UPDATED: Revised to Version 1.2 on August 5, 2020
Changes include:
- Renaming Daily Attestation Form to “Health Attestation Form”.
- Refining the steps that a group needs to follow to receive a “Return Approved” status.
- Adding the term “physical” distanced to all “social” distanced references.
Basketball Manitoba is excited to announce it has received an official approval of its Return to Basketball Plan (Version 1.0) by both the Province of Manitoba and Sport Manitoba effective July 3, 2020. The return to limited activity on the court comes after a complete shut down of formal basketball training and competition since March 13, 2020, due to the COVID-19 health concerns in the community.
The Plan will see the sport of basketball in Manitoba enter Phase 2 of the Canada Basketball Return to Basketball Plan that was announced by the national basketball body on June 16 and then revised on June 25, 2020. The return will see formal basketball activities to be limited to training only in a socially distanced format. No sharing of equipment will be permitted and players and coaches must remain 2+ metres apart from each other in the training environment. No competition or games will be permitted until social distancing restrictions are changed by the Provincial Health Authorities.
Prior to leaving home, participants are required to use the COVID-19 Symptom Self-Assessment Tool. Individuals exhibiting symptoms are strongly encouraged to visit a health care professional, COVID-19 Assessment Centre or call your local public health authority, as soon as possible.
Participant safety is of primary importance within each phase and all participants must continue to follow the guidelines established within the Participant Safety section of the plan. At each session, the local basketball organization must record the name and contact information for each participant. Consistent training groups should be maintained through-out each phase, not just single practice sessions, to allow for easier contact tracing (if needed) among the group.
All programs must monitor training intensity, duration and volume to ensure gradual progression in each training phase.
Details on the Phase 2 Plan can be seen below.
PHASE 2: INDIVIDUAL TRAINING CONTINUES AND BEGIN SMALL GROUP TRAINING
- Individual strength and conditioning continues (as per Time to Train guidelines).
- Increased intensity of fitness work with a gradual
- Introduction of plyometrics and change of direction.
- Small group skills and drills development:
- Maximum 1 hour to 1.5 hours per session.
- Sessions are encouraged to initially be scheduled closer to the lower end of the range to gradually build up an athlete’s basketball fitness.
- Drills or activities could include:
- Similar skill work as outlined in Phase 1.
- Skill games/competition between players at the same basket, versus other player groups at different baskets.
- Appropriate warm-up/cool down.
- No sharing of equipment (“One player, one ball”); no passing.
- Two players/basket (not sharing a ball and staying at the same basket with the same partner).
- Non-contact training.
- Physical distancing (2 metres / 6 feet) measures maintained.
- Adhere to local public gathering restrictions:
- Consistent training groups (to allow for contact tracing).
- No competition (shooting/dribbling challenges at own baskets permitted). Players must retrieve their own basketball or use alternative methods (i.e. avoid touching with hands, use feet etc.) to return basketballs to fellow players.
- Spectators are prohibited with the exception of those providing care to children below the age of 12.
- A reminder the maximum number in this phase is restricted to two players per basket and maintaining physical distancing/adherence to local gathering restrictions.
- If someone in the consistent training group develops COVID-19 symptoms, they should alert a designated member of the coaching staff or Safety Supervisor and consult a COVID-19 assessment centre.
- Other participants within that consistent training group should monitor for symptoms and consult a COVID-19 assessment centre.
VERY IMPORTANT: IN ORDER FOR BASKETBALL IN MANITOBA TO ADVANCE TO PHASE 3 AND BEYOND, PHYSICAL / SOCIAL DISTANCING RESTRICTIONS MUST BE EASED BY THE MANITOBA GOVERNMENT, ALLOWING FOR SOME BODY CONTACT.
Manitoba Basketball organizations, leagues and clubs seeking to offer a return to programming are pointed to the return steps to receive Basketball Manitoba approval and support on page 23 of the plan.
The full plan which includes a number of other factors tied to health, participant numbers, facilities, insurance, supervision, equipment, examples of approved basketball activities and more can be viewed by clicking the below image or link...
Basketball Manitoba is now planning to offer its High-Performance Summer Basketball camps August 17-28 under these new return to basketball regulations and those details will be announced in the coming weeks. Subscribe to our email newsletter to follow us on social media to be notified of more details of this and as other basketball programming starts to return.Basketball Manitoba members that are planning to offer programming under the new Return to Basketball plan will be promoted on our media platforms and tagged with a Return Approved indicating they have satisfied the return standards.
Basketball Manitoba would like to thank the basketball community of Manitoba, Sport Manitoba and Canada Basketball for their support amid the shutdown and of the return to basketball in the near future.