flag which never was the reason for him or others that followed suit taking the knee)

Colin became a free agent and was not signed by another team, and filed a collusion lawsuit against the NFL as no teams would hire him and in 2019 received a confidential settlement so withdrew his grievance.

In the fall of 2018, although still waiting settlement from the NFL, Nike produced this commercial narrated by Colin

 

After Nike released their commercial, they received praise, the value of their stock and sales increased and received numerous positive comments on all their social media platforms for supporting Colin and his stance against racism and police brutality.

Yes, there were still those on the other side arguing that he was disrespectful, and although he lost his career in the NFL, he did not give up on what he truly believed much like all the other examples above starting with most recent postponed NBA/NHL and other sports games to protest racism, tragic brutality and injustice.

This is why Nelson was so correct when he shared that Sport has the power to change the world and we WILL see a change for the better as a result. In order for it truly to change, everyone involved in sport, whether it be professional, collegiate, school or community sports need to continue the conversation so the momentum is not lost.

Black Lives Matter.

#theconversation

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure it Out

Posted Glen MulcahyPosted in Athlete, Coach, COVID-19, Organization Executive, Parents

I have been sharing for years in lieu of being part of the problem, figure out a solution and ironically this past week I did 3 facebook live interviews with guest speakers who had their own spins on Figure it Out and another time was when I was a BC Hockey Summit where Corey McNabb, the director of player development for Hockey Canada also used the term when referencing the importance of not making drills too linear so that players had an opportunity to figure it out and be creative.

These were two of the three from this week talking about how they were returning back to play after the COVID-19 quarantine period that shut down sport mid March

 

Steve Boyle – Founder & CEO

When I connected with my good friend and colleague, Steve Boyle, the founder and CEO of 241 sports and he shared Figure it Out several times during our chat as he and his wife Kerry have now ran their second sport sampling camp in the Connecticut area coming out of the COVID-19 Pandemic quarantine period.

Their first camp held last week was what he referred to as the scrimmage, just over 40 campers, where they implemented many changes to their normal programming developed over the last 10 years of hosting camps across the USA to adapt to various return to play guidelines from health authorities, parks and recreation and other governing bodies.

Like we will be doing for our first sport sampling camp we will be running in partnership with 241 Sports at the end of July at Queens Park in New West, BC, they added the following safety protocols to mitigate as much risk of possible for any campers, staff and families to be infected by the COVID-19 virus to include;

 

  • Cohort Groups of 10 – kids will be put into cohort groups of 10 for the entire week and will sample 8-10 different sports over the course of the week.  They will be assigned 2 junior coaches along with directors that will manage 2 cohort groups to provide the activities

An example of what that cohort group will look like at our camp is one of the groups from this weeks camp with over 162 campers at their flagship camp in Connecticut below

 

 

  • Leaders – will all have masks/bandana’s (like those in the pic) and be lifted when social distancing of less than 6’ is not possible, in particular if have to administer first aid
  • Lunches – will be ordered from a local sandwich shop for all campers and the sandwich shop will sort by campers order and put in their cohort bags for leaders to pick up when they are delivered. This will prevent any potential of virus contamination to other cohorts as well as challenges to keep the lunches cool during hot days (at this camp the temperature exceeded 100 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees C)
  • Sports/Sampling – to minimize the contact of equipment and time to sanitize, team sports like lacrosse, floorball will be run for one day only and all cohorts will get a chance to day, but universal activities like stickball, wiffleball, capture the flag, impromptu baseball with tennis raquet/wiffle ball and so on will be various activities kids will get to try over the course of the week

** This differs from prior 241 model where kids would choose 3 sports they would do over the week augmented with a day of universal sports so as a result of COVID-19 safety protocols, Steve and the rest of 241 team FIGURED it Out to provide even more fun and activities vs. cancelling programs as many other sports organizers have done

  • Arrival/Pickup – kids will be asked questions how they feel, temperature checks as required and so forth when arriving at the park, then will be brought to their cohort for 90 minutes of cohort play time before trying various sports activities each day
  • Parents are not permitted to exit their cars and masks will be worn by leaders when 6’ or less distancing
  • Prescreening of the campers before they get out of the cars (list of questions if feel sick etc))
  • Ensure they have their water name with name on it, own sunscreen, bug spray etc (no sharing will be permitted)

