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With regards to the COVID-19 pandemic, Calgary Northside Soccer will follow the guidelines set out by the governing bodies of soccer.  City of Calgary has banned all public events until August 31.   Refunds will be issued and CNS would like to Thank You in advance for your patience as we work through processing the refunds.

Good morning Club Presidents, Technical Directors and Administration,

First, I’d like to thank you for taking the time to take part in the President’s Meeting with City Councillor, George Chahal.

These are unprecedented times and Calgary Minor Soccer Association (CMSA) wishes to commend you for your efforts to transition your programs into online sessions and for delivering services for the soccer community to stay engaged in a safe environment. We are all anxious to get back on the field and playing soccer again, but the safety of our players and soccer community is of the utmost importance and CMSA has chosen to continue the suspension of the 2020 Outdoor Soccer Season, indefinitely.

The response comes after taking into consideration:

  • Safety of the players and soccer community;
  • City of Calgary’s decision to ban all public events until Aug. 31;
  • Conversations with Alberta Soccer Association;
  • Government of Alberta’s Relaunch Strategy;
  • President’s Meeting with City Councilor, George Chahal.

The suspension includes, but is not limited to, any in-person soccer activity (games, practices, academies, sports sciences, fitness, etc.) until further notice.

CMSA will be sending out this information to our membership today and we expect that it will trigger a response from parents seeking refunds. In efforts to prepare the Member Clubs for an influx of questions regarding refunds and information about the season, CMSA has had conversations with clubs leading up to this communication. When discussing refunds with parents, we want to encourage each club to be respectful to the current economic landscape and each family’s needs during this time.

Being one of Calgary’s largest youth sports organizations, the absence of soccer will be felt across the city and is sure to garner media attention. If a Member Club is approached by the media, CMSA would like to extend the services of our Communications and Marketing Manager, Kara Spady, should anyone want to discuss key messages or feel uncomfortable talking to the media.

As we head into the summer months there will be a void where soccer should be. The crisis’ Calgary are currently facing, and the feeling of uncertainty associated with this is not lost on any of us. It is our collective duty to ensure soccer remains a viable sport and create movements for athletes to not only “play” again but to also help players stay engaged in the sport of soccer during this time.

For your convenience, we have attached a document that includes three key messages that may be used at your disposal that are important for your membership to know. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact CMSA Executive Director, Susan Cress or visit calgaryminorsoccer.com for more information on CMSA’s response to COVID-19.

Thank you,  CMSA

Published on

With regards to the COVID-19 pandemic, Calgary Northside Soccer will follow the guidelines set out by the governing bodies of soccer.

Good afternoon parents and players,

Hope you well. With Alberta's relaunch strategy, some outdoor recreation activities will be opening as early as May 14th. The governing bodies of soccer have a meeting with the City of Calgary tomorrow, May 5th.

CNS/PASS will be receiving a status update by the end of this week. Once this information has been relayed, the club will send an email and/or post on the website whether the season will be postponed or cancelled.

Stay safe and healthy, CNS / PASS Administration

Published on

With regards to the COVID-19 pandemic, Calgary Northside Soccer will follow the guidelines set out by the governing bodies of soccer.

Good afternoon parents and players,
Please know that my team and I think about our soccer community every day and hope you are all healthy during this unprecedented time.

We’ve fielded many questions over the state of the upcoming soccer season. I want to assure you that CMSA is in conversations every day with officials - the City, health experts, soccer governing bodies – as well as our clubs, to ensure we make decisions that are – above all else – safe for all. The COVID-19 situation is evolving daily and it is hard to make a go-forward plan amid constant change. We want nothing more than to have a firm plan in place, but at this time this is not possible, given the fluidity of the pandemic and its impact on Calgary and surrounding area.

What we know for sure is:

  • CMSA follows guidance provided by City of Calgary, Alberta Health Services, Alberta Soccer and Canada Soccer;
  • The outdoor season will look different;
  • CMSA staff are ready to action an adapted season the minute we get the all-clear to do so;
  • All decisions are made with players’ needs as the priority;
  • Exercise is important for youth (and all people) to maintain physical and mental well-being, especially at a time of global change and stress, and we are aware of this.

We have a number of contingency plans prepared, but we will not be able to land on a go-forward plan until we have clearance from regulatory bodies to do so. Our contingency planning includes possibilities of a:

  • Delayed outdoor season start date with league play that could include condensed league play and/or extending the length of the season;
  • Season focused on tournaments, jamborees and festivals as opposed to league play;
  • Combination of the above.

