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Date: February 4, 2021
To: Association Officers
From: WAHA Board of Directors
Re: COVID Requirements
The current WAHA requirements put in place in late November which included an obligation for Local Associations to comply and more importantly, hold their coaches, players, parents and volunteers accountable for those requirements, in our opinion, have been working. The Board’s intent was to keep hockey open in Wisconsin through a set of requirements/guidelines in which Associations policed their own. To date, hockey has been able to be played around the State, and Associations have been shutting down their own teams or removing players/coaches from participation as the presence of the virus required.
On Thursday, January 28, 2021, the WAHA Board met to discuss the steps we would take if the mask mandate was removed by a government body – Governor, Legislature or Supreme Court. The result of that discussion was a decision that, regardless of any government decision to remove the mask mandate, WAHA will continue on the same path we have been on since November 2020 and require all of the COVID guidelines to remain in place through the end of the state tournaments. This means the following:
*Masking Requirements: The WAHA Board of Directors has extended the masking requirements for all coaches, players and officials for all practices and games until the end of the 2020-2021 playing season.
*State Tournament Coach Masking Requirements: The WAHA Board of Directors has passed a motion that for the 2020-2021 State Tournaments, any coach refusing to properly wear a mask while on the bench will be required to leave the building and may not return to coach until properly masked. The on-site State Tournament Director will be required to enforce this rule.
*Splashguards: The current mask or HECC approved splashguard requirements remains in effect for all players, coaches and officials, for all practices and games.
*Incident Reports: WAHA will continue to monitor this situation and has asked all WHOA on-ice officials to submit a WHOA Incident Report if a team/coach/player does not comply with this requirement. Any report of non-compliance will be sent to the Association President and WAHA Regional Directors for that Association.
*Medical Exemptions: There are medical exemptions to wearing the mask or HECC-approved splashguard. Before each game, the on-ice officials will ask each team’s coach which team members, if any, have signed written proof that grants them that exemption. The team manager or coach must be able to produce that document if asked to do so.
*Mitigation Plans: Associations must have mitigation plans in place that include monitoring players, coaches, and volunteers for the COVID virus. This plan must have a provision to pause the play of their teams in the event of a player, coach, volunteer exposure or actual COVID infection.
*Association/Arena Practices:
-face coverings must be used at all times in the arena, practices and games included, by players, coaches, volunteers and spectators.
-Everyone must practice social distancing in the arenas. This includes plans to move people in and out of the arena in the safest manner by using separate entry/exit points.
- If locker rooms and/or restrooms are being used, they must be cleaned between games/practices.
*Competition in Wisconsin with teams from bordering States:
-Illinois: Is now open. All games may be played in Illinos and Wisconsin.
-Minnesota: Minnesota teams are now permitted to play games in Wisconsin, but those teams must have the permission of their Minnesota District Director for this travel, and Minnesota Hockey discourages this travel.
-Michigan: Michigan Amateur Hockey (MAHA) permits Michigan teams to play in Wisconsin, but does not allow Michigan teams to play each other in Wisconsin.
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