“Don’t change the rules in the middle of the game”

He also had to adapt to health authorities changing the rules in the middle of the game where they changed cohorts to 14 and temperature check requirements and one of the parents shared they signed their kids up based on what safety protocols would be enforced from the get go

He went back to original safety protocols and for each camp going forward whatever standards were in place from day 1 would stay in place and we plan to do the same, whatever the bar that is in place at the start of the camp in terms of safety protocols will remain the bar until the end of the week.

Numerous other examples were shared by Steve in our Facebook live we did can view HERE

 

Dave Newson, Executive Director Semiahmoo Minor Hockey

Another example of a sports organization that has figured it out came from my discussion with Dave Newson, the Executive Director with Semiahmoo Minor Hockey, who shared with me the weekly calls that he initiated with a couple of minor hockey associations which has now evolved to having representation from every minor hockey association in the lower mainland of Vancouver since April.

In a recent news article that he contributed to he was quoted saying ….

“In the past, we’d get together and we wouldn’t get very much done. People would be very territorial and worry about their own situation.”

— Dave Newson, Semiahmoo minor hockey

Although our Face book live had some challenges with wifi connectivity, Dave shared how all the minor hockey associations who traditionally kept things very close to their chest, as a result of COVID-19 and the impact how it will affect minor hockey association returning back to the ice in the fall, now they are working collaboratively along with PCAHA, BC Hockey and Hockey Canada so they can do so safely.

 

A few things that he shared will be part of the return to play protocols similar to other sports

 

  • Prescreening of players (all ages) will be required before kids are permitted to enter the ice rinks, this will be a series of digital questions each day

 

  • Revised Medical sheets with acknowledgement of COVID-19 risks required to be signed before kids return back to the ice

 

  • Social distancing will be required and smaller groups on the ice to start like has been done with various private skills developers since BC entered Phase III, the first minor hockey association to do so is South Delta and Semiahmoo and many others have plans for skills camps in August.

One of the biggest challenges will be facilities re-opening again, although the private facilities have already done so like Planet Ice, Canlan, Winter Clubs shared in prior posts, the municipally owned facilities may be slower to open due to budget issues, layoffs of staff during COVID-19 and so forth.

What I found of particular interest in our chat is their (Semiahmoo) and other minor hockey associations registrations are on track to be same as last season although initially the model will be different with various COVID-19 return to play guidelines until we get to phase IV with a vaccine or treatment for COVID-19.

That was exciting to hear, as I and many others I have talked to have feared due to economic challenges that people have faced due to layoffs, losing their jobs, businesses it potentially would have a negative impact on youth sports registrations in the fall.

These are just two of many examples how youth sports organizations are improvising, adapting, overcoming and Figuring it Out.

The upside, is they are doing so collectively and collaborating with “competitors or rivals” when they traditionally would not have in past.

Based on early indications from the private organizations who have been the first out of the gate, particularly Burnaby Winter Club who was the first to open their doors under rigid safety protocols May 5th, now 2 months later, there have been no positive COVID-19 cases reported which is exciting to hear as well.

The one constant that comes out of all the conversations I am having with various others is we still have a long ways to go, but if we follow the guidelines outlined from health authorities and governing bodies, as the examples above showed from 241 sports and initial hockey, returning and mitigating risks can happen if we work in collaboration to Figure it Out.

 

PS Tagline - Dont be a kids last coach

 

 

 

Staying the Course

Posted Glen MulcahyPosted in Athlete, Coach, COVID-19, Officials, Organization Executive, Parents

As we slowly see youth sports returning back to the fields, courts, rinks and other playing surfaces and the big smiles on the kids faces for the opportunity to do so, the key thing that keeps coming up with conversations I am having from various stakeholders is the lack of clear direction they are getting from various sources.

As this pandemic we have have all had to face since it started to spread across the globe earlier this year leading to complete shut down of all sports, as it is the first of its kind (hopefully the last), we are all in essence learning how to improvise, adapt and overcome.

