Organized sports can resume when ready
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/05/2020 (2194 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
There’s no point in spiking down the bases at the neighbourhood ball diamond or pushing in the corner flags at the community soccer pitch just yet.
Yes, the Manitoba government has suggested organized sports can resume as part of its next phase of the province’s reopening amid the COVID-19 pandemic. But it could be weeks before we see a pack of Winnipeg youngsters booting a soccer ball or a softball team in Stonewall taking fielding practice.
Each sport’s governing body has to establish a plan of attack on how to minimize physical contact between players, coaches and officials, maintain the necessary two-metre spacing between parents on the sidelines and stands, and sanitize shared equipment regularly.
Making those modifications won’t be easy, although time appears to be on the organizers’ side. No firm date for the easing in of Phase 2 plans was announced Thursday, although it won’t be sooner than June 1, according to provincial health officials.
Jeff Hnatiuk, president and CEO of Sport Manitoba, said all sport organizations have been looking at return-to-play protocols for some time now, and having some restrictions relaxed is a sign organized play could be on the horizon.
“I’m not sure I’d say it’s within days but there’s definitely the possibility within weeks. It will depend on where the sport is at in terms of its planning for return to play, and the potential for modifications that potentially have to be made for that particular sport, in order to respect the proper social distancing and proper sanitization,” said Hnatiuk.
“The point being it’s probably not something that happens overnight, and that starting June 1 the soccer pitches are filled and the ball diamonds filled. But all of our hope is that it will be sooner than later, and when you get restrictions that are relaxed it can really help with the planning.
“It’s all great news. But we need to make sure we take a very responsible approach to return to play.”
— Jason Bell