Position as of May 14, 2020
IMPORTANT: Communique regarding COVID-19 – Return to Participation effective May 14, 2020
We hope you are all healthy and safe during these uncertain times. We understand it has been a difficult few months and hope to be back playing the sport we all love soon.
The Alberta Government has released their relaunch strategy to ease restrictions and re-open the economy. Currently, we are still working with our government, Volleyball Canada, other Provincial Sport Organizations, and Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health to determine the best course for returning to participation when it is safe to do so. We want to assure everyone the health and safety of our members remains our highest priority and we will closely monitor and take advice from Alberta Public Health to finalize our plans moving forward.
We will send a survey to our Club Directors shortly, to receive input on how to return to participation for Volleyball Alberta’s programs and activities.
2020-2021 Club Season
While the current tournament series has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, athletes are still committed to their current club for the remainder of the indoor season (concludes May 31, 2020). Communication or contact from other clubs cannot occur during the current season of play.
The start of 2020-2021 indoor season will be delayed. As of June 1, athletes and parents can begin to seek out information about clubs & coaches, and clubs may communicate with athletes and families about their programming. Athletes cannot sign commitments and clubs may not collect deposits until the revised Signing Policy has been released.
Volleyball Alberta’s Athlete Development Committee completed a thorough review of the club Signing Policy and recommended changes for the 2021 season. The recommended changes include, but are not limited to:
– Athlete Wellness periods
– An opportunity for clubs to re-sign athletes registered with their club in the previous season
– Early Tryouts vs. Early Signing
– Standard Tryout Periods
However, due to COVID-19, the 2021 Signing Policy will undergo an update so it can be approved in an appropriate relaunch. We hope to have an updated communication by August but need to ensure our policies and procedures align with government regulations for the reopening phase.
2020 Beach Season
Volleyball Alberta is responsible for developing a return to participation for beach volleyball and will submit our plan for approval to the Government of Alberta. We are consulting with our clubs, Volleyball Canada, other provincial associations, and sports as part of this process. At present, volleyball activity is not recommended by Volleyball Alberta. Shared handling of a ball and other equipment should only take place within members of the same household until we have clarification and approval on the safety and risk management measures required. When approved by the government, we will share the finalized plan of this phase with you. We will need your support and compliance to this plan for our sport to be played safely and minimize risk to all participants.
As in all circumstances during the pandemic, Volleyball Alberta will follow the approval process established by the government and recommendations from Public Health.
For up to date cancellations and suspensions please refer to the following page.
Covid-19 Info for Albertans – Click here
