Minor league soccer returns to Calgary after pandemic layoff
Minor league soccer is starting again in Calgary today, with enhanced health and safety measures. The Calgary Minor Soccer Association’s 530 teams have not played a game in over 15 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The regular outdoor season will run from June 15 to July 29. Teams for children ages nine and older will have the option of participating in a fall season beginning Aug. 28. For younger children, there will be a biweekly program that focuses on fun and skills building.
As a part of the league’s COVID-19 health and safety efforts, “physical distancing will be required when participants are not actively on the field of play,” said Jennifer Rowett, the Calgary Minor Soccer Association's league coordintor. A post-game hand shake between the two competing teams will also be replaced by a socially distanced walk by.
During practices, coaches may briefly break the two metre distance to correct or teach a skill, but must be wearing a mask to do so. If they are maintaining two metres from the athletes, coaches do not need to wear a mask.
Spectators must be three metres from the players and coaches, while also staying two metres from those in different households. Off the field, “masks will be required when two metres distancing cannot be maintained,” Rowett added.
This season, the league has focused on keeping games within the teams’ respective communities to minimize COVID-19 spread. The under 10 and under 12 teams will only play once every seven days. The league “has taken this downtime to restructure our league and bring soccer closer to families while working to reduce accessibility barriers to our sport," said Jordan Stewart, r the Calgary Minor Soccer Association technical leader.
The schedule for games beginning today until the end of the month are posted on the Calgary Minor Soccer website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
NEW High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
NEW Where to watch the state funeral for former prime minister Brian Mulroney
A state funeral for former prime minister Brian Mulroney will be held in Montreal on March 23. CTV News will have live special coverage of his funeral service.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.