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Recent 16U AA News

COVID-19 POLICY AND GUIDELINES

By DSTHL 09/01/2020, 2:30pm CDT

The following plan related to the Dallas Stars Travel Hockey League (DSTHL), based on the
current public heath situation and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control
 CDC) USA Hockey (USAH), World Health Organization, and state and local health departments, s an
overview of the DSTHL’s COVID-19 policy and recommendations, and will apply to the  2020-2021 travel
season. The situation will be monitored periodically and changes to this guidance may be made in the coming months in response to these changes.
 
DSTHL Team Personnel and Spectators (defined under Face Coverings) will be expected to adhere to the
following guidelines and conduct themselves in a safe and responsible manner. It s the
responsibility of all those involved to ensure these guidelines are being followed. Failure to
follow certain guidelines and policies may result in disciplinary action.
In the event of a COVID-19 positive case amongst any team within the league, cases must be reported
to DSTHL President Paul Freudigman (see COVID Reporting Guidelines below). The DSTHL Board will
evaluate the situation, take any necessary action promptly and make changes to this guidance
accordingly. Rinks are entitled to change game and/or practice schedules as COVID-19 policies
change. Teams should be prepared for possible changes or interruptions to practice and tournament
schedules, and should regularly check HockeyShift before traveling for local and out of town games.
 
The DSTHL Board will contact each DSTHL Member Organization Point of Contact with any changes to
the schedule or this policy, and will hold mandatory conference call meetings from time to time
with updated information.
 
PRIMARY GOALS
•    Keep players on the ice and in the game while maintaining a safe and healthy playing
environment.
•    Limit risk of exposure by maintaining social distancing throughout all athletic activities
conducted within the rinks.
•    Establish a self-health screening guideline, including a designated COVID Safety Officer to
oversee effective use of these guidelines, for players and coaches to follow.
 
DSTHL COVID-19 POLICY AND GUIDELINES
FACE COVERINGS – EXECUTIVE ORDER GA-29
Executive Order GA-29, regarding face coverings, applies to all Team Personnel and Spectators at all
practices and games. “Team Personnel” is defined as anyone on the 1-T roster including the head
coach, assistant coaches, team manager and players. “Spectators” is defined as  anyone not on the
1-T roster but possibly in attendance at a DSTHL Member Organization team
event, including but not limited to, goalie coaches, team medical personnel, team photographer, penalty box monitor, scorekeeper, parents, siblings, additional family members nd
friends.
•    Masks must be worn by ALL Team Personnel and Spectators the entirety of their time in the
rink, except ONLY as follows.
 
o Players may remove their masks when leaving their locker room or changing area to go onto the
ice, however they must immediately put their masks back on as soon as they return to their locker
room or changing area.
o Children 2 years or younger are not required to wear masks.
o While a person is actively consuming food or drink. Masks should be pulled down to drink or eat,
then immediately pulled back up.
 
▪    Each player must supply his/her own water and water bottle. Water bottles may not be
(re)filled inside of the facility
•    Individuals with health conditions that prevent them from wearing a mask should not attend
 
USAH sanctioned events.
•    All scorekeepers and penalty box monitors are required to wear a mask for the entirety of
their time spent in the rink. Additionally, penalty box monitors are required to wear gloves and
sanitize the penalty box after each usage. (Sanitizer, disinfectant and trash bags will not be
supplied by the rinks. Each team is responsible for bringing their own supplies.)
•    For the purpose of this policy, face coverings include non-medical grade disposable face
masks, cloth face coverings (over the nose and mouth), or full-face shields to protect eyes, nose
and mouth. Please see CDC information on appropriate masks.
 
SOCIAL DISTANCING
When possible, all Team Personnel and Spectators must maintain six (6) feet apart from each other.
Hockey being a high-risk contact sport, we understand players cannot always stay six (6) eet apart
from each other. However, please adhere to the following guidelines to the best of your ability.
 
