Home Coronavirus Headlines Basketball Manitoba Statement on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Affect on Basketball Operations in Manitoba - Updated April 29

PUBLISHED ON June 03, 2020


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APRIL 29, 2020 UPDATE

The health and safety of all participants in sport, including players, coaches, staff, officials, fans, family, volunteers and the general public, is of the utmost importance to Basketball Manitoba.  In light of ongoing concerns resulting from the Coronavirus (COVID-19), and in support of suggested recommendations from Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living and Manitoba Education and Training, effective Wednesday, April 29, 2020, Basketball Manitoba is extending the blanket stoppage of all basketball activities in Manitoba which falls under its governance until at least Tuesday, June 30. A point of clarity that needs to be made tied to the Province of Manitoba's "Pandemic and Economic Road for Recovery" announcement on April 29 referenced a return of "non-contact children's sports" as early as June 1.  This does not include the sport of basketball.  The term "contact" references if a sport or activity involves ANY physical contact (i.e being able to maintain "social distancing" while playing the sport).  So long as there are social distancing stipulations in any Manitoba health directives, the sport of basketball will remain on pause.  The basketball impacts of the health concerns after June 30 will be made at a later date as time passes that may impact the sport for July and beyond.

Additional basketball programs and events have been updated below including the recently cancelled or postponed Manitoba Provincial Team Program, Manitoba Summer Games and the Manitoba 3x3 Basketball Championships among others.  

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APRIL 6, 2020 (updates made since this announcement made in RED)

The health and safety of all participants in sport, including players, coaches, staff, officials, fans, family, volunteers and the general public, is of the utmost importance to Basketball Manitoba.  In light of ongoing concerns resulting from the Coronavirus (COVID-19), and in support of suggested recommendations from Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living and Manitoba Education and Training, effective Monday, April 6, 2020, Basketball Manitoba is extending the blanket stoppage of all basketball activities in Manitoba which falls under its governance until at least Monday, May 18, 2020 (May Long Weekend). With the change of the school closure status being changed to "indefinite" last week and the fact that so much of our sport is reliant on the access of school gymnasiums to operate, the options to offer any organized basketball for at least the next 6 weeks was mostly made for us.  There are also more and more school divisions and other basketball facilities who have gone as far as stating their facilities will be closed to public use until at least June 30, 2020.  The basketball impacts of the health concerns after May 18 will be made at a later date as time passes that may impact the sport for the summer months.  

This extension of the blanket stoppage of all basketball activities will impact the following, leagues, programs and events...

