Category: COVID-19

• https://www.scottishathletics.org.uk/covid-december-22/

Scottish Athletics has now issued its “COVID-19 BEYOND LEVEL 0” Guidance.  You can access the details via the following link.

COVID-19 BEYOND LEVEL 0

After the announcement from the Scottish Government on Tuesday 11 May Scottish Athletics confirms that from Monday 17 May:

• Mainland Scotland and islands not moving to Level 1 will move to Level 2.
• Orkney, Shetland, Na h-Eileanan Siar, all islands in Highland (except Skye) and the following islands within Argyll and Bute will move to Level 1– Coll, Colonsay, Erraid, Gometra, Iona, Islay, Jura, Mull, Oronsay, Tiree and Ulva.
• Moray is likely to remain at Level 3 for a further period due to the number of COVID-19 cases – Scottish Government will confirm this by the end of the week.

Please find attached a link to the Scottish Athletics Framework  –  Scottish Athletics Covid-19 Level Framework  The key changes are highlighted below:

Level 2

• All age groups are now maximum group size of 30 (please remember to follow the coaching ratios)
• Physical Distancing is suspended for the duration of the activity (athletes 12+ should continue to physically distance before and after the activity)
• Athletics competition can take place for all event groups following the maximum bubble size of 50 and no more than 500 participants per day (follow the scottishathletics events guidance)

Level 1

• All age groups are now maximum group size of 30 (remember to follow the coaching ratios)
• Physical Distancing is suspended for the duration of the activity (athletes 12+ should continue to physically distance before and after the activity)
• Athletics competition can take place for all event groups following the maximum bubble size of 100 and no more than 1000 participants per day (follow the scottishathletics events guidance)

Scottish Athletics has now issued the updated Covid-19 Guidance and Framework for Athletics.  The links are attached.  A summary of the updates to the guidance issued last week is also set out below.

Updated Level Framework for Athletics 4 November 2020

Covid-19 New Update and Guidance 4 November 2020

Summary of Updates:

• Training Groups
  • Age 11 and under – outdoor – coaches are included in the total group size of 30.
  • Level 4 – outdoor – training group sizes should be reduced as follows:
    • Age 11 and under – maximum group size of 15 (not including coach)
    • Age 12-17 – maximum group size of 8 (not including coach)
    • Age 18+ – maximum group size of 8 (not including coach)
  • Age 18+ – indoor – in Level 3 no group activity is permitted. You can participate following Scottish Government household guidance (2 households, maximum 6 people)

• Physical Distancing
  • Level 3 – outdoor
    • Where athletes aged 18+ may be in close contact for an extended period of time (e.g. longer than 15 minutes) we strongly recommend enforcing physical distancing.

• Travel
  • Coaches can continue to travel to coach (both paid & voluntary) across local authority boundaries in all levels.
  • Participants under 18 years of age can travel to and from Level 0-3 areas (not Level 4) to take part in athletics activity.
  • Participants aged 18 years of age or over should, where possible, minimise unnecessary travel between areas. You can travel into a Level 3 area for athletics activity if it is within 5 miles from your local authority boundary.
  • For participants 18+ in a Level 3 area travel is permitted within and around 5 miles from your local authority boundary for athletics activity.
  • In Level 4 travel is only permitted within your own local authority area.
  • You should avoid any unnecessary travel to a Level 4 area.

Attached is the link to the updated guidance for athletics from Scottish Athletics issued on 8 October 2020.  It incorporates the changes for areas with local measures.

Scottish Athletics Covid-19 Guidance 8 October 2020

The main change affecting adults in the 5 areas including Lanarkshire is:

*Adults (18 years of age or older) can take part in organised outdoor athletics and running training, competition or events if all relevant guidance is followed.

However, adults must maintain physical distancing at all times.

*Continue to follow existing guidance on training groups and sizes.

Senior Endurance Return to Training on 1 September 2020 at Strathclyde Park

We will be returning to training on Tuesday 1 September 2020 at Strathclyde Park with a 6.30 PM sharp start, so please be there in plenty of time. Please note – Only club members or new starts who have contacted us in advance with track and trace information will be allowed to attend the session.

Coaches will have a supply of hand sanitizing gel if required, although it would be preferable if athletes brought their own.

Toilet facilities are currently unavailable; however, we are in regular contact with the Water Sports Centre and will update you if the situation changes.

A. Here is an outline of the Scottish Athletics Guidance:

1. We will be allowed a maximum of 30 athletes at a session.
2. Maximum group size (bubble) of 15
3. You will not be required to physically distance when the session is taking place within the bubble.
4. Normal physical distancing guidelines apply out with the session.
5. Athletes must stay within their designated bubble for the duration of the session.
6. There is now no requirement for 2m/5m gap within the bubble.
7. Physical distancing as per Scottish Government Guidance must be maintained when the session is complete.