•    Changing Areas/Locker Rooms
o Masks must be worn in the locker rooms and changing areas by all Team Personnel for the entirety
of their time in the locker room.
o Players are required to “Dress and Drive”, meaning players must come fully dressed for their
game, with exception to gloves, helmets and skates.
▪    Goalies must come fully dressed, with exception to upper body gear, pads, helmet and skates.
o Players and coaches may only be in the locker rooms or designated changing areas for 12 minutes
at a time. This includes dressing for practice or games and changing at the conclusion. No
individual should be in a locker room or changing area for longer than 14 minutes.
o Changing areas and locker rooms must be limited to changing only, and may not be used for
coaching. All whiteboard sessions and video review must be done
virtually or conducted in a venue that provides appropriate social distancing and with appropriate
mask protection.
o Players must dress/change in the changing area assigned by the rink to allow for maximum social
distancing and affective sanitation between user groups.
o No showering will be permitted in the locker rooms or changing areas.
o Upon vacating the locker room or changing area, each team must ensure there is no remaining
trash, tape, food, drink, etc.
 
•    Bench/Ice
o All Team Personnel should distance from each other where possible.
o Goals may be celebrated by fist bumps with gloves; no hugging.
o There will be no post-game handshakes. Players are encouraged to line up on respective blue lines
and raise or tap their sticks.
o All Team Personnel are required to keep their mask, helmet and gloves on while on the bench or in
the penalty box.
o Spitting will not be permitted on the ice, bench, locker rooms or anywhere within the rinks.
 
•    Off-Ice Sessions
o All dry land or off-ice sessions must be conducted outdoors or in a venue that provides
appropriate social distancing.
o Mask protection will not be required for off-ice training, provided proper social distancing is
being practiced.
 
•    Team Travel
o Public travel poses many logistical challenges in regards to potential exposure and appropriate
social distancing.
o All Team Personnel and Spectators are encouraged to practice proper masking and social distancing
where applicable when using public transportation for games or tournaments.
o Team Personnel and Spectators are also encouraged to practice a heightened sense of caution when
using public transportation to reduce the risk of exposure, included but not limited to, the use of
gloves, proper sanitation of belongings and proper usage of masks.
o It is encouraged that All Team Personnel and Spectators refrain from carpooling with other
players or families, and only travel with individuals that you are regularly in close contact with.
(i.e. immediate family)
o All Team Personnel and Spectators should remain only in their own hotel rooms, and should not
congregate in rooms of other individuals or public areas.
o It is recommended that all Team Personnel and Spectators refrain from eating together at
restaurants, or if they do, they refrain from sitting together. If you do go to a restaurant please
only sit with individuals you are regularly in contact with, and follow proper social distancing
guidelines.
o It is recommended that all Team Personnel and Spectators order delivery, go through a drive
through, or utilize curbside service while traveling.
 
HEALTH SCREENINGS
It is being recommended that all Team Personnel and Spectators practice DAILY self-health
evaluations, and it is being required that they perform self-health checks before participating in
any USAH sanctioned team events, including but not limited to practices, games, team
meetings and off-ice training sessions. Self-heath check results must be reported to their
designated Safety Officer before participating in USAH sanctioned events. Individuals who feel or
identify with any of the following symptoms are to refrain from participating in any USAH
sanctioned events for at least 10 days, or until they have been tested for COVID-19. (See COVID
Reporting guidelines below).
•    Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
•    Cough or other respiratory symptoms
•    Headache
•    Chills
•    Muscle Aches
•    Sore Throat
•    Congestion or runny nose
•    New loss of taste or smell
•    Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
•    Pain, redness, swelling or rash on toes or fingers
•    New rash or other skin symptoms
•    High-risk exposure: a new contact with an infected individual or prolonged contact with a
crowd without physical distancing
•    Temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or above
Responsible parties for players must ensure they do not send a player to participate in any USAH
sanctioned event if the player has any of the above symptoms, has been knowingly in close contact
with an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19, or is test-confirmed with COVID-19.
Players and/or responsible parties must complete self-health screening and report to their
designated Safety Officer (See COVID Safety Officer Guideline Below) before every USAH sanctioned
event, and may not be allowed to participate if they fail any part of the screening process.
No Player, Spectator, or Team Personnel who has been notified by their school or work of potential
COVID-19 exposure may attend or participate in any DSTHL activity if they are estricted from
attending school or work. The individual may not return to league activities until 14 days after
their last exposure with that individual.
In addition, no Spectator or Team Personnel should attend any DSTHL or USAH sanctioned events if
they have any of the above symptoms, until certain guidelines are met. Please see COVID-19
reporting below to determine when you can return to league events.
 
