Hello MWVYHA Community:

Thank you for your patience as we worked out the details with the re-opening protocols from the Governor's office, we know you have a lot of questions.  I hope to answer as many of these as possible tonight.  If further questions arise please do not hesitate to reach out to me or your team's head coach.  The biggest change in protocols since arena closures is around COVID-19 testing, the majority of the new protocols and recommendations were already in place by the Ham Arena and MWVYHA.

How do families return to hockey?

• The Ham Arena will on Friday, October 30th
• Practices will resume that evening: 10U practice will be held at 5:10pm, 14U practice will be held at 6:20pm
• ALL athletes, coaches and volunteers (Safety Coordinator, Score Keeper, Time Keeper, etc) must have a negative COVID-19 test on file with MWVYHA on or before Friday, November 6th.  You do NOT have to have a negative test result on file to return to practices leading up to November 6th (yes, this is confusing).
• All COVID-19 testing must be completed after the arena pause (began October 15th) a negative test prior to October 15th is not valid to return to the ice
• We have identified a Safety Coordinator with each team, they will be collecting a paper copy of testing results.  Please do NOT give test results to coaching staff, they have plenty going on already to get and keep our athletes on the ice safely.

                  16U/18U Karla Murphy

                   14U  Erin Wiggin

                   12U  Kim Zipf

                   10U Josh McAllister

                   8U Kelsey MacMillan

• masks must be worn on the bench when social distancing cannot be enforced (practices, scrimmages and games) UNLESS an athlete or coach is wearing a full face shield with splash guard (fishbowl & splashguard). MWVYHA is working with the Ham Arena Pro Shop to purchase full face shields and splash guards for EACH 14U and 12U athlete.  We will use COVID grant funds secured through USA Hockey to purchase the needed equipment for these two teams.  Additional information will come from your head coach in the days to come.
• The Ham Arena has installed a new prescreening system: the following information has been taken from the Ham Arena website: "We have just installed a new pre-screening system. Basically you login and fill out the Covid questionnaire for yourself or up to 5 members of your family. If you answer the pre screening questions correctly you will be sent a QR code. You can either have that code on your phone or a printout of it. When you enter the Ham Arena you place the QR code in front of the scanner. With a confirmation of the code you will then be asked to have your temperature taken which is on the stand with the scanner. You can place your wrist or forehead in front of the scanner and if you are within range you will be given the green light to enter. The QR code can be used as many times as you need for one day. If you are coming back the next day you need to go back online to the form and fill it out again and get a new QR code. This will really help with the speed and flow for entering the arena."

                    To complete our online screening form…

                             Click for Demo

• We are making a change to our 10U/Squirt and 8U/Mite programs for this year that will continue to develop our players while adapting to the challenging and changing conditions.
  • These changes would reduce risk to our players and their families through the following:
  • Limiting contact throughout the season to the same players within our program each week and not playing against outside opponents.
  • Following USA Hockey's recommendations to reduce travel and and to stay within our local area.
  • More details will be provided to our 10U & 8U teams within the next week

The safety of our athletes and their families is the guiding influence for each of the protocols above.  YOU need to make the best choice at this time for your athlete and your family.  We respect that returning to the ice at this time under these conditions will not work for everyone.  IF your athlete will NOT be returning to play for the 2020/2021 season please let me know by November 1st.

I look forward to seeing you all back at the arena and enjoying the game we love.

Stay well.

Kelley
 

-- 

Kelley Murphy

MWVYHA President & Tournament Director

HAM ARENA IS OPEN

The State of New Hampshire released Hockey & Indoor Ice Arena Guidance on Friday October 23rd.

The big new change is this...

Prior to Friday, November 6, 2020, it is required that all rink staff, volunteers, coaches/staff, referees, and athletes that are part of the Bantam and Squirt level be tested at least once for COVID-19 to limit early re-introduction of COVID-19. The test should be performed after the announced the 2-week “pause” on all hockey and ice arena activities on October 15, 2020. The test can be either PCR or Antigen based (ie Abbott BinaxNOW Rapid Test). Test results must be provided to the hockey program on or before Friday, November 6, 2020 with a copy being kept by the program for 30 days. A person is exempt from this recommendation if they have previously tested positive for COVID-19 in the three months prior to the date of the “pause” with a virus-specific test used to diagnose active infection (PCR or antigen based test). This is not true for Pee Wees and Mites because they had not been on the ice when this rule came out.

What this means to you

Everyone on the playing surface, which includes the benches and penalty boxes must were a face covering/mask. A mask can also be a full face shield with splash guard (fishbowl with splash guard). Masks can be lowered during play. Masks should be pulled back up on the bench or while standing waiting for a drill to start. Again, during game play they can be lowered.

