As a program who is occupying facilities during COVID, we have protocols and policies that we are required to follow. Whether they are set by individual rinks or by AHS. In addition to the safety protocols set by rinks and AHS, we have decided to take a few extra steps to ensure not just our participants are safe, but also our Staff and the families remain safe. 

What to expect at Impact Summer Camps

• We ask that all participants come dressed for their first ice time of the day. Skates, helmet and gloves can be put on after check-in, inside the building. This will eliminate the need to use the dressing rooms multiple times a day, which will limit closer contact situations and touched surfaces.
• Upon check-in, all participants must sign-in which will also indicate that they have answered “no” to all questions on the AHS COVID questionnaire.
• All staff and players must wear a mask when inside the facility. The mask can be removed once the helmet goes on. The mask must go back on when the helmet is removed. No participant will be required to wear masks when outside or during any physical activity. The masks are required for a very short period of time when inside the building.
• Hand Sanitizer will be available inside and outside the building (we encourage participants and staff to use frequently)
• All off ice activities will be held outside including lunch
• No spectators at any time (sorry parents)
• Participants will not be permitted inside the building until 15 mins prior to their scheduled ice time
• 2 chairs will be placed at the entrance for any participant requiring skates to be tied. We do ask that parents do their best to tie skates for the first ice time as our Jr. Instructors will have limited time to tie all the skates.
• Dressing room access will be on a rotation. As we are limited with the number of participants we can safely have in each dressing room, we will have a set rotation. All participants will be required to dress outside of a dressing room at some point during the camp. We strongly encourage players to wear their dryland gear under their equipment. If we find this process is not as smooth as we’d like, we may require all participants to wear dryland gear under their equipment.
• All rinks will have an entrance and exit route. We expect all staff and participants to follow this.
• All participants must have their own water bottles. No sharing of equipment or food.
• All participants must have their own Yoga mat

When off ice we expect all participants to maintain a 2 meter distance and staff will as well when able. If staff are unable to maintain a safe distance a mask will be worn.

On-ice activities: It’s important for all families and players to know that our summer programs are intended to ready everyone for evaluations. Although, we may not know what that looks like as of yet, we are hoping for the best possible scenario. Therefore, our on-ice activities will provide all aspects of ringette training which will include drills that players will be in closer contact with one another. These closer contact drills will be limited and majority of the on ice skills will have distance between players. We recognize that some may feel uneasy about this. Any participant has the right to remove themselves from a drill if they don’t feel comfortable participating. Our instructors will notify the players prior to the drill that it will be a drill with close contact and will allow players to opt out at that time.

** We reserve the right to change these plans based on AHS recommendations at the time of the camp and Ringette Alberta’s return to play plan.

Inclement Weather Plans: Great Plains will not allow participants who are not on ice to be inside for off-ice activities. This is to adhere to their restricted number of people inside their facility at one time. Therefore, Impact will have a large commercial tent at this location for check-in, lunch and all off-ice activities should weather not be favourable.

Oakridge Arena does not have the same number restrictions as Great Plains. With Oakridge only having 1 ice surface and Impact being the only program operating out of this location at one time, we will have access to indoors should weather not be favourable. We will be limited with accessible space should this take place. Dryland with Vergie will be modified during these days to ensure all players can participate with a safe distance adhered to.

Camp will look different this year, there’s no doubt about it, but we are confident that we can provide a fun, informative and developmental program that also follows protocols and keeps everyone as safe as possible. We feel that our camps are structured in such a way that changes, if required, will be minimal. However, it's important to know that we MUST follow all guidelines of facilities and AHS and therefore we will change whatever we are required to change in order to adhere to these policies. All families will be notified of these changes if they are required. 

In order to do this we need the assistance of all the families. How you, as parents, approach these changes will directly impact how your daughter reacts to these changes. If we all accept and endorse the protocols the girls will not likely take this as a negative impact. They will also do their best to follow these policies. We know it will not be perfect all of the time. Our staff will be reminding girls regularly to adhere to these policies in order to stay safe.

We reserve the right to remove any player or family from the program if we feel that these policies are deliberately not being followed.

If any player arrives with any signs of illness or has been in contact with anyone with COVID or symptoms of COVID without being able to show a negative result, that player will be asked to leave the program. If a player is unable to return to the program due to illness, refunds will be dealt with on a case by case basis.

We look forward to seeing all your smiling faces in a few weeks. Please enjoy your summer and stay safe. We will send out another communication email closer to your daughters camp start date.

Cheers

Impact Ringette