Some of the recent discussions I have had with people that I have interviewed for our upcoming Youth Sports Virtual Summit as well as others I have connected with is the biggest challenge is the dissemination of the information to those with their boots on the ground so to speak, the coaches, the players, the officials, board members and other youth sports stakeholders.

A couple of the most recent examples include;

CALIFORNIA

Probably the most extreme example of the breakdown in communication is what happened in California recently from this article shared July 1st.

State recants on Team Sports activities

According to the reporter, many counties were giving the go ahead for drills with no team contact earlier in June, then a few weeks later issued this statement

They subsequently shared there would share further guidance but until such time they did, any youth sports teams that return to play may be guilty of a misdeamour?

All of the youth sports leaders I have connected with the last couple of months have shared their pain points not only in coming up with their return to play guidelines to ensure they meet health authority protocols for physical distancing, sanitization, cohort groups and so forth, but the other big issue has pertained to ensure they have insurance and will not be held liable in the event a stakeholder is tested positive.

Now the State of California is compounded that liability where a volunteer youth sports coach, official, board member will potentially be charged with a criminal offence even though they gave the green light to return provided they adhered to the state guidelines?

CONNECTICUT

Another example was shared to me by my good friend Steve Boyle, founder of 241 sports, whom we partnered with to host the first Canadian 241 Sport Sampling Camp in New Westminster the last week of July.

He shared that the state of Connecticut where he was hosting his first US camp changed the cohort restriction from 10 to 14 and he then shared it with all his parents at the camp would be shifting to larger cohort groups for the remainder of the week as a result.

Soonafter he sent the notice to all of the parents the campers he received an email from a parent saying NO, I signed up my kids to participate in this camp based on all the safety guidelines that you assured us would enforce to mitigate as much risk as possible.

In lieu of emailing her back, he called her and shifted back to maintain the original plan stating I learned “don’t change the rules in the middle of the game”

As Project Plays recent survey shared, over 50 % of parents are leary that their kids may get sick when return back to play as well as similar number shared they were leary they would get sick due to their kids coming out of the safe havens of their homes.

Although the risk for children below the age of 13 is very, very low to contract the virus, in lieu of health authorities or governments/national government bodies changing the rules on the fly, they should be implementing firm plans of action to ensure that they not only flatten the spread of COVID-19 but prevent a further outbreak this fall.

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Below is the quote that Dr. Bonnie Henry has now become infamous for as she has ended each of her COVID-19 updates for all residents of British Columbia, the first time she did so was on St. Patricks Day Mar 17, 2020, 2 days after she and provincial government that we had entered into a state of emergency and staying at home would be necessary so we could flatten the curve. She has now done her regular update for 156 consecutive days since … now a local hero and even they young ones say “Bonnie is keeping us safe”

Thanks to Bonnie staying the course since she recently was highlighted in the New York Times as the Doctor that aced the Coronavirus test for the amazing work she and her team have done to flatten the curve.

This is why I was dumbfounded that Gary Bettman and the rest of the NHL executive team opted to choose another host city to host half of the teams for their upcoming “bubble” stanley cup tournament.  In lieu of going to THE city that has done the best to curb the spread of COVID-19 and compromise in terms of requirements issued to comply to keep 5 Million residents of BC safe, the NHL opted to go to two alternate cities, one being Toronto that is in one of Canada’s largest provinces with 15X the outbreak of COVID-19 than BC.

Personally, if I was a NHL player, coach, manager I would want to go to a city that would rather err on the side of caution to ensure the safety of all those that will be entering the bubble.

 

That said, I know many people I have talked to about the upcoming playoffs and as a result of not seen hockey or any others sports on tv for months, many say they actually are unsure if they will be glued to their TV’s for hours a day when the playoffs for the NHL, NBA as well as start of MLB.

There are various youth sports examples I can share as well, but at the end of the day what I believe, as do many I have talked to all the way up to national governing bodies in Canada, US and abroad is the youth sports landscape will be different at least for the fall, perhaps going into 2021 until a vaccine or treatment is available.

Until then, whatever hat you wear in the youth sports landscape, please stay the course and follow all of your health authority and governing bodies guidelines so we can flatten the curve and get out from under this pandemic.

