Hello everyone,
We hope everyone is still keeping safe and well and enjoying the weather.
Today is the first day of phase 2 of the Provincial reopening plan and many businesses like hair and nail salons, restaurants and bars with patios and some leisure activities will be allowed to reopen for the first time since the start of the shutdown. It's great news to see some of the other local businesses get the chance to start their recovery. Most excitingly for us, phase 2 may give us the chance to get back on the field, albeit in a very limited capacity.
What will be available?
We have been working on some ideas for some fun recreational programs that will allow players the chance to get out and kick a ball, but still maintain strict social distancing protocols.
- We will be launching our skills-based competition which will see players compete in socially distanced teams in soccer bocce ball and curling, nearest to the pin, passing challenge, soccer battleships, target shooting, beat the keeper, crossbar challenge etc..
- Adult Rec Training Sessions are coming back. Its been a couple of years since we ran the last of our popular adult training sessions where players could brush up on their basic skills away from the pressure of an actual game. Groups will be small and the whole session will be strictly socially distanced and it will provide a great opportunity to get back out and kick off the rust.
- Soccer golf. The mad-scientists of the Footy Sevens team have been busy planning and designing a soccer golf course where 9 holes can be played, birdies made and bogies cursed all while swinging a leg rather than a club and maintaining a social distance.
- Small group kids programming. We're also looking into potential ideas to bring the little ones on the field with their parents to give them a socially distanced program where they can participate together but apart and burn off some of that pent-up energy!
The field will also be available to rent for teams looking to begin practising again under the OSA's Return to Play guidelines.
We will publish full details once we are ready to take registrations, but the health and safety of our staff and participants is our #1 priority and activities will not begin until we have confirmation from OPH that it is safe to do so. All activities will take place under strict COVID19 protocols and we have published a list of our COVID19 protocols on our website.
Are the leagues and pickup games restarting?
No, not yet, but we are getting closer. The Provincial guidelines for phase 2 expressly forbid scrimmages and league games. This week's announcement was a positive step towards getting back to playing, but we aren't at a point yet where actual games involving tackling, close proximity and potential physical contact are possible, which is why we have come up with the list of socially-distanced activities above.
Covid-19 Protocols and Measures
We will be updating our list of measures that are currently in place. As public health advice changes and as we pass through different stages of reopening we will be refining them and we'd also like to get feedback of suggestions and measures that could potentially help to make participants feel more comfortable at this time. You can email us at chris@ottawafootysevens.com if you have any suggestions.
The protocols, when they were last updated, and the current status of play will always be posted on our COVID-19 page on our website.
Keep up the precautions everyone! We can't wait to see all of our teams back on the field, but we aren't quite there yet!
Take care,
Andrew, Chris, Dan, Joel, Matt and Ryan - The Footy Sevens Team
p.s. Even though it seems we are creeping towards more familiar daily lives, coming out of isolation may be a cause of anxiety for some of you. It's still okay not to feel okay and the Mental Health Crisis Line is available 24 hours a day/7 days a week at 613-722-6914