Lockdowns, Installments, Return to Play, & Next Steps
We continue on the uncertain path of the Covid Hockey Season!
The current Ontario state of emergency will keep us off the ice until at least February 11. What happens after that remains to be seen! The TDMHA Executive has discussed the conditions under which we could return to play but the crystal ball is pretty foggy right now!
As we get closer to the end of the lockdown we will evaluate if we can safely return to play. We will work with the Southwestern Public Health Unit to understand the total case count in East Zorra Tavistock, and where there cases are located.
The location(s) of the cases is, at least as critical that the total number. If the cases are contained in one or two locations the risk of spread is much lower than if they are scattered across the township.
Once we understand the Covid Situation in EZT, we'll expand the view to consider neighbouring regions. If South Western Public Health comes out of the lockdown in Red, it significantly impacts the program we can offer.
The final consideration will be the number of families that are interested in returning to the ice, if we decide it is safe to do so. From the outset of season, we've encouraged families to make decisions that are best for their individual situations. That does not change. We have heard from a few families that have decided to not return.
We will collect all the information we can and share it with our membership a about a week before the end of the lockdown, so everyone has accurate information on which to base their decision.
From there we will assess numbers and reconfigure our teams, if necessary to continue play (if it's safe).
We used Team Snap to coordinate and collect our registration installments this year. While the app provides a lot of convenience and benefit for our members, we discovered it is not very flexible in adapting payment schedules once they are entered into the system in September. Having the final installment due, during a lockdown, with an uncertain future is clearly not ideal!
The TDMHA is a non-profit organization. We are committed to ensure the fees assessed to our membership are correct. We have discussed options to ensure everyone pays a fair rate. If the final installment is causing you financial hardship please let me know and a refund, or credit will be issued to your credit card immediately. All other financial adjustments will be made when we have answers to return to play questions above!
I wish we could provide a more consistent and certain hockey experience!
Thanks for your patience, understanding and support as we continue trying to provide a safe hockey program for our families!