VAFC Safe Return-to-Play Protocols & Clarifications – November 13

13 Nov VAFC Safe Return-to-Play Protocols & Clarifications – November 13

New Provincial Health orders that were issued this past Saturday, and clarified today, affect the Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health regions. VAFC wants to ensure that our entire membership: coaches, player, volunteers, and staff are aware of how the orders impact our programming.

We have sought further clarification and summarized how this affects VAFC’s House and Divisional levels. It is important to remember that these evolving measures are in place for the province to balance Covid-19 risk, while helping to ensure the continuation of programing for our youth across the season. Thank you for your understanding on this matter.

All of our teams will continue to adhere to our safe return-to-play protocols, including:

• Strict hand and equipment sanitizing,
• Keeping physical distance when possible (everyone),
• Phase 1 or 2 requirements (physical distancing) in effect for training sessions,
• Coaches and managers should be wearing masks during all team activities (on field, and to/from fields),
• Parents escorting players to/from fields should also be wearing masks, and
• Be aware of immediate pickup and drop off areas and respect distancing.

Divisional U11 – U18

Vancouver Coastal Health District includes Sea to Sky, North Shore, Sunshine Coast, Vancouver, and Richmond. No games will be played outside of a team’s Provincial Health District for the duration of the order. As a result, the League has again shuffled the cohorts to ensure that they do not cross health regions. The new schedules are on the BCCSL website. If teams don’t find themselves under the previous cohort they should check adjacent cohorts or look at the “cohorts by Club” option on the menu. Megan Reiter (Divisional Girls Coordinator) and Stew Woolverton (Divisional Boys Coordinator) will be sending an updated schedule to all managers/coaches as soon as this is available.

U11-U18 Travel Related to Sports (Provincial Health)

No person may travel to or from the affected area or between the regions of the Fraser Health Authority and the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority for any sport related activity, including practice, training, games or tournaments. The club is currently working towards assisting those players who reside outside the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority. We are examining different options that will allow players to continue to train. Thanks for your patience on this matter.

U11-U18-Parents/Spectators

For the duration of the order, VAFC request that parents refrain from attending games, practices other than to drop off or pick up. Parents are still able to help set up and take down fields at the beginning and end of the event, but all parents must wear a mask and socially distance themselves from others when helping out.

Vancouver Parks Board has required, for the duration of the new Provincial Order, that “No Spectators” are allowed on the field. The general goal of this is to both reduce numbers of persons that are not directly involved in the youth soccer programing and eliminate clusters of individuals. As a parent, I know there is great satisfaction in watching games (even if nail-biting). Please consider this as an interim inconvenience to ensure the greater objective of permitting the continuation of soccer for our youth.

Fields: Trillium, Empire and Andy Livingstone

For further clarity, no spectators are permitted between the North and South of Empire and between the East and West fields at Trillium and at Andy Livingstone or the staging area on the south side of Andy Livingstone.

U11-U18 Divisional Coordinators:

• U11 – U18 Girls Divisional Coordinator: Megan Reiter,
  vafcgirls@vafc.ca
• U11 – U18 Boys Divisional Coordinator: Stew Woolverton,
  vafcboys@vafc.ca

House U5 to U10

Games continue as normal this coming weekend. We have reduced the number of games and teams on the west field of Douglas Park to reduce the overall numbers on the field. Garden Park, Trout Lake and Clinton Park remain the same. To all teams on all fields, we ask that teams set up on opposite sides of the field. Coaches please set up a series of cones 2 meters apart for all players to place their water bottles and clothing and ask that players return to this space during the game / half time and any pre or post game discussion.

U5-U10 Parents

Parents/Guardians (one per player and only if required in supervisory role) should also stand to watch the game at their child’s particular cone. Parents/Guardians and players should arrive and exit their assigned game field by the outside field boundaries rather than through the middle of all fields. Parents/Guardians are not permitted in the space between fields. Parents are still able to help set up and take down fields at the beginning and end of the event, but all parents must wear a mask and socially distance themselves from others when helping out.

Please adhere to the safe return-to-play protocols. It’s extremely important we do what we can to make this a safe environment for everyone. As long as we do our part, we will continue to play through this challenging period.

U5-U10 House Coordinators:

• U5 – U7 House Coordinator: Devon Dooling,
  devonvafc@gmail.com
• U8 – U10 House Coordinator: George Mrsic,
  admin@vafc.ca

Thanks for your understanding as we navigate through these challenging times.

Steve Weston
Technical Director, VAFC

George Mrsic
Operations Manager, VAFC