COVID REPORTING
All COVID-19 positive cases must be reported to the DSTHL President, Paul Freudigman, through the
designated Formstack link. All reporting must be done by DSTHL Member Organization Points of
Contact, and must include the following information. In the event of a COVID-19 positive case
within the league, the DSTHL will conduct a Close Contact Tracing Review to determine which, if
any, individuals have been in close contact with the confirmed positive individual.
•    Name
•    Team
•    Onset date of symptoms
•    Date of positive test
•    Details of any direct contact/close contact with other Team    
 
Personnel
•    Proposed action plan
If deemed appropriate and necessary, any opposing team that may have been in contact with the
affected player will be notified by the DSTHL Board. No personal health information will be
divulged to the opposing team or DSTHL Member Organizations. Due to the nature of the public health
concern, the DSTHL President, Paul Freudigman, and the Director of AT&T High School
Hockey, Keith Andresen, may communicate about COVID-19 related cases accordingly. Team Personnel and
Spectators are expected to adhere to the below guidelines before returning to ny DSTHL or USAH
events, based on the below category they fall under.
 
•    Tested positive for COVID-19, or think they had COVID-19, and had symptoms.
o Team Personnel and Spectators may not return until
▪    10 days since symptoms first appeared and
▪    24 hours with no fever without the use of fever-reducing medication and
▪    Other symptoms of COVID-19 are improving*
o *Loss of taste and smell may persist anywhere from weeks to months after recovery and will not be
delay the ability to return to league events
o Please note that these requirements do not apply to those who symptoms were severe. See “Severely
ill with COVID-19 symptoms” below.
 
•    Tested positive for COVID-19, but did not have symptoms.
o Team Personnel and Spectators may not return to league activities until 10 days after their
COVID-19 positive test, unless otherwise instructed by their doctor.
o If symptoms develop within those 10 days, that individual should restart the 10- day leave.
 
•    Severely ill with COVID-19, or has a severely weakened immune system (immunocompromised) due
to a health condition or medication.
o Team Personnel and Spectators who are severely ill with COVID-19 may not return to league
activities until at least 14 days after symptoms first appear.
o Persons that are immunocompromised should consult a healthcare provider before attending any
league activities.
 
•    Exposed or around a person that has tested positive for COVID-19.
o Anyone that has come in close contact with someone with COVID-19 may not return to league
activities until 14 days after their last exposure with that person.
▪    Close contact is defined by the CDC as someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for
at least 15 minutes, starting from 2 days before illness onset (or symptoms start), until the time
the infected person is isolated.
 
▪    If any COVID-19 symptoms develop, please follow “Tested positive for
COVID-19, or think they had COVID-19, and had symptoms.” guidelines.
o If no symptoms develop, the exposure guideline does not apply to the following people.
▪    Anyone who has had COVID-19 within the last 3 months and
▪    Has recovered and
▪    Remains without COVID-19 symptoms
*Absolutely no private health information will be shared with anyone other than the DSTHL Board and
the Director of AT&T High School Hockey. All reporting will remain secure and onfidential. *
 