The last thing any of need is another outbreak this fall if we don’t stay on track, be patient and per Bonnie

Be Kind – Be Calm – Be Safe

It would be great to see if this become PSA’s at various youth sports facilities when we do return to games again don’t you think?

Imagine if everyone in youth sports were kind to each other (vs. pre covid when adults were screaming at players, officials, other adults)

Imagine everyone was calm even when a kid made a mistake, or an official missed a call

Imagine if youth sports becomes safe to fail again like it should be, not what it had become.

Let’s all work together to bring the game back to the kids …. one day at a time, as safely as we can.

 

PS Tagline - Dont be a kids last coach

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Will 4 on 4 be the “new” normal?

Posted Glen MulcahyPosted in Athlete, Coach, COVID-19, Parents

It is so exciting to see the globe enter different phases post COVID-19 quarantine period start put all sports on hold mid March as well as other sectors coming back.

I think one of the biggest milestones for yours truly was when I finally was able to get my hair cut again, normally I do so every month, and the last appointment I had pre Covid just before quarantine period was on March 9th so come June 19th when I got to see my “stylist” of 25+ years was just one of many examples how we are returning back.

I recently read another great article that JJ Adams wrote for the Vancouver Sun and Province newspapers “Rec hockey overhauled to keep it fun, less risky”

The online version of the same article in the Sun Newspaper (yes, there are still people that read the paper, yours truly is one as my first “job” was carrier for the Sun for 8 years) starts with the quote that I shared in our newsletter …..

 

One of the main contributors to the article that JJ talked to was the CEO of Canlan Ice Sports, who run 3 multi sheet ice rinks in the Vancouver and 12 others in Canada and Illinois.

He shared how they have reinvented the format for both their adult and youth recreational leagues which I am very familiar with, having coached in all of the facilities for years and then when my son’s minor hockey “career” was over, in lieu of pursuing the junior hockey path he found very frustrating (as did I), he accepted an invitation to play for an adult team playing in ASHL tier 1 even though he was 18 at the time.

He was able to play 2 seasons with that team but like all others, his season ended March 13th, 2020 and I know he is itching to return to play once a week with his buds as his hockey bag still sits fully packed in our garage.

I shared the highlights of the article at one of our many home cooked dinners we have had the last few months and he shared one of his fondest memories playing hockey growing up we not the 5 on 5 recreational or competitive teams he played for, but was the spring 3 on 3 on smaller ice surfaces or 3 on 3 , 4 on 4 on full ice with modified rules.

For me as well, that was some of my fondest memories, going back to watching him play with the “big boys” when he was invited to play 3 on 3 with his counterparts who were all a year older for his first spring “season” of 12 games from end of March to mid June once a week.

We played in a faculty that had 3 smaller ice surfaces that became a go to for many associations in the winter for practices, small area games and then a natural fit for cross ice hockey (ice sheets are approx. 45% smaller than a full sheet)

3 on 3 had rules to keep the flow going of the game including floating blue line (once entered the offensive zone the red line then became the blue line to keep the puck moving), changing on the fly (vs .buzzers that were being used from H1-4 when we did play full ice) and no penalties, only penalty shots.  No body checking for all age groups also.

Each year thereafter he would ask me to put a team together as he had so much fun so we did and many of the original players and goalies returned year after year as they had so much fun.

Even coaches had fun, as did parents who watched many of the games from the pub (many of which would sure one of their counterparts would be the DD)

When the boys got into their teens, one of the players grandparents was the head skills developer for one of the Canlan sheets near us and asked us if they boys would like to try full ice 4 on 4 or 3 on 3 which is what really kept the bug going for my son and all of his friends.

THEY Loved both options, and although scores were kept, it was literally watching pond hockey and although I was their coach, I encouraged them all the time to just go out there and have fun, they already had their winter seasons with plenty of competitive games and practices, this was just an opportunity to keep their skate legs going once a week in the offseason.