Several Member Clubs have developed “train at home” programs to keep players active. There are a number of other resources available for players, coaches and referees to stay engaged in soccer, including:

CMSA is deeply committed to ensuring players have a chance to play, coaches have an opportunity to coach and parents and loved ones have an opportunity to cheer. Sport is essential to Calgary and everyone is eager to be outside and moving. We know that the continuation of the soccer season after restrictions are eased, will be essential to establishing a sense of normalcy and excitement in our lives once again.

Please continue to be in touch with your clubs as they will need your children registered and your volunteer support as soon as we are ready to go. As our plans evolve, CMSA will provide updates via the COVID-19 section of our website: calgaryminorsoccer.com.

Know that all of us at CMSA are thinking of our soccer families. Stay healthy and safe.

Thank you, CMSA

Published on

With regards to the COVID-19 pandemic, Calgary Northside Soccer will follow the guidelines set out by the governing bodies of soccer.

Hello Club Admins, Presidents, and TD’s.

In response to the COVID -19 pandemic, CMSA will be postponing the outdoor season by 1 month. As Canada Soccer has suspended all soccer activity until further notice we are unable to commit to a season start date at this time, but are certain that it will not be May 2nd.  We have worked on a contingency plan that will have us deliver an 8-10 game season.  Attached please find our revised 2020 Outdoor Program Calendar.

Summary of significant changes:

  • CMSA will deliver an 8-10 game season.
  • Team entry fees will be revised accordingly.
  • CMSA will not declare any teams for Tier IV Provincials - There is not enough time to complete games leading up to the Tier IV provincial competition date. U13-U19 Tier IV will play until July 30, in alignment with U13 – U19 Tier I-III.
  • If additional postponement of the league is required in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, CMSA staff will make the call on April 30, and will communicate a revised plan accordingly.

CMSA asks that you please keep the program calendar document internal until these dates are confirmed, as CMSA abides by the suspension of soccer activities by Canada Soccer and the recommendations of Alberta Health Services.

We will be sharing a summary of the contingency plan for parents to access via our website and social media in the next couple of days, and would appreciate you sharing on your website and social media as well.

We care about you!

You are doing awesome!

We are here to support you, CMSA

Published on

With regards to the COVID-19 pandemic, Calgary Northside Soccer will follow the guidelines set out by the governing bodies of soccer.

Good afternoon Club Members,

In these evolving and ever-changing times, CMSA is continuing to prepare a 2020 Outdoor Season based on a variety of scenarios and is planning to deliver an outdoor league in the coming months. Projected timelines and revised team registration schedules will be communicated with club administration and technical directors.

Following the recommendations from Alberta Health Services and keeping the health and safety of staff in mind, CMSA is practicing social distancing by limiting face-to-face interaction. At this time staff are working remotely and are available through email or phone. The office will remain closed to the public until further notice.

To keep our membership up to date, CMSA has created a COVID-19 page on our website: calgaryminorsoccer.com.

CMSA encourages everyone to abide by the recommendations outlined by Alberta Health Services. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by COVID-19 and the repercussions of the virus, as a soccer community we will band together and overcome these trying times.

Thank you,  CMSA

 

Published on

With regards to the COVID-19 pandemic, Calgary Northside Soccer will follow the guidelines set out by the governing bodies of soccer.

A message on behalf of Calgary Minor Soccer Association President, Lyle Waldren, and Executive Director, Susan Cress:

Good afternoon Club Presidents, Technical Directors and Club Administrators,

In the upcoming days CMSA will be working to prepare for a late start date and revising our league to ensure the 2020 Outdoor Season will go forward. It is evident that our timelines will need to be adjusted in order to allow clubs time to complete their evaluations. To accommodate this unique situation, we will revise our timelines and scheduling practices to continue our preparation for the outdoor season and begin with modifications on our website.

Following discussions with the City of Calgary, the Calgary West Soccer Centre will be closed until further notice as part of the City’s mandated closure of all fitness facilities. At this time, the centre will undergo an extensive sanitization regimen so it will be ready to reopen when the time comes.

CMSA is reviewing Alberta Health Services policies, best practices and standards of care for the soccer community and of course with the own health and wellness of CMSA staff in mind. Until further notice, CMSA will remain open with staff operating out of our office.

CMSA will continue to be in contact with Canada Soccer and Alberta Soccer regarding the delivery of sanctioned soccer activities.

Banding together the soccer community, we wish our clubs, their membership and staff well throughout this evolving and challenging time.

Thank you,  CMSA