Wicklow Hockey Club Safe Return to Hockey Policy

Introduction

Wicklow HC will follow the HSE coronavirus return to sports regulations alongside and in conjunction with advice from Hockey Ireland, Leinster Hockey Association and the International Hockey Federation in reopening the club safely.

As required by Hockey Ireland, Wicklow HC have appointed Klaas Jan de Vries as COVID19 club compliance officer. The compliance officer is responsible for overseeing the club’s implementation of and compliance with regulations and advice from the bodies described above. The compliance officer will be registered with Leinster Hockey Association.

National regulations and sporting body guidelines

The regulations and sporting body guidelines upon which Wicklow HC is basing this return to hockey plan are included in appendices as follows:

1. HSE COVID -19 Recommendations
2. Hockey Ireland COVID plans
3. International Hockey Federation (FIH) – plan for reopening hockey fields

Grounds/Facilities

1. Car park – leave space between cars where feasible.

2. All keyholders must follow strict hand hygiene measures.

3. Mobile sanitising station available in clubhouse.

4. Rubbish bins are off limits and must NOT be used; bring no rubbish, take your rubbish home.

5. No social gatherings.

Pitch

1. Permitted maximum numbers apply depending on age group.

2. Training can take place as normal, contact is allowed.

3. Competitive matches: essential personnel only: players, coaches, COVID officers, officials, first aiders.

4. No spectators.

5. Players of any session/match must wait accessing the pitch until the previous group has vacated the pitch and all cleaning/disinfecting has been completed.

6. Players must sanitize hands prior to entering the playing field.

7. Gates will be left open once pitch is opened, and must not be touched.

8. Goals must not be moved or touched.

Equipment

1. Members must bring ALL equipment with them to the club.
2. Players must only touch their own equipment.
3. Only the designated coach of a session should handle the coaching equipment. E.g. cones, throw down lines etc. The coach should either wear disposable gloves or sanitise hands after handling equipment.
4. Bibs should not be worn – players should bring a white and a coloured shirt if required.
5. Goalkeepers may only train if they have their own (not shared) equipment.
6. Penalty corner training is permitted. Defensive masks and other protective equipment should only be handled and  brought onto the field by the individual who will use the equipment. Such equipment must not be shared.
7. The club will make disinfectant available to allow members to disinfect their hockey balls.

Clubhouse/toilets

1. Toilets will not be available until further notice (exception for courses).

2. Defibrillator inside entrance hall EGS.

3. One person at a time inside clubhouse.

Booking/contact tracing

1. Members must only attend the club for prearranged sessions.

2. Members must confirm their attendance in advance of any session/event.

3. Members must check in with coach/attendance supervisor and register their attendance following the appropriate procedure at the pitch.

4. Members must book a ticket in advance to any other event at the pitch and be in receipt of confirmation email.

5. Members must return health check questionnaire no more than 2 hours before their first attendance or each time when required for a specific event. COVID Officers in the club will monitor and enforce members’ adherence to this requirement. Any data collected from an individual as part of the return to hockey plan (including the health check questionnaire) will be stored in accordance with current relevant privacy legislation.

Responsibility of Members using club

1. Members may only attend the club following receipt of an invitation to a session or be in receipt of a booking confirmation from the club’s website/app.
2. Members must compete an online health check questionnaire a maximum of 2 hours prior to arrival at the club.
3. Upon arrival, members should make their way directly onto the playing pitch for which they have a valid booking. A club compliance officer will check members have completed a health questionnaire once on the pitch.
4. Members must not attend the club grounds if they or a member of their household is unwell and in particular suspected of or confirmed to be suffering symptoms of COVID19 or awaiting the result of a COVID19 test.
5. Members must follow all government COVID health guidance, for example; cover their mouth and nose with a tissue or sleeve (not hands) when they cough or sneeze
6. Only WHC members (or groups approved by the WHC Committee such as Hockey Ireland squads e.g. representative squad training) shall be permitted on the club pitch.
7. Members must travel to the club in their own vehicle/transport and only share a vehicle with other members of their own household.
8. Members must bring all of their own equipment and must not use another members equipment, including but not exclusive to stick, shin guards etc.
9. Members must maintain social distancing regulations until further notice. This includes distance between equipment/bags/balls etc
10. Members must not handle balls or any other equipment at the club.
11. Members must bring hand sanitiser and maintain hand hygiene on arrival at club and before leaving.
12. Members must not spit or clear their nose under any circumstances.
13. Members must bring their own liquids/water and only use their own water bottle.
14. Rubbish, and in particular used water bottles must be taken from the field of play and brought home.
15. Members must not share whistles.

First aid/Emergencies

1. In the event of injury social distancing should be maintained where possible.

2. Where possible, an injured player should self-help, including managing blood injuries.

3. The club shall make available a first aid kit and basic PPE (mask, gloves, apron). This equipment may be used at the user’s own risk.

4. Wicklow HC advises each group making a booking to identify an individual in their group as first aider. This individual should be familiar with the use of basic PPE in the event of a medical emergency.

Youth Hockey

1. Parents/guardians must complete the online health check questionnaire on behalf of their child before the child will be allowed onto the pitch. Parents/guardians details should be used for contact details when completing the form.
2. Parents bringing children to play hockey must remain in their vehicle at all times unless they are also booked to play or coach on the pitch. Parents/guardians are NOT permitted to observe hockey from the pitch side at this time.
3. To facilitate safe drop-off:
1. If a parent/guardian feels their child can do so safely, they should park in an available space and allow their child to alight and walk into the club.
2. If a parent/guardian feels their child would be unsafe walking through the car park alone they should accompany their child to the grounds and return to their vehicle immediately after the child has checked in with the coach/supervisor.
4. To facilitate safe pick-up:
1. Children up to and including 4th class will be guided to their cars by coaches. Parents should stay in or beside their vehicle.
2. All other children will walk to their parents/guardians car without coaches’ guidance.
5. Children MUST NOT be allowed to alight from vehicles anywhere else in the grounds.
6. Patience will be required as the new process is likely to take additional time.

Management of a Symptomatic Individual

1. If a participant becomes unwell during the activity, they should be isolated from other participants, return home as soon as possible, and contact their GP for further guidance.
2. Ideally the designated COVID-19 Officer, staff member or volunteer should take charge of the management of any persons with COVID-19 symptoms.
3. The designated person managing the situation should try to maintain at least 2 metres from the person with symptoms and should wear a face covering and wash their hands regularly.
4. Immediately separate the person displaying or complaining of COVID-19 related symptoms from others.
5. Ask this person to wear a face covering if possible or if available provide them with a face mask.
6. Provide the unwell person with tissues and hand sanitizer and ensure that all tissues are disposed of in a waste bag that can be tied and marked as separate from other waste.
7. If they are well enough to go home, arrange for them to be transported home by a family member, as soon as possible and advise them to inform their GP by phone of their symptoms.
8. If they are too unwell to go home or advice is required, contact 112 and inform them that the unwell person is a suspected COVID-19 case.
9. All persons who have been in close contact with the suspect case will need to be informed to restrict their movement for 14 days or until further information is available (i.e. a negative test result of the suspect case). It is likely this will be co-ordinated by the HSE.

IT IS ABSOLUTELY VITAL THAT EVERYONE FOLLOWS THE INSTRUCTIONS ABOVE SO THAT WE CAN OPERATE THE CLUB SAFELY.