My daughter also played one season of “fun hockey” with one of her softball counterparts, even though she could barely skate at the time, so Canlan and the other private facilities do have several fun progams and youth and adults to consider (although I am not a fan of the competitive spring hockey model that has evolved as have have shared for years)

So when I saw how Canlan was improvising so kids and adults could return back to play I same some of the similar rules we had played with as well as new ones so they could ensure that those that returned back to play could do so safely.

Canlan, like many other multi-sheet corporations like Planet Ice are privately held and run, and their recreational leagues do not fall under the umbrella of Hockey Canada.

The upside for them (and for all the hockey keeners from youth to adults) is they can run programs year round but the cons are the coaches or officials do not have to be Hockey Canada certified, nor do they qualify for Hockey Canada’s insurance program which Tom Renney et al have announced the contagious disclaimer is going to remain unchanged until 2024 to permit local hockey associations to return to play in the fall.

 

 

Some of the things that Canlan is doing to permit their leagues to start up again when physical distancing permits

#1 – In lieu of 5 on 5 (with goalie), they will be 4 on 4 (with a goalie) for cohort groups of 10 per bench (8 skaters, one goalie, one coach)

This will permit more space between the players during game play and comply with current PHO cohort guidelines

#2 – NO penalties, in lieu penalty shots (think basketball free throw)

The difference with the way penalty shots will be done Post COVID-19 is those that are awarded the penalty shot in lieu of puck being placed on the centre ice face-off dot and player skating in on a breakaway, the puck will be place in between the hashmarks and players will have to shoot for there to try and score.

OK potentially for adults, teenage players who will have the physical strength to do so, not so much for players U12 but that will adhere to the LTAD models that are restricting competitive games

# 3 – Face masks – Canlan is also working with Bauer for various of masks that players can use while playing, as well as ones for coaches, administrators, on ice officials and even parents/fans

 

#4 – No Face-offs – Ensures Physical Distancing is adhered to with two 10 minute running time periods (vs. 3 15-20 minute stop time)

#5 – Refs will have electronic whistles (pushing a button vs. blowing thru)

#6 – Social Distancing Dots on the bench (for 4 additional players to sit and coach to stand)

#7 – Water Bottle Shield on the bench

** Pre-Covid, it was amazing how few players brought water bottles to practices when I was doing coach evaluations … I suspect that the awareness created with COVID that will no longer need a reminder

#8 – Pregame questionnaire and “zone control attendant” to ensure adhere to social distancing when come to the facility, will be escorted to their dressing rooms that has been marked to ensure players/goals get dressed 6’ or more apart

#9 – No Showers (yikes, that could lead to some stinky drives home)

#10 – No dilly dallying in the dressing rooms post game

Translation – NO BEER for the ASHL players and one of the best part of playing adult recreation team sports, the post-game rituals and conversations in the dressing room, dugout or benches so in lieu this means they will have to improvise, adapt and overcome (i.e. head to a pub or an empty parking lot and park all their cars and open bumpers, doors to permit social distancing and ensure can answer the first question everyone will have) …..

WHO HAS THE BEER (cooler, water etc)? (The Snack)

Before the last words everyone will say as they are closing their doors to head home

WHEN DO WE PLAY AGAIN?

Kudos to Canlan, Bauer and other organizations that are working on the ways so that can all return to play the games we love to play, coach, ref and watch as safely as possible.

 

 

Returning Back to Play – Phase II

Posted Glen MulcahyPosted in Athlete, Coach, Officials, Organization Executive, Parents

After a 2+ month quarantine period, many provinces, states and countries are starting to ease up on the physical distancing measures implemented to ensure that we flatten the curve of COVID19.

In phase I, we have seen restaurants, hair salons, non-essential retail, hotels and other services return with various safety guidelines to ensure that we continue to flatten the curve of COVID19 but slowly return to a sense of normalcy.

The sector that we are involved with is one that I am most excited in seeing work on return to play protocols, youth sports.

What I have found over the last couple of months during the hiatus, however, is the overall direction provided from national authorities and the trickle down effect from national, to provincial (or state), to municipal levels and literally every organization I have talked to saying they are waiting to see what their respective governing bodies provide in terms of guidelines so they can start the process of having their members return to play.

