Players and organizers alike are applauding New Brunswick’s decision to alter current COVID-19 guidelines ahead of next week’s move to Level 1.
The move to the province’s lowest restriction level will mean practices, games and competitions can take place without limits on how many players participate – and at all age levels, so long as “public health risk mitigation measures” are in place.
Currently, at Level 2, participation in indoor organized sport and recreation activities requires proof of vaccination, team bubbles and caps on player and spectator numbers.
The initial introduction of these restrictions in December 2021, with the unveiling of New Brunswick’s Winter Alert Plan, sparked outrage among players and organizers — namely, the limit on play.
“We did everything they wanted,” says 16-year-old basketball player Cole Crouse.
“We got double-vaxxed. They said if we got double-vaxxed we could play but they ended up shutting us down and not letting us play for about a month.”
In December, Crouse led a walkout with his classmates at Woodstock High School in protest of the limitations – chanting “let us play” as they made their way to their local member of Parliament’s office.
Guidelines have changed a little in the weeks since, but it’s Wednesday’s announcement that has Crouse and his teammates really excited.
“Since we got the announcement about the move to Level 1 coming on the 18th, it should be back to normal,” says Crouse.
The high school basketball season has seen a mix of restriction levels; Crouse characterizes it as “a bit of a scramble.”
He says his teammates are trying to be optimistic.
“We make what we can out of it,” he says.
“It’s good to know we won’t be wasting the season like last year.”
It’s particularly good news for players in their senior year, who will get to compete in championships before graduation – like Crouse’s teammate, Cooper Jones.
“Coming into this season we were told no more setbacks,” Jones says.
“Then, all the sudden, we’re shut down and we didn’t know if we were ever going to play again.”
Jones says the restrictions that remain at Level 1 are fine by him if it means ending the year on a more normal note.
“It’s exciting. I’d rather play with some changes than not be able to play at all.”
Earlier change for younger kids
Seeing as kids under 12 aren’t vaccinated at the rate of older age groups, sport in that younger age group has been limited even more than it was for Crouse and Jones.
That’s set to change a week ahead of New Brunswick’s move to Level 1, though.
As of 11:59 p.m. Friday, Feb. 11, teams made up of five- to 11-year-olds will be allowed to form bubbles of two to face off over the next week.
That means there’ll be a lot more youth sports action this weekend than there has been in months, with organizers scrambling to schedule.
“Every team can play,” says Yves Arsenault, president of the Lamèque-Shippagan Minor Hockey Association.
“We already booked some games. We have good volunteers that are working hard and trying to put everything together.”
Arsenault says if restrictions loosen as planned, the only scheduling problems that are likely to arise will come when players themselves catch the virus.
“We already have teams that are having to push back games and cancel practice because they have too many COVID cases,” he says.
Still, he says everyone’s ready for the change of restriction – and pleasantly surprised to have it come now.
“That’s all something we didn’t think we’d see by the end of March,” Arsenault says, “and we’re going to see it a lot earlier.”
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