At the Ham Arena if you play Tuesday Night League, are a Bantam in MWVYHA or are a Squirt for MWVYHA you need to provide the Ham Arena with a negative test result by November 6th. Nobody else in any of our programs needs to provide a test result.

Copy of Guidance

Schedule a COVID Test

Welcome to our New Normal

As we begin our reopening phase we ask you to help by following all federal, state and local guidelines along with our own. Below is a list of things you'll need to know when you come to the Ham Arena. There are also some helpful links to CDC and New Hampshire documentation. Your help following those rules will help everyone. Thank you in advance. Stay Healthy!

Our New Screening System, Please Read

We have just installed new pre-screening system. Basically you login and fill out the Covid questionnaire for yourself or up to 5 members of your family. If you answer the pre screening questions correctly you will be sent a QR code. You can either have that code on your phone or a printout of it. When you enter the Ham Arena you place the QR code in front of the scanner. With a confirmation of the code you will then be asked to have your temperature taken which is on the stand with the scanner. You can place your wrist or forehead in front of the scanner and if you are within range you will be given the green light to enter. The QR code can be used as many times as you need for one day. If you are coming back the next day you need to go back online to the form and fill it out again and get a new QR code. This will really help with the speed and flow for entering the arena.

To complete our online screening form...

Click for Demo

Thank You

PRIVATE RENTALS ARE AVAILABLE
THE CAFE IS CLOSED
THE PRO SHOP AND SKATE SHARPENINGS ARE BY APPT. ONLY

NEW NORMAL GUIDELINES / THE HAM ARENA REOPENING PLAN

You must enter at the main entrance

• A signed waiver for all players, skaters or curlers is required at the main entrance. We prefer you print one out and sign it prior to arrival. You can get waivers at here... Individual Waiver / Team Waiver . We also have them available at the front desk as you enter.
• Masks are required to enter the building and should remain on, for players during during play
• Doors will be locked until 15 minutes prior to your ice time. If you get here earlier than that we will do pre-screening outside but please remember to keep you mask on and maintain social distance.
• A staff member will take everyone’s temperature (it must be 104 or less).
• You will also be asked the following questions.
  • Do you have any of the following symptoms of COVID-19:
    • Fever (a documented temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher) or are feeling feverish;
    • Respiratory symptoms such as a runny nose, nasal congestion, sore throat, cough, or shortness of breath;
    • General body symptoms such as muscle aches, chills, and severe fatigue;
    • Gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea; or
    • Changes in your sense of taste or smell?
  • Have you been in close contact with someone who is suspected or confirmed to have had COVID-19 in the past 14 days? (Note: healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients while wearing appropriate personal protective equipment are not considered to have a close contact exposure and should answer “No” to this question).
  • Have you traveled on non-essential travel in the past 14 days outside of New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, or Rhode Island (this includes any international travel or travel by cruise ship and any domestic travel, within the US, outside of NH, VT, RI, CT, MA or ME, regardless of the mode of transportation)?

• If you answered no please remember to maintain proper social distancing for duration of your visit
• If you answered yes to any of these questions, please do not put our employees and other members at risk and come back another day when you feel better.
• You must maintain 6 ft of social distancing.
• We prefer you come into the building dressed to skate. Please dress at home or in the parking lot/car.
• Capacity in locker rooms must be limited based on social distancing guidelines and must be limited to 50% capacity. If a locker room has more than 50% capacity you can put your skates on outside of the locker room on any number of benches
• Masks should remain on. It is required that players, coaches and referees pull their masks up whenever possible. If you cannot maintain 6 feet on the bench you may stand outside the bench area. You are required to pull your mask up when not playing.
• Locker room bathrooms are open but showers are closed.
• Seating in lobby and behind home and away bench’s are available to put on your skates.
• Under age players/skaters are allowed one parent in the building.
  • Under age siblings are allowed but must stay with parent at all times.
• You must remain in locker rooms until the Zamboni is done and off the ice.
• When your ice session is over you have 10 minutes to vacate the building.
• You must vacate at the rear of the building.
• Appointments are necessary for Pro Shop and skate sharpening.
• Snack shop will remain closed for now. We do have vending machine for drinks only.
• Please follow all arrows and signs.

Staff will disinfect lobby, used locker rooms, bathrooms and bleachers after each ice session.

OUT OF STATE VISITORS PLEASE CLICK HERE

Important Links
Stay at Home 2.0
Universal Guidelines
Amateur & Youth Sports Phase 2 (indoor sports facilities)

Employee Reviewed Material and Training
Workplace Guidance
Interim Guidance
Cleaning Disinfecting the Facility
Disinfectants (CDC)

Arena flow will be as follows, please follow all social distancing guidelines.