Covid Updates

How to stay active and healthy in the ice arena

1. Everyone is required to wear a face covering/mask at all times in the facility. Players may choose to wear a mask while skating on the ice. Coaches and volunteers must wear masks on the ice and on the bench.
2. Entry to the arena is allowed fifteen minutes prior to ice time (as close as possible with common sense applied).
3. Depart the arena within 10 minutes of the end of ice time (as close as possible with common sense applied).
4. No parents in facility unless player aged 11 or under and then just to assist and depart. For older sled hockey players, one family/household member may assist player get on the ice but then must depart until end of practice. (Request if exception needed)
5. Two family members for a game and arrive at game time / depart right after (wait in the car for your player/not lobby) and be aware of social distancing inside. 
6. Understand the drop off and pick up point of the facility to help keep the lobby space clear. 
7. No bags allowed, dress at home or in the car as much as possible (as close as possible with common sense applied).Covid-19 Preparedness Plan for the Rochester Mustang Sled Hockey Program

Attached you will find our programs policies for you to review in regard to COVID-19. These are effective IMMEDIATELY.

Decisions for the policies are followed by the USA Hockey and MN hockey guidelines. The city of Rochester and the State of Minnesota rules and recommendations were also determining factors in these policies. 

Policy highlights:

• The designated person who will manage our COVID plan and respond to COVID concerns is Meegan Van Straaten (303-919-8600 text preferred), vanstraaten.meegan@mayo.edu
• Players, volunteers and family members (anyone entering the arena) will sign up before the Sunday’s ice time. The deadline to sign up each week will be communicated via email. If you are unsure whether you will be present on Sunday, then sign up and let us know that you cannot attend as soon as you know. 
• No entry to Graham Arena until 15 minutes before your scheduled time. 
• Players enter the arena fully dress without bags. (Goalies are allowed to dress in building. Therefore, if a sled hockey player also needs an exception, please inform Meegan before practice.) 
  • For the 2020-2021 season please keep your hockey gear at home rather than in the rink storage shed. On the first day of practice, make arrangements with Meegan to have her bring your bag out to the parking lot with plenty of time to get dressed in your gear.
  • It is okay to leave your sled at the rink in our storage locker. Mustang volunteers will spray/wipe it down with sanitizer after practice and prior to storing it for the week.
  • Coaches and volunteers: Locker rooms will be used, but sparingly and only to tie skates and store your shoes. Consider not using the locker rooms at all. If you need to use the locker room social distance and minimize your time in the locker room.
• When you arrive in the facility do not gather in the lobby, go straight to the hallway where we get in sleds. A volunteer will tell you which marked spot (which will be at least 6 feet apart) you should go to (to get in your sled).
  • Players will inform Meegan if they need a volunteer to assist them. This volunteer would be someone in addition to the family member/care-giver/significant other that has accompanied the player into the rink. Volunteer assistance can include helping with equipment, getting in and out of sled, pushing, etc. Meegan will attempt to assign the same volunteer to that player at every practice to maintain pods.
  • Volunteers who are in close contact when assisting players will be required to have eye protection such as protective glasses or face shields. (Close contact includes help getting pads/jerseys/helmets on and off player and helping with transfers in and out of the sled). If a volunteer would like to have a program provided face shield or an N95 mask, please tell Meegan and she will provide one. 
• Everyone must wear masks in and out of the building and in all locations within the building including scorer’s box and on the bench. 
• Coaches and pushers must wear masks at all times before, during and after practice. Players may choose to wear masks while on the ice for team activities.
• Players must bring their own water bottles (filled since water fountains are turned off). Water bottles must be clearly labeled with the player’s name.
• 1 parent or guardian per player in the building during practices if the child is under 11 to assist with equipment, this person should then exit the building after assisting with equipment. For older sled hockey players, one family/household member may assist player get on the ice but then must depart until end of practice. If you request an exception to this rule, please speak to Meegan prior to Sunday’s practice. Skaters practicing or playing games on Graham 2 and 4 are to be dropped off at the East Doors of the Graham and Picked up there, skaters practicing or playing games on Graham 1 and 3 are to be dropped off and picked up at the West Doors of the Graham Arena.  The Mustangs typically practice on Graham 4. Meegan will inform you via email by Saturday if we are on a different rink. 
  • The rink is now equipped with technology that live streams video from the ice. This is a subscription service on https://livebarn.com/. This is a video (bird’s eye view) not audio feed. Meegan can show you a example if needed.
• A maximum of 2 spectators per player are allowed for games at this time.
• Please leave the building within 10 minutes of your ice time concluding.
• We are asking that players come as dressed as possible for their practice to limit the use of locker rooms. Please inform Meegan if you request access to a locker room (we hope most players can enter the building and go straight to their marked and socially distanced spot in the hallway to get into their sled.)
• The concession stand will remain closed at this time. 
• There are specific ENTRY and EXIT doors for each rink
• The EXIT doors will remain locked throughout the day.