COVID SAFETY OFFICER
Every DSTHL team must identify, at minimum, one (1) suitable person for the role of COVID
Safety Officer (“Safety Officer”), which may include but is not limited to, a Head Coach, Assistant
Coach, Team Manager, Locker Room Monitor, or a team parent who is related to the healthcare field
in some way (i.e. doctor, nurse, paramedic, physical therapist, fireman, medical administrative
staff, etc.).
The Safety Officer must be physically and mentally present, at a minimum, at each USAH sanctioned
team event (practice, game, dry land) for the duration of the players’ attendance at said event.
Additionally, the Safety Officer is responsible for learning, understanding, implementing,
monitoring and enforcing the DSTHL COVID-19 Policy and Guidelines.
The Safety Officer will also be responsible for recording, documenting and reporting the results of
the self-health checks on all Team Personnel and Spectators before participating in any USAH
sanctioned team event. We recommend using Sway Medical for COVID Tracking for Athletes, or any
similar application, to complete and track these screenings. In addition, it is recommended that
every Safety Officer uses a non-contact temperature assessment device, when applicable,
to monitor body temperature. The DSTHL is permitted to prevent any individual who fails the
screening criteria from participating in or attending any USAH sanctioned events.
The Safety Officer is expected to report all safety policy violations or failed screenings to the
DSTHL Member Organization Point of Contact, who should then forward the report onto the DSTHL Board
at dsthlboard@dsthl.com.
 
TEAM UNFIT TO PLAY
If at any point a team roster falls 20% below its full roster, the team will be declared unfit to
participate in all DSTHL activities, including but not limited to, league games, team practices,
off ice training, team meetings and team activities. Due to the nature of this virus and its high
community spread, the DSTHL is anticipating an increase to the number of players and teams hat may
become affected by the following.
•    COVID-19
•    Concussions
•    Fractures or other injuries
•    Illnesses unrelated to COVID-19
•    Vacation
•    School work or conflicts
•    Other conflicting activities
If a team becomes unfit to participate in league activities, the opposing team will be responsible
for rescheduling all missed league games. This will ensure that no team or organization will be
unable to complete their league games.
 
SPECTATORS
Effective immediately, and until further notice, there shall be no Spectators in the rink for
practice, in exception to one (1) Safety Officer and one (1) Locker Room Monitor. Presently, and
until further notice, only one (1) Spectator per player will be allowed in the rink for regular
season games, with exception to the team’s Head or Assistant Coach.
Spectators must practice proper social distancing and station themselves accordingly within
designated viewing areas. Given the fluidity of COVID-19, this Spectator allowance policy could
change without notice.
 
SUSPENSIONS
Coaches and players identified as not wearing masks by their Safety Officer will be subject to
automatic suspensions as followed. Tattletale mentality is discouraged, however there will be no
appeal process for any of the below, or given, suspensions.
•    Coaches – will result in a three (3) game suspension
•    Players – will result in one (1) game suspension
•    Spectators – will result in one (1) game suspension
Any Team Personnel or Spectator that does not respect their given suspension may receive harsher
suspension or expulsion.
 
GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS
•    Where possible, and to mitigate the 2-way risk of exposure, players are encouraged to wear a
plastic protective face  mask as set forth in USAH Rule 304© rather than a cage.
•    DSTHL Member Organizations are encouraged to partner with rinks in effort to communicate the
DSTHL COVID-19 Policy and Guidelines, as it may be updated from time to time.
•    DSTHL Member Organizations should support rink protocols and ensure all guidelines are being
met by their respective organizations.
•    All DSTHL Team Personnel and Spectators are expected to adhere to all rink policies put in
place. It is encouraged that you take time to read the rink policies before arriving to a facility.
Please find a list of facilities here and take time to visit their websites before arriving.
•    There will be no spitting allowed within the facility. Players may spit while on the ice,
however spitting in the lobby, benches, locker room, and common rink areas will not be permitted.
•    It is recommended that players use full plastic face shields to limit exposure, transfer and
spreading of bodily fluids (sweat, spit, etc.)