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Current Measures for Youth Sport – April 9, 2021

Posted April 9, 2021

The Government of Alberta recently announced the province is moving back to Step 1 restrictions to protect the health system and mitigate the spread of COVID-19. However, the current guidelines for youth sport in Step 1 remain the same and are listed below:

Limited Group Physical Activities Allowed

  • Lessons, practices and physical conditioning activities are allowed for indoor and outdoor minor sports/activities and school athletics (for example, school sport activities that are outside of a physical education class or related part of the school curriculum).
  • Games are not allowed.

Safety Requirements

  • Maximum of 10 total individuals, including all coaches, trainers, and participants.
    • Indoor and outdoor playing surfaces (for example, arena, field, court or swimming pool) may be occupied by more than one youth group, as long as 3-metres of physical distancing can be maintained between groups of 10 and the groups do not intermingle.
  • Physical distancing must be maintained between participants at all times:
  • 3 metres physical distance for indoor activities
  • 2 metres physical distance for outdoor activities
  • coaches or trainers may enter physical distancing space for brief interactions with participants (for example, to correct form or technique)
  • It is important to note that Volleyball Alberta has a Masking Policy, that requires masks for all VA participants, at all times, while they are indoors, including but not limited to arrival, training, game play, and departure.
  • Access to change rooms must be limited, including accelerated arrival and departure, emergencies (for example, first aid) and washroom use.

On Court Considerations to Maintain 3 Metres of Physical Distance

  • Teams should email processes, expectations, general information, and session drills in advance to avoid on site team meetings
  • Coaches should carefully consider use of white boards, this may be difficult to maintain distance for group instruction
  • Use visual guides (eg. cones) where possible as markers for athletes to understand distancing requirements
  • Smaller numbers on the court at a time reduces the chances of breaching distancing requirements, a MAXIMUM of 4 athletes per side should be permitted to maintain 3 metres of distance throughout the session
  • Reminder that ball carts should be approached by one person at a time, they tend to be congregation points
  • No blocking against a front row attack
  • No middle attacks, as most approaches from this position would cause a distance breach with the setter
  • Setter should move to position 3 to set right side hitters
  • Setter should not set back row attacks in the middle or right side of the court
  • The volleyball court is 9 metres wide, setting up drills should have no more than 2 people across from each other as it is extremely difficult to maintain distance when athletes are in motion (eg. passing or defensive drills)
  • Limit transitional movement in a drill, additional actions within drill patterns make it more challenging to maintain distance
  • Smaller groups of 2-3 athletes makes it easier to facilitate drills with distancing
  • Be aware of movement patterns on both sides of the court, to avoid athletes meeting at the net (eg. dynamic stretching lines)

 

Volleyball Alberta is a non-profit governing body for volleyball in Alberta. Their primary goal is to promote and develop volleyball and beach volleyball at all levels throughout Alberta. This contributor is part of our Fair Dealing Policy: https://momentumvolleyball.ca/fair-dealing-policy/

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