ABA Return To Play

The Alberta Basketball Association (ABA) appreciates and understands that everyone in the basketball community is anxious to get back on the court.

The Alberta Basketball Association (ABA) appreciates and understands that everyone in the basketball community is anxious to get back on the court. The Province of Alberta is currently in their Phase 1 Relaunch. ABA adheres to the Government of Alberta’s Relaunch Strategy as outlined below: 

Organized sport events (other than outdoor practice activities that can follow stage one public health guidance), games and competitions/leagues are also prohibited from occurring in stage one, as they present a much higher risk of transmission of COVID-19 (increased contact between participants, higher number of individuals present). 

Any organization looking to provide day camp services, please reference the Government of Alberta Guidelines (Link). Please review the information and be aware of the protocols and risks involved as communicated by Alberta Health Services.

The Province of Alberta is expected to provide their Phase 2 plan soon and ABA will provide updates as they apply to basketball.

Alberta Basketball Association - Return to Sport 

ABA, in consultation with Canada Basketball and the Alberta Health Services, continues to monitor the ongoing developments regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The ‘Return to Basketball Plan’ will be multi-phased and provide guidelines for the minimum standards required within each phase. In preparation for our sport moving forward, ABA is working on Phase 1: Modified Training.

Conditions for Return to Basketball

Before organized on-court basketball activities can resume anywhere within Alberta, the following conditions must be met:

• Alberta Health Services (AHS) lifts applicable restrictions, AND 
• Municipalities/Regions lift applicable restrictions, AND
• Canada Basketball endorses provincial and locally sanctioned basketball, AND
• ABA insurers verify insurability of sanctioned basketball activities, THEN
• Return to the Modified Training Plan standards are set and implemented, AND
• Canada Basketball Risk Assessment Tool completed by individual clubs/organizations and communities, THEN
• ABA will begin to sanction on-court basketball activities by individual clubs/organizations and communities.

Return to Basketball Plan - The Timeline

1. Phase 1 - Return to Modified Training to be developed in direct consultation with Canada Basketball
2. ABA’s Return to Modified Training Plan is approved or compliant with Provincial Regulations as per:
   1. The Alberta Government and/or Alberta Health Services
   2. Canada Basketball
   3. ABA’s insurance provider
3. Canada Basketball releases their Risk Assessment Tool to ABA - TBD
4. ABA to provide the Phase 1 - Return to Modified Training Plan and Risk Assessment Tool to ABA member organizations and the basketball community in Alberta. - TBD

Return to Basketball Plan - Communication

Once the Return to Modified Training Plan has been approved, ABA will share the guidelines with our membership, individual clubs/organizations/communities and Coaches. We will post all the documentation on the ABA website, share it electronically via email and across our social media platforms.

Any individual club/organization and community or coach that offers organized basketball activities before the Return to Basketball Plan is enacted or outside of the Plans guidelines will be not sanctioned or insured and you will be participating at your own risk.

Looking Forward

ABA awaits the moment we can all safely get back on the court. In the meantime, we must be patient, respect Provincial Regulations, and be safe. We ask that all members of the basketball community follow the Return to Basketball Plan and respect the process as it develops.

ABA would like to thank all our members, affiliated clubs, organizations, leagues, and programs for your ongoing patience and understanding to the circumstances everyone is facing. We all look forward to getting back on the court as soon as it is safe to do so. Please stay safe and well during these challenging times. Please contact ABA at info@basketballalberta.ca  if you have any questions.

Thank you for your time and attention.