The first of the most anticipated documents that all sports groups in British Columbia (our home province in Canada) were waiting for was the guidelines for ViaSport, the provincial governing body under new leadership and legacy from the 2010 Winter Olympics held in Vancouver/Whistler.

The link to the guidelines has now been released, click on the image below to download a copy for reference.

The 35-page document outlines a generic return to play guidelines for all provincial sports organizations to then create their own guidelines to then in turn provide to their local organizations to the same.

Note that ViaSport is requiring that level has their own return to play guidelines, board members review/approve before are provided to their memberships.

I.e. First The National Sport Organization, then Provincial, then Regional (if applicable) and lastly local sports organizations.

The document was released June 1st, so it will take weeks for the various levels to prepare their own set of return to play guidelines to minimize the risk of the further spread of the COVID19 virus.

Yesterday I attended a webinar that was hosted one of my colleagues in Alberta, Lea Weins a Quality Sport Consultant in Alberta, outlining the project they undertook in various communities in Alberta identifying what quality sport would look like which now will look different as a result of the various health and governing guidelines

What I found interesting was a poll of the attendees from various sports organizations highlighted what I suspected, almost all (97%) stated that their were looking for clear guidelines and timelines to return back to activity.  Almost half were looking for assistance to mitigate risk as well as sanitization/cleaning support to ensure the safety of participants.

Source: Alberta Quality Sport Webinar June 2, 2020

This theme is consistent regardless of what sports organization I have talked to in recent weeks and I came across a survey that was done for Project Play By North Carolina and Utah universities of over 1000 youth sports parents in the USA

When asked how comfortable they were with their kids returning to sports 49.5% of parents are afraid of their kids getting sick if sport resumes and just shy of 46% stated they are afraid of getting sick if their child returns to sport!

When parents were asked of their comfort level for their kids returning to various types of sport, over 70% were comfortable for their kids to return to pickup sports (AKA Free Play) and only 50% for what was the pay to play model pre-covid in terms of travel/elite club league sports.

In literally every webinar, Zoom or phone call I have had for over a month the one thing that was consistent was the LACK of consistency but it is due to the fact that every sport has their own challenges how they will return to play, some are low risk (i.e. archery) vs. higher risk team contact sports (rugby) how they can modify their practice sessions initially to adhere to physically distancing requirements.

Below is a chart prepared outlining the various phases for sport activity (also prepared by ViaSport)

Phase I – State of Emergency Quarantine Period (March 13- May 18th)

Phase II – the phase we (and others are about to enter)

Notice the bare minimum requirements regardless of the sport

  1. Physical Distancing (6’/2m) must still be adhered to
  2. Increased Hand Hygiene (washing hands for 20 seconds regularly)
  3. Outdoor participation is safest … indoor facilities (gyms, pools, rinks) slowly reopening
  4. Small Groups, no or limited spectators, focus on fundamental movement skills
  5. NO Contact activities which will require contact sports like Rugby, Football, Hockey to revamp programming but also many others like basketball, soccer to ensure adhere to physical distancing
  6. Minimal shared equipment and must be disinfected frequently

Phase III/IV are still a ways away so in the short term (at least until September 1st projected for Phase III), any spring programs/summer camps will have to improvise, adapt and overcome to meet the COVID19 phase II guidelines.

Here are some of the challenges that are holding back sports organizations from shifting to phase II

  1. Insurance Requirements and if a pandemic/contagion exclusion is needed
  2. Updates to Player Participation/Waivers to include COVID19 disclaimer (i.e. that organizations are not to be found liable if participants test positive for COVID19)
  3. Facility Rental – Who is going to bear the costs (product and payroll) to ensure that common areas, equipment is sanitized and if masks will be needed
  4. Scheduling – to ensure minimize overlap of large groups for dropping off/pick up of participants
  5. Spectators – Yes or No … if so how many?
  6. Total Number of participants permitted (players, coaches, trainers, other)?
  7. Will lower numbers make the business model viable?

I even had some ask about what others were doing in terms of tryouts, coach and team selection which I shared that was not even being considered, the goal was merely to get kids back out to their sports in the safest way possible, there are not going to be any competitive games in phase II from the all the sanctioned sports organizations I have talked to.

