The BC Government has announced that more organized sports activities are set to become available as the province shifts into Phase 3 of the Return to Sport Guidelines.
The guidelines contain recommendations for how different types of sports now can progressively add activities back again while continuing to adhere to current public health recommendations – guidelines that have been produced by viaSport and reviewed by the BC Centre for Disease Control.
“I know athletes and their families have been missing the joy of competition these past few months,” said Lisa Beare, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture. “viaSport has done a great job working with health officials and our amateur sport organizations to ensure we can safely and gradually return to gameplay.”
Under Phase 3 of the Return to Sport Guidelines, amateur sport activities may be able to engage in additional training opportunities, modified games and matches, and league play and competitions within cohorts.
“Sport is an important part of mental and physical health for children, youth, families and our communities,” said provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry. “These guidelines will enable the social and emotional benefits of sport, while ensuring the sports activities remain as safe as possible.”
The chief executive officer of viaSport, Charlene Krepiakevich, indicated on Monday that although Phase 3 guidelines offer key parameters to increase sports within a region, she highlighted that “each sport will advance at a different pace depending on community capacity and readiness.”
With the shift to Phase 3, each provincial sport organization can use the overarching guidelines to develop or revise its sport-specific plans.
The government says that 60 different sport organizations in BC have completed their return to play plans. There are a total of 72 funded sport organizations throughout B.C.
The Return to Sport Guidelines were created by viaSport back in June with the aim of supporting the gradual restart of amateur sport in B.C. communities.
Graham Cox