Useful links and resources:

USA Hockey recommendations and Return to the Rink Document: https://www.usahockey.com/playersafety 

USA Hockey registration (players and volunteers must be registered before first practice – even if you are an on-ice volunteer sign up as a volunteer not a coach, USA Hockey knows sled hockey volunteers are needed on ice) https://membership.usahockey.com/ 

MDH Guidance for Sports – https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/sportsguide.pdf

MDH Planning Guide for Schools 

CDC Considerations for Youth Sports – https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-

ncov/community/schools-childcare/youth-sports.html

CDC Youth Sport Program FAQs –

COVID-19 Decision Tree for People in Schools, Youth, and Child Care Programs-

https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/schools/exguide (this gives guidance if someone does not have COVID-19 but has a cough, cold or fever).

Players, coaches, volunteers and family members/care-givers are encouraged to self-monitor for signs and symptoms of COVID-19. The following policies and procedures are being implemented to assess everyone’s health status prior to our Sunday ice times.

• If anyone comes to a Mustang ice time and shows signs or symptoms of COVID-19, they will be asked to leave the facility

The Mustangs are committed to providing a safe and healthy atmosphere for all our players, volunteers, coaches, and family members.

To ensure we have a safe and healthy environment, the Mustangs have developed the following COVID-19

Preparedness Plan in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our goal is to mitigate the potential for transmission of COVID-19 in our community by working together. 

The COVID-19 Preparedness Plan is administered by Meegan Van Straaten who will maintain the overall authority and responsibility for the plan. However, board members are equally responsible for supporting, implementing, complying with, and providing recommendations to further improve all aspects of this COVID-19 Preparedness Plan.

Our Mustang players, volunteers, and families are our most important asset.  We are serious about safety, health and protecting our players, volunteers and families. Your involvement is essential in developing and implementing a successful COVID-19 Preparedness Plan.  We will be working directly with and following the guidelines of the Graham Arena as we move toward utilization of their ice facility. 

 RYHA’s COVID-19 Preparedness Plan follows the guidance developed by the state of Minnesota, available at the Stay Safe Minnesota website (https://staysafe.mn.gov), which is based upon Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) guidelines for COVID-19, Minnesota Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MNOSHA) statutes, rules and standards, USA Hockey guidelines, Minnesota Hockey guidelines and Minnesota’s relevant and current executive orders. These guidelines are not intended or implied to be a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

 It addresses:

• ensuring sick players, volunteers and family members stay home and there is prompt identification and isolation of sick persons;

• social distancing – when not directly assisting a player, volunteers must be at least six-feet away from others and properly protected with PPE when assisting others;

• proper hygiene and source controls, including face coverings and hand washing;

• player drop-off and pick-up practices and protocol; and

• communications and training practices and protocol.

 These policies and procedures are provided by Minnesota Hockey:

For players, volunteers and family members prior to attending any in-arena activities:

• Temperature(s) are taken at home before leaving for the rink. 

If your temperature of 100.4 +or higher and/or you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, contact Meegan and do not come to the arena: cough, shortness of breath, chills, headache, muscle pain, sore throat, fatigue, congestion, or loss of taste or smell. Other less common symptoms include gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.

• Anyone needing to enter the arena will need to answer symptom screening questions. In the future an online form will need to be completed. Until the online form is available, a volunteer will meet everyone at the front entrance to ask the MDH screening checklist questions.  This will be conducted before groups are allowed into the facility.  

For players, volunteers and family members who test positive for COVID-19:

• Inform Meegan 303-919-8600 (text preferred) – your confidentiality will be maintained
• Stay home and follow directions from your healthcare provider and local public health department
• Inform public health contact tracers of your involvement with Mustang Sled Hockey and the last time you participated in a sled hockey activity
• You may return after a minimum of 10 days since symptoms first appeared AND you are fever free for at least 24 hours AND you have an improvement of other symptoms (this is based on current recommendation as of 9/15/2020, these are subject to change based on MDH and LPH recommendations) 

For players, volunteers and family members who have had close contact with someone who has COVID-19:

• Follow directions given to you by your local public health department and your healthcare provider
• Inform Meegan 303-919-8600 (text preferred) if you test positive yourself
• Assuming you do not test positive yourself, you can return after 14 days from your last exposure to the positive individual. 

