Athletics Ireland Announces Limited Club Activity Permitted from Monday Next

Limited Athletics Club Activity Permitted from Monday May 18th

Athletics Ireland Update - Return to LIMITED Club Activity from May 18th

Key parameters that MUST be met on Phase 1 of the Government roadmap are;

People can engage in outdoor sporting and fitness activities, either individually or in very small groups (maximum 4 people), where social distancing can be maintained and where there is no contact

People living within a 5 km radius of their athletic club can attend to train

Hamish Adams, CEO said “It is a privilege for us to be one of the first sports returning to club activity and with this privilege comes a great responsibility to ensure all our clubs and members operate to the highest standards of compliance to prevent the further spread of Covid-19. This is the first small step on our journey to return to full activity, we continue to plan and prepare for competition and events from August onwards subject to government directives.”

Every club will have their own unique set of Covid-19 challenges around social distancing, contact tracing, hygiene and member management.

Each club committee is strongly advised to meet virtually, to develop their return to athletics plans. See draft risk assessment template or further development, with club safety officers to ensure that the highest standards of hygiene, tracing and social distancing are established.

Strict sets of guidelines (note these guidelines are not exhaustive) have been developed with expert advice:

Guidance for Clubs

Included:
1.     Safety Officer
2.    Club Access
3.    Booking & Arrival
4.   Check-in Protocol
5.   Clubhouse Facilities
6.   Track/Field
7.   Running/Jumping/Throwing
8.   Coaching
9.   Getting Home Safely

Guidance for Athletes

Before you Train

See Guidelines Booklet

Attending Training

Pre book your training session online or via phone.
Arrive and leave as close as possible to when you are due at the club.
Only one parent/guardian should accompany younger athletes where possible.
Athletes should arrive ready to train as there will be no access to dressing rooms during this phase.
Athletes should ensure that they utilize toilet facilities in their own home prior to arriving at the club as toilet facilities will not be available during this phase.
Athletes should, ideally, bring a small bottle of hand sanitizer and antiseptic wipes with them to train.

Social Distancing Behaviours

To protect against infection:

Athletes must refrain from handshakes and high fives

Keep 2 metres away from other people at all times

Do not share food, towels and drinks Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or hand-sanitizer, before and after eating, after going to the toilet, sneezing and coughing

Cover your coughs and sneezes and dispose of any used tissue in your own bag and bring it home with you

Avoid touching your face

Keep your distance from people who are obviously sick

Try not to touch any surfaces, but if you do sanitize your hands as soon as possible For endurance sessions:
Athletes running single file unless there is an empty space where they can leave 2m between them,
Athletes running with 2m between them and the next runner, including when overtaking. This might, for example, mean overtaking in lane 3 to pass an athlete running in lane one on a track
Athletes starting intervals in approximate order of ability with the fastest athlete starting first to minimise overtaking.
Remain apart from other athletes when taking a break.

When Training Finishes

Once training has finished athletes should leave the club promptly.
Hands should be washed and sanitized as soon as possible
Ensure equipment is cleaned thoroughly after use.
If an athlete becomes unwell after training, they should first contact their GP/HSE and then inform their club. The club will then follow advice provided to them by the HSE on the next steps.
Members should be encouraged to remind other members of the guidelines, in a gentle way, when they witness poor practices. Repeated poor practice should be reported to the club as soon as possible

Equipment

Practice caution with the equipment. Sanitize all handheld implements prior to, and after, use e.g. shots, javelins, discus etc.
Although there is no specific evidence that equipment can spread COVID-19, we know that contamination from respiratory droplets from an infected person can potentially survive on hard surfaces for up to three days. Clean equipment with a disinfectant spray at the conclusion of training

Guidance for Coaches