Learn How to Coach Safely During COVID-19 Welcome to your Are you ready to return to sport? During an outdoor practice it is safe for athletes to share water bottles during a practice or competition. True False False! Every individual must bring their own water bottle, preferably labeled with their name (and number, if applicable). Public Health Ontario advises against sharing items which could potentially be contaminated inside or outside. Additionally, even before COVID-19, athletes/participants have always been advised to bring their own water bottles, for appropriate hydration, and to not share them, to prevent any sort of communicable disease transmission (cold, flu, etc.) amongst participants. Coaches should collect a daily health questionnaire from all of their athletes before each practice or competition? True False True! Conducting daily health and symptom checks of coaches, officials, staff, and players prior to each engagement should be done to help limit the possible spread of COVID-19. All screening should also be done safely and respectfully, and in accordance with applicable privacy and confidentiality laws. When conducting daily health screening, coaches and organizations need to keep a record of everyone asked. True False True! All organizations and coaches must have a procedure in place to keep accurate and accessible records of attendance and symptoms should any future contact tracing be required. All records should also be conducted done safely and respectfully, and in accordance with any applicable privacy and confidentiality laws. During team practice, you overhear a conversation between two of your athletes where one has indicated they are not feeling well. Rather than disrupting the remainder of practice, it is safer to allow both athletes to continue participating and wait to have a conversation with their guardian when they come to pick them up. True False False! If the athlete(s) did not indicate they were feeling unwell on their daily health questionnaire, and you suspect are feeling unwell, you should remove them from play and ask further questions. Let them know the importance of being honest about their health and how this helps keep everyone safe. If you have been exposed to the virus and are quarantining with no symptoms, you can still attend a practice so long as it is outside and can maintain physical distance from others. True False False! When you are asked to stay home due to quarantine or isolation from Public Health you cannot leave your home, unless medically necessary. The virus can have an incubation period before symptoms manifest. It is important to follow Public Health recommendations in order limit transmission to others. When stopping for a re-hydration break at practice, it is safe to pull down your mask and rest it under your chin until you are finished drinking. True False False! When wearing a mask, you should always remove it from the ear loops. When you pull the mask down to rest under your chin you risk getting germs from the outside of the mask onto you. Often pulling the mask down also involves touching the front of it, which is not recommended by Public Health Ontario as it could contaminate your hands. Ensure you and your athletes are always using the ear loops and washing your hands appropriately when removing marks, even if only temporarily removing the mask for a drink. I don’t have to follow facility guidelines on mask wearing if my sport’s return to play policy says I don’t have to wear a mask. True False False! You must always follow the guidelines of your facility and the local Public Health department where your facility is located, regardless of your sport’s return to play protocol. Returning to sport during COVID-19 involves safeguarding the physical and mental health of all participants. True False True! There are many young athletes who have experienced mental health challenges from the pandemic. Returning to sport is not only a fun time to see friends and teammates again, but can also be very stressful. Be sure to remain open, transparent and understanding of each individual’s needs as you return to sport. Additionally let your athlete’s know they are not alone and where to direct them for counselling or professional assistance. Mental illness is rare for young athletes? True False False! Mental illnesses can affect almost anyone at any stage of life. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CAMH) it is estimated that nearly 20% of Canadian youth are affected by a mental illness or disorder – the single most disabling group of disorders worldwide. Today, approximately 5% of male youth and 12% of female youth, age 12 to 19, have experienced a major depressive episode. Coaches play a key role in creating positive environments where mental health of all athletes is taken into consideration. Time is Up! Time's up