Of Note:

• Meegan Van Straaten will be responsible for responding to COVID-19 concerns and will help coordinate with local health authorities regarding positive COVID-19 cases. 
• Meegan will notify all players, volunteers and family members if a positive test is confirmed, while maintaining that person’s confidentiality. If a positive test is confirmed, Meegan will work with local public health, Minnesota Department of Health, and the Mustangs Board to follow safe practices.
• When informed of a positive case, we may pause team activities until we can consult with local health officials and/or the Minnesota Department of Health about additional testing or requirements before returning to play.
• Communication of this plan and any updates will be sent to all players, volunteers, and family members.
• Graham Arena rules will be followed for people who become symptomatic while at the arena.
• Upon learning of a positive test for COVID-19, Meegan will notify MDH (as required by Minnesota Rules, Chapter 4605.7050). An MDH inbox has been established for sport organization COVID-19 case reporting: health.sports.covid19@state.mn.us. Minnesota Department of Health can also be reached at 651-201-5000. Olmstead County Public Health Services 507-328-7500.
• Meegan will consult with MDH and local health officials and be prepared to communicate to any players, volunteers, and family members who had close contact with someone testing positive. Confidentiality of anyone with a positive test will be maintained in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
• Meegan will notify the arena of the positive test so they can close off areas used by the sick person within the last 24 hours and not use these areas until after cleaning and disinfection.
• Any positive cases will be logged and tracked and communicated to MDH and LPH.

Social distancing – Players/Volunteers/Family Members 

• All players, volunteers and family members will maintain social distancing of at least six feet as often as possible, and mandatory masking will be implemented and maintained, per Graham Arena rules, for anyone within the building through the following controls:
  • Masks are to be worn by all while in the building. Players may choose to wear masks during all on ice activities.
  • The number of spectators allowed in the area will be determined by Graham Arena rules.
  • For activities that require close contact with a player (assistance with dressing/equipment, getting into/out of the sled, getting sled on and off the ice, pushing on the ice, etc.), family members who live with that player will be used for assistance whenever possible. Volunteers who are not members of the player’s household will use PPE including face/eye shields for close contact tasks. 

*Note: These rules are expected to change. Players/Volunteers/Family will always need to be aware of arena rules when entering the building and are expected to abide by them.

Player/Volunteer/Family hygiene and source controls

• Basic infection prevention measures are being implemented within the arena at all times.
• Players/Volunteers and Family are instructed to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water, especially at the beginning and end of their ice time, whenever possible, and after using the restroom. 
• All Player/Volunteers and Family are required to wash or sanitize their hands prior to or immediately upon entering the facility.
• Hand-sanitizer dispensers (that use sanitizers of greater than 60% alcohol) will be at entrances and locations in the arena so they can be used for hand hygiene in place of soap and water, as long as hands are not visibly soiled.
• All Players/Volunteers and Family are being asked to cover their mouth and nose with their sleeve or a tissue when coughing or sneezing, and to avoid touching their face, particularly their mouth, nose, and eyes, with their hands.
• Players/Volunteers and Family are expected to dispose of tissues in provided trash receptacles and wash or sanitize their hands immediately afterward.  
• As previously mentioned, masks will be required throughout the building and players are encouraged to wear masks when actively participating on the ice. 
• Any shared equipment will be disinfected between players (eg: transfer bench)

Arena cleaning and disinfection protocol

Regular practices of cleaning and disinfecting have been implemented by Rec Center and Graham Arena including a schedule for routine cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces, equipment, railings, team benches, doors, etc. 

Communications and training practices and protocol

This COVID-19 Preparedness Plan was originally communicated via email to all players/volunteers/families on 10/23/2020.   Additional communication will be ongoing and updated as procedures and protocols change. 

The knowledge and circumstances around COVID-19 are changing constantly and, as such, we will to stay up-to-date on state and local government guidelines and recommendations from the CDC. We will also continue to provide updates and adjust these guidelines as more information develops. 

This COVID-19 Preparedness Plan has been approved by the Rochester Mustang Sled Hockey Board and the plan was posted on the Mustangs website and made readily available to members 10/23/2020. It will be updated as necessary by board.

This plan was last updated on 10-22-2020.