**As far as non-sanctioned sports that is another thing it itself, only time will tell if they also practice the DO NO HARM philosophy vs. ramping up games and tournaments before health authorities deem it safe for us to do so **

Why is there so much ambiguity, confusion?

Because even the experts are no longer experts when it comes to dealing with a pandemic like the novel coronavirus, which is why over and over again we are hearing the term unprecedented.  Never in the course of human history has ALL sport been shut down, from professional to U-sport to high school and community sports.

The other challenge is there are many organizations leary of taking the risk of putting their toe in the water until someone else does so or they are given clear outlines from the higher-ups so to speak.

In sum, as health authorities have now deemed it safe for us to enter phase II, we shared in “What will the new Normal Be” how some organizations were returning to play starting with the infamous Mother’s Day Baseball tourney hosted in St. Louis that many felt was too much too soon.

I just checked my best friend Google to see if any other news had been shared since and to date there have been no reported cases of people that tested positive that participated in the event.

There have been a few others that have or are about to open their doors to return back to play implementing various safety measures to adhere to health authority guidelines.

 

Following the lead of Burnaby Winter Club who re-opened for bookings May 5th with rigid safety protocols, now my the multi-sheet facility that I coached at for many years has re-opened after their parking lot was turned into a Hyundai new vehicle parking lot

 

 

I started to see cars being parked early part of April as I drove past the rink which I can only assume was a means to generate some revenue as the private facility did close its doors to adhere to the quarantine period.

Fast Forward to May 19th, they also have opened up 2 of their 4 sheets of ice for skill development sessions like BWC according to Surrey Community staff member that shared during one of the many webinars I have done the last month.

 

Note – just in a few days the facility manager confirmed that 95% of their ice was booked!

Only 6 skaters are permitted on the ice with a skills instructor, dressing rooms and concession are closed, and there is a one way flow inside the arena

They also have been creative in terms of signage for spectators (only one per player permitted and for markings on the ice to ensure that players adhere to physical distancing, including expanding the goalie crease by 6’!

 

Once Soccer Canada, ViaSport reviewed BC Soccer released their return to play guidelines on June 3rd.

Click on the image for the guidelines shared with their members

 

 

They outline 3 return to play phases only so their phase I is what ViaSport is calling phase II (after the quarantine period)

The documents include guidelines for local organizations, sample sessions and timelines

The sample sessions do outline how fields can be utilized (outdoors) to ensure that number of attendees on the field at any one time does not exceed 50

Session Example of 10 players in group 1 with 2 coaches working on various soccer skills

 

There is no reference to competitive game play, only skill sessions which adheres to ViaSports and BC Health Authority Guidelines.

 

 

Still working on their return to play guidelines for clubs but one of their directors shared in webinar how they envision their return to play will be in three components;

#1 – Only singles play, no doubles or mixed doubles play will be permitted

This will be mandatory for U11 and U9 age groups to start which they believe will be a good thing for their overall sport so coaches can focus less on tactics and more on skill development until the players mature and players have the skills to execute tactics

This also will permit coaches to do more one on one coaching vs. group sessions where coach to player ratio was a high as 1:8

HMMMMM … where I have I shared that before???

#2 – No Spectators initially, only players and coaches will be permitted

#3 – They had already started looking at piloting but are going to roll out AIR Badminton (AKA outside badminton like kids have done in their yards for 2 months during quarantine)

This was initiated pre-COVID lockdown to provide another playing experience than indoor, similar to the Beach Volleyball concept

More examples will follow in the coming weeks as more organizations release their return to play guidelines but as the cliché goes, good always comes out of bad and as more and more sports ramp up for Phase II the challenges we faced pre-covid in terms of adult behavior in the stands/sidelines, focusing on winning at all costs will not be an issue we deal with.

Perhaps this also will be the much-needed catalyst for sports in North America to consider other youth sports development models that we have shared in past like Norway, Sweden and Iceland who don’t even have competitive games until kids acquire the skills to from 6-12 years of age and as a result have had huge success at the Olympic and International Levels as a result.

Only time will tell.

Let’s all work together to bring the game back to the kids.

 

PS Tagline - Dont be a kids last coach