LEAGUES 
  • Winnipeg Minor Basketball Associaton Youth Spring Season. The WMBA has officially cancelled its spring basketball league and will be processing refunds in the coming weeks.  See updates at http://www.wmba.ca
  • Westman Youth Basketball Association Spring Season.  Will not offer a spring season for area youth in western Manitoba.  http://www.wyba.ca
  • Peg City Adult Basketball League Spring Season.  Spring postponed until further notice.  More at http://www.pegcityball.ca
  • Winnipeg Basketball League Adult Spring Season.  Has fully cancelled the men's and women's spring league and is expected to resume again the fall with regular programming.  Website
  • Sabado Adult Basketball League Spring Season.  Will not offer a spring season and will resume in the future with a future adult league.   
  • WinPak Adult Basketball League.  League is postponed until further notice.  
  • Breaking Barriers Basketball League.  League is on hiatus until further notice.  
PROGRAMS
  • Targetted Athlete Program (TAP) (April and May).  All activities (training and competition) scheduled through to the above timeline have been cancelled.  A pro-rated refund/credit of fees will be provided to all participants in the coming weeks using the same method of payment received by Basketball Manitoba (eTransfer, credit card, cheque, etc).  
  • Todd MacCulloch Hoops School (April to June).  The program has been cancelled for the spring 2020 session and is expected to resume later this fall.  The schools in the spring 2020 program will be given priority access to join the fall season.  No participant fees are collected with this program. 
  • 2020 Manitoba Games (April to August).  The 2020 Manitoba Games have been officially moved to July 11-17, 2021.  Read more here...
  • Manitoba Provincial Team (May to August).   The Manitoba Provincial Team program has been officially cancelled with the cancellation of the Canada Basketball National Championships.  No fees fo the program have been collected.  Read more here... 
  • SWISH Basketball Program.  July and August drop-in program cancelled for 2020.  No fees collected (free program).
EVENTS
  • Basketball Manitoba Awards (April 18). The Graduating All-Star Games and All-Manitoba Banquet have both been cancelled for 2020.  Awards will still be announced virtually on April 18 on the Basketball Manitoba website and social media.  No tickets to the event have been sold.
  • National Coaches Certification Program Clinic (April 17-19).  The clinic has been cancelled with notifications and refunds issued (if applicable) to all attendees.  
  • Junior Bobcat (April 24-26) and Winnipeg Wolves (May 1-3), Philippine Basketball Association (May 29-31 Web),  Sabado (June 12-14) Club Basketball Tournaments.  All tournaments have been cancelled.  Teams who have registered in the tournaments are asked to contact the respective tournament directors for more information.  
  • Manitoba Basketball Club Championships (May 7-10, 2020).  The Club Championships have been officially cancelled.  All registered teams in the event will receive a full refund in the coming weeks using the same method of payment received by Basketball Manitoba (eTransfer, credit card, cheque, etc).  
  • Jr NBA Global Championship Qualifier vs Saskatchewan (May 16, 2020).  Tied to the above Club Championships, the 14U male and female winners were scheduled to compete against the equivalent Saskatchewan winners on May 16 in Regina, SK.  That event will not occur.  No fees have been collected tied to this event.  
  • Manitoba Basketball 3x3 Championships.  The event was to operate June 20-21 at the Canada Games Sport for Life Centre and normally gets announced in April.  The event will be postponed to a later date potentially later this fall or winter.  No registration or fees have been collected.   
INSURANCE COVERAGE

VERY IMPORTANT: All Basketball Manitoba Accident or Liability Insurance support to either participant (players, coaches, referees, volunteers) and/or venues for basketball activities in Manitoba has been suspended during the above-noted closure timelines.  No coverage will be provided over this time for any of the stated events or others falling under Basketball Manitoba's jurisdiction until further notice.  All basketball team Travel Permits have also been suspended until further notice.  Travel permits extend the coverage of our insurance to support a team competing outside of Manitoba.  


OUTDOOR PUBLIC BASKETBALL COURTS - CONTINUES AS OF APRIL 29, 2020

Basketball Manitoba is advising the basketball community to not use any public basketball court in Manitoba until further notice to limit the interactions between people as directed by the Manitoba Health Authorities.  This can include courts found on municipal, school or park properties among others.  It is very difficult to control outdoor space as a vast majority cannot be locked off.  Other jurisdictions in the world have had to go as far as removing hoops from outdoor courts to control the situation.  Our concern is that once the heath issues pass in Manitoba that many of those removed hoops may not return or won't be a priority to reinstall them.  Please refrain from using any outdoor public basketball court until further notice.  Using your own basketball hoop on private property (driveway, backyard, etc) by yourself is encouraged to stay active.  


________________________________________________________________MARCH 12, 2020, 9:30 pm (updates of March 20, 2020, shown in red)
The health and safety of all participants in sport, including players, coaches, staff, officials, fans, family, volunteers and the general public, is of the utmost importance to Basketball Manitoba.  In light of ongoing concern resulting from the coronavirus (COVID-19), and in support of suggested recommendations from Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living and Manitoba Education and Training, effective Friday, March 13, 2020, Basketball Manitoba is cancelling the Basketball Manitoba Junior High Basketball Championships set for March 23-26, 2020.

We also support the actions taken by the Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association (MHSAA) to cancel the Junior Varsity and Varsity basketball championships taking place this month.

We are advising all member clubs, teams, leagues, camps and training sessions to cease all basketball operations (games and practices) effective Friday, March 13, 2020, until further notice.  