B. Good hygiene advice before, during and after training today

1. Refrain from handshakes and high fives, hugs etc. i.e. no physical contact.
2. Do not share food, towels, and drinks.
3. Cover your coughs and sneezes and dispose of any used tissue safely or take it home with you.
4. Hand sanitize regularly.
5. Avoid spitting unless into a tissue which you should take home and dispose of.
6. Avoid touching your face.

C. Here is what will happen when you arrive at Strathclyde Park

1. Please drive past the Boathouse to Car Park 4 (we may use Car Park 3 if maintenance is underway) .
2. You will be met by a coach(s) and our registration secretary who will tick off your name from the list of members for track and trace, and ask you the health screening questions (see D below).
3. You will be directed to one of two locations in the car park where the bubbles will be formed.
4. When both bubbles are formed you will be met by a coach who will introduce the session.
5. The warm up and cool down is part of the session and must be completed within the bubble.
6. The bubbles will start their sessions at different times to ensure that no more than 15 Motherwell AC athletes are in the same proximity at any time.
7. Please stay within your bubble of 15 for the duration of the session.
8. When the session is finished, please return to physical distancing as per Scottish Government Guidance.

D. Please do not attend training if any of the following apply to you

1. 1. Have you been in contact with someone with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 in the last 14 days?
   2. Have you been overseas, or in any area of the UK highlighted as high risk, or exposed to someone with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 in the last 14 days?
   3. Have you had COVID-19 symptoms (self-isolate for 7 days) or are you feeling unwell?
   4. Have you been told to self-isolate as part of the contact tracing measures in place?

E. Our Approach to Returning to Training

1. Our return to training will be in line with Scottish Athletics guidance. Due to potential disparity in athletes’ level of fitness, we will treat our return to training as the start of a training year. This means our initial training period will be primarily around building an endurance base. Training sessions over this period will mostly include longer slower runs, where we will gradually increase the distance and intensity of our sessions. Any athletes who feel that their training is more advanced may wish to extend these sessions, but this would be considered separate from the club and not part of the club session.
2. Please also remember that during club training sessions athletes should never be left to run on their own.
3. The August and September Training Schedules are on the club website.
4. Please be patient for the first few sessions while we work through any teething problems with the system.
5. Here is a link to the August and September Training Schedules

August and September Training Schedules

We look forward to seeing you soon.

The Senior Endurance Coaches

MOTHERWELL AC IS PLANNING TO RESUME SENIOR ENDURANCE GROUP TRAINING ON TUESDAY 25 AUGUST 2020

Scottish Government Phase 3 Covid-19 announcement on 30 July allows organised outdoor contact sport to resume for adults from Monday 24 August, following Sports Governing Body guidance.  Scottish Athletics believe this will enable adults (athletes, coaches, officials) to train, officiate and compete as per normal on the field of play and will confirm the exact detail when it has the information.

Senior Endurance coaches have met and are planning to restart group training on Tuesday 25 August.  Advice on Covid-19 protocols, venues, and training schedules will be provided in advance of our return.

Please Note – this may be subject to change, dependent upon ongoing announcements from Scottish Government and Scottish Athletics.

 Senior Endurance and Track & Field Over 17s

After careful consideration of Scottish Government Phase 3 Guidance and Scottish Athletics’ advice, the coaches have concluded, unfortunately, that it is not possible to return to organised group training, on any meaningful scale, before the next government review on 30 July.

The following guidance and advice highlight why it is impractical to return:

1. At this stage organised outdoor sport for adults is not permitted.
2. One coach is permitted to meet with a maximum of 4 other households, including their athletes, in any single day.
3. Groups are not permitted to meet in the same location at the same time as this is considered to be organised training.

The Senior Endurance coaches will meet again on 1 August to review the updated guidance, and continue their planning for a return to training.  In the meantime, they will continue with  development of the popular virtual challenges and asking athletes for ideas on how to improve participation & stay connected while restrictions remain in place.

Under 18 Track & Field

Organised outdoor sport specific activity can now be undertaken by young people (U18) with no physical distancing required “on the field of play”.   Consequently, limited numbers of U18 athletes across the various groups will restart training on a trial basis, initially on Saturdays, commencing on Saturday 1^st August.

Coaches will contact their own groups to confirm which athletes will take part in the first training session and every effort will be made to accommodate athletes who wish to train.  Every household will receive further information and guidance by email. These arrangements, and guidance for 18+ athletes, will be reviewed following the next Government review on 30 July.

Scottish Athletics Phase 3 Covid-19 Guidance is attached for your information.

Scottish Athletics Covid-19 Phase 3 Guidance

There will be a series of Zoom Conferences between Scottish Athletics and member clubs on Monday and Tuesday 13 & 14 July to review the guidance and give clubs the opportunity of Q&As. Motherwell AC will have three representatives at the conferences.

Our committee and coaches will be having a Zoom Conference on Friday 17 July to consider the guidance.  There will be further discussions the following week (commencing 20 July) to decide the club’s approach to resumption of training.