Whitehorse minor hockey forced to shut down games
The Whitehorse Minor Hockey Association (WMHA) was forced to shut down some games due to COVID-19 recently.
The Whitehorse Minor Hockey Association (WMHA) was forced to shut down some games due to COVID-19 recently.
As reported in the Star on Friday, the U9 division was shut down Oct.23 and the U7 Division was shut down the following week. Three U9 ice times on Saturday Oct 23 and two U9 ice times on Sunday Oct. 24 were canceled, as well as skill sessions on Monday.
The U9 division started up again the following weekend.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 play any games, just to be sure. We just kept everybody with their own teams. We didn鈥檛 want the players intermingling just because the 14 days hadn鈥檛 been up. So the kids that were affected stayed away from the rink and we just kept everyone else in their teams,鈥� related WMHA President Jeff Frizzell.
The U9 division was back to normal this past weekend with games on Sunday and Skills Groups on Monday.
The U7 only has ice times on Tuesdays and Sundays, so only last Tuesday鈥檚 ice times were missed.
鈥淲e got a letter from the CDC with information on each team, with what they had to do, so some teams were good, didn鈥檛 have any cases, some teams had to self-monitor for symptoms, and then ... one team had to isolate, just because that was the one team that had the (COVID) case, but they only had to miss one ice time on the Tuesday,鈥� explained Frizzell.
The WMHA got the OK to start up again this past Sunday, but one U7 team didn鈥檛 return to action Sunday 鈥� the one with the COVID case.
鈥淭hey want to be sure and just keep them off the ice and have them self-monitor,鈥� said Frizzell. He wasn鈥檛 willing to disclose the team鈥檚 name due to confidentiality reasons. The U7 team will be back on the ice Tuesday barring any more COVID-related setbacks.
Measures are being taken to ensure future games can be played.
鈥淲e鈥檙e being really careful at the rink,鈥� stated Frizzell. 鈥淲e鈥檙e asking our U7, U9, U11 players who aren鈥檛 vaccinated to come to the rink dressed and just use the dressing room to put on their skates and helmet just so that we can limit the amount of time the kids are in the dressing room together, so they just get dressed really quick and just go out to the bench and wait and try to self-distance as much as possible.
鈥淓ven though it鈥檚 not a city requirement at the CGC to wear masks, or at Takhini Arena to wear masks, we鈥檝e asked ... even our parents, when they鈥檙e comin鈥� in, just to wear masks when they鈥檙e there for hockey reasons. We鈥檝e asked all players and coaches to be masked up the entire time until they step onto the ice just to lessen the chance of anyone else getting infected.
Frizzell doesn鈥檛 see an end to the COVID situation happening anytime soon.
鈥淭his is going to continue,鈥� he predicted. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 see this stopping until the kids can get the vaccine. We鈥檙e expecting more cases. The kids are all at school all day at different classes, and different cases are popping up in all the ... elementary schools right now.
鈥淲e鈥檙e just constantly sending out reminders to everybody 鈥� if you have symptoms, stay home, wear your masks, come dressed.
鈥淎nd we鈥檙e in close contact with the CDC, so if there is a positive case, we鈥檝e asked the player鈥檚 parents to contact the coach immediately and then the CDC have been really quick at responding as well to get in touch with us so we鈥檙e aware and can proceed,鈥� added Frizzell.
Not surprisingly, the latest mandates imposed by the Yukon government requiring a first vaccine shot by Nov. 30 and a second jab by Jan. 30 have affected the WMHA.
鈥淲e鈥檝e sent out messages to all of our coaches that 鈥� everybody is aware that Nov. 30 you need to be vaccinated to take part in organized sports, so that includes all our coaches and any players that are eligible for the vaccine. It doesn鈥檛 affect our U7, U9, U11, but it affects our U13, U15, U18. So I鈥檝e got a few messages from coaches that have inquired how it affects them. If they鈥檙e not going to get the vaccine, then ... they need to be vaccinated to step on the ice and have any part of Whitehorse Minor Hockey,鈥� related Frizzell.
And if someone refuses to get the vaccine?
鈥淗ockey Yukon 鈥搘hich we run under 鈥� they sent out a survey about two weeks ago to all of our membership, and it was a very simple, three or four question survey just asking 鈥榓fter the government-imposed mandate of vaccines, are you still prepared to volunteer in Whitehorse Minor Hockey? Will your child still take part in Whitehorse Minor Hockey?鈥� The percentage of people that will continue is very high. Like, there was a very small percentage that said no. I haven鈥檛 had any coaches as of yet contact me and say they would not be getting the vaccines. So as of right now, I haven鈥檛 heard of anybody that wouldn鈥檛 be continuing with Whitehorse Minor Hockey as a volunteer after Nov. 30.
鈥淭he closer this Nov. 30 date comes, I鈥檓 sure you will be hearing more, but as of right now, Whitehorse Minor Hockey hasn鈥檛 had anybody withdraw their volunteer time.鈥�
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