November 13 - Member Update

November 13, 2020

 

To: All SSA Member Organizations

 

 

Saskatchewan Soccer and member organizations continue to adhere to all Government of Saskatchewan Public Health Orders regarding the COVID 19 pandemic. 

 

This week we have seen a drastic increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in our province, and today we were notified of a positive case within adult soccer in Saskatoon, the fourth known case within SSA membership. 

Also, this afternoon, news was received from the Government on increased restrictions. The mandatory masks in indoor places now extends to communities of over 5,000. We encourage all Member Organizations regardless of their size to require masks for those not actively participating in a game or training. The remainder of the restrictions announced do not affect sport currently, however, Dr. Shahab indicated that they will be looking closely at sport next week. He also urged that individuals participate in a minimum number of sports for the next while and discouraged post game socialization as it can lead to the spread of the virus. 

Also released today were new Sport Guidelines in the Re-open Saskatchewan Plan. From these guidelines however arise new questions and what we believe to be contradictions. We will seek clarity on these items next week. In many provinces, soccer and sport has been required to shutdown. We all need to diligently follow guidelines and work together to ensure all participants are safe and sport can continue to occur. 

We also want to remind Member Organizations that if you do have a positive case within your organization, that it is important that you communicate to SSA Staff so we are able to provide support as necessary. Please contact both of the following if your Member Organization has a positive case: 

Doug Pederson, Executive Director 
(306) 536-7766 
d.pederson@sasksoccer.com 

Nicole Drozda, Coordinator of Member Services 
(306) 519-1618 
n.drozda@sasksoccer.com 

It is crucial that your organization communicates with your participants that they have responsibilities in ensuring participant safety as well. These responsibilities include not attending soccer if unwell or if they do not meet the criteria in the declaration of compliance, as well as informing the Member Organization's COVID lead if they have tested positive for COVID 19 or have been in contact with someone who has tested positive. We have learnt that Public Health is prioritizing its Contact Tracing and therefore if your organization does not hear from a participant regarding a positive result, you may not receive information in a timely manner to limit the spread of the virus. 

Return to Soccer Plan Updates: 

 

Updated flow charts - Both the 'Participant Exhibits Symptoms of COVID 19 or is a Close Contact of a Person with COVID 19' or 'Positive COVID Test' flow charts have been updated with more accurate information. It is possible that someone receiving a negative test result may still be required to self-isolate. Public Health is the authority in this space, and at a minimum, their direction must be followed by participants.

 

Pre-Activity Screening - Based on the feedback from the Member Call on Tuesday, we added an Activity Pre-screening Section to the Return to Soccer Plan. This section provides recommendations to help organizations ensure that participants don't attend soccer if they are ill or if they create a risk to the other participants. The future of sport during COVID requires every participant to declare when they tested positive or been in contact with someone else who has.

 

Playing in Multiple Mini Leagues - Wording regarding multiple mini leagues for players has been revised from the newly release sport guidelines:

It is recommended that athletes not belong to multiple sports mini leagues (whether community or school based). They should select one sport mini-league for the duration of each season. 

 

 

Template Letters for a Positive Case - Thank you to Saskatoon Youth Soccer (SYSI) for providing template letters for use if your organization is notified of a positive case. These letters can be found on under Organizational Resources on the COVID Resources page.

Thank you to SYSI and Swift Current Soccer Association for sharing their recent experiences related to COVID 19 on the Member Call on Tuesday. Your experiences and shared learnings will certainly be of value to other Members as we navigate this new territory. 

 

The next Member Discussion is Monday, November 9th at 8:00 PM - Click here to register.

 

All Member Discussion recordings are available on our YouTube Channel.

Click here to learn more and to register!

Leading the Way - LQBTQI2S Inclusion in Sport 

Presented by Canadian Women in Sport 

Wednesday, November 18 - 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM 

Where: Zoom - Register Here

 

This workshop provides sport leaders, including coaches, athletes, officials, with the opportunity to understand what LGBTQphobia is and how it can hurt their organization. From understanding lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex and two spirit (LGBTQI2S) language and dealing with sensitive issues such as same-sex relationships amongst teammates, to reviewing policies and practices to ensure they are equitable, this session allows for an open and honest conversation about LGBTQphobia and the important role sport leaders, including coaches, can play in making sport more accepting of sexual and gender diversity. 

 

Futsal is a hugely popular and the next growing opportunity for your participants. This session provides a summary of the Futsal Laws of the Game. It is meant to assist Member Organizations that wish to start Futsal programming by providing a short presentation of the main Futsal rules for volunteers, administrators, coaches and future Futsal referees. 

While there are differences, you will be happy to find out that there are lots of similarities between Soccer and Futsal. This presentation will provide you with the knowledge and confidence to get started with your Member Organization Futsal programming. 

You can do it!

 

This 1.5 hour training session is designed to empower sport leaders with practical information to help enhance child and youth safety across programming. It will increase awareness of the issue of child sexual abuse and discuss steps for creating safe spaces. 

Positive Outcomes:

attendees will be able to recognize high risk behavior and situations

 

attendees will gain greater knowledge on preventing child sexual abuse

 

attendees will be introduced to programs and tools to help with additional child protection

 

Do you know a girl between the ages of 8-18 who is interested in being physically active, learning from role models and connecting with other girls from across the country? 

If so, have them sign up for the 2020 Fast and Female Virtual Summit running every Tuesday and Thursday at 5 p.m. (Sask time) from Dec. 1-17. 

Tuesday, December 1: Welcome sessions with your group!

 

Thursday, December 3: Workshop #1

 

Tuesday, December 8: Physical activity #1

 

Thursday, December 10: Workshop #2

 

Tuesday, December 15: Physical Activity #2

 

Thursday, December 17: Panel and closing session

Each session is approximately 1.5 to 2 hours long and all girls will be put into groups of 25 with 2-3 REAL (Relatable Empowering Active Leaders) Role Models. 

And this year, Sask Sport is partnering with Fast and Female to cover the fees for the first 200 Saskatchewan girls who register. Don't miss out on your opportunity! 

Recordings of past webinars and COVID 19 member calls can be found on our YouTube Channel.