Affected member leagues include...
  • Winnipeg Minor Basketball Association
  • Winnipeg Basketball League
  • Peg City Basketball Association 
  • Westman Youth Basketball Association 
  • Breaking Barriers Basketball League 
  • Philippine Basketball Association 
  • Winnipeg Athletic Association for Youth 
  • Brandon Men's Basketball League
  • Brandon Women's Basketball League
  • WinPak Basketball League
  • Sabado Basketball League
Affected insured spring break camps include...
  • Basketball Manitoba High-Performance Camps
  • JRB Spring Break Elite Camp
  • Winnipeg Team Mayhem Basketball Camp
  • Selkirk Royals Basketball Camp
  • Anishinabe Pride Basketball Camp
  • Richter Scale Basketball Camps
  • Atlas Basketball Camps
  • Battlegrounds ID Exposure Camps (postponed)
Affected Training Session Include...
  • Targeted Athlete Program Training Sessions 
  • Jr NBA Sessions
  • All basketball club practices and training  
Other Basketball Operations Affected
  • Basketball Manitoba Awards scheduled for April 18 has been cancelled.  Coaches are still invited to cast their votes electronically with the major award winners and scholarships being announced virtually on the Basketball Manitoba website.
  • Manitoba Games Basketball Tryouts scheduled for March to April 12 are postponed (others scheduled for later in April are tentative)
  • Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame at the University of Winnipeg Duckworth Centre is closed until further notice.
All other basketball operations not listed above but under the governance of Basketball Manitoba are also included in these actions.  

It is also advised that all basketball officials in Manitoba no longer accept or attend any game assignments until further notice due to the above-noted game cancellations.  

We are also advising all member clubs to not travel out of province for any upcoming events in the foreseeable future including the Grand Am Basketball Tournament in Grand Forks in early April.  

We will advise on any further basketball events following Spring Break as the health situation develops.  To stay informed as this situation develops, please subscribe to our email newsletter, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Basketball Manitoba feels this is the best course of action in order to do our part in keeping our community safe.  

Additional links and advisories tied to the situation can be found in the Basketball Manitoba statement released on March 11, 2020.  


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Sport Manitoba COVID-19 Prevention 

Dear Sport Partners,
Due to the public health risks associated with COVID-19, Sport Manitoba is suspending operations of the Fitness Centre, Performance, courts, flex space and meeting rooms effective Monday, March 16 until further notice. 

Your collaboration is of great value to Sport Manitoba. We sincerely apologize for this inconvenience as we know how important our activity and meeting spaces are to the physical health, operations and overall well-being of our sport community.

Thank you for your understanding as we engage in this precautionary measure to ensure the safety, health and well-being of our community.

We also want to share that Sport Manitoba is following the recommendations put forth by the Province of Manitoba and is requiring its staff to take the following precautions:
  • Sport Manitoba staff who are affected by the Province’s advisory that schools will take an extended three-week spring break will be contacted by their Directors to develop a work schedule plan.
  • People are encouraged to take common prevention measures including regular handwashing with soap and warm water for at least 15 seconds. Make sure to dry hands thoroughly. As an alternative, you can also use an alcohol-based hand cleanser if your hands are not visibly dirty.  
  • Please cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, or cough or sneeze into your sleeve.
  • Employees are asked to hold virtual/phone meetings in lieu of in-person meetings and minimize prolonged (more than 10 minutes), close (less than two meters/ six feet) contact between other individuals. Avoid greetings that involve touching, such as handshakes as well. 
  • If you have recently traveled internationally, including the USA, staff are asked to contact their supervisor and self-isolate for 14 days. If you are experiencing symptoms consistent with COVID-19 (coughing, sneezing, fever, sore throat, etc.), they are asked to contact their supervisor and self-isolate for 14 days as recommended by the Province of Manitoba.
  • If you are concerned about your exposure to or risk of having COVID-19, please first call Health Links–Info Sante at 204-788-8200 or 1-888-315-9257 (toll-free) to ensure you receive medical advice appropriate to your specific health concerns.
     
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