UPDATE: Ministry of Education gives school sports tournaments the green light

(UPDATE: Feb. 4 @ 9:05 am) - Just in time for some important regional and provincial competitions, school sports tournaments have been given the green light to resume.

BC School Sports revealed the news on social media Thursday night and thanked the Ministry of Education and stakeholders for "being open to constant dialogue this week to understand the issue."

It's official! School Sports Tournaments are BACK!

Thanks everyone for your support this week and to the Ministry of Education and stakeholders for being open to constant dialogue this week to understand the issue. We look forward to continuing working with you moving forward.

— BC School Sports (@BCSchoolSports) February 4, 2022

There was plenty of public pressure to overturn the decision announced last week, which kept school sports tournaments on hold even after provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said that youth sports tournaments could resume on Feb. 1.

BC School Sports said it was stunned by the original decision from the Ministry of Education to keep school tournaments on hold, while the Ministry promised to meet with the province's K-12 steering committee to review the current guidelines this week.

Those meetings held on Thursday produced a result that many student athletes, parents and volunteers will be happy about.

"We provided an update to school districts today allowing team-based tournaments to resume, ensuring all school-based health and safety guidelines are in place at all tournament venues," a statement from the Ministry said.

"These guidelines include restricting external spectators, designated seating areas in bleachers and cafeterias, staying within teams, increased hand hygiene and wearing masks when not actively playing."

In addition, teams will need to develop plans for if a team member becomes ill, which includes how they can be separated from others and if or how travel can occur.

"We are also encouraging all tournament organizers to provide virtual viewing opportunities wherever possible," the Ministry added.

The Ministry also expressed gratitude for the "extraordinary work" undertaken by many in the education system to ensure programs like sports tournaments can continue for students, while remaining committed to keeping in-class learning as the top priority.

(UPDATE: Jan. 31 @ 10:05 am) - Despite provincial guidelines changing on Tuesday to allow youth sports tournaments to resume, the Ministry of Education says school sports tournaments will remain paused for now.

"We recognize the importance of sports for students and school communities," the Ministry told NowMedia in an emailed statement.

"At this time, school districts are focused on ensuring all students have access to in-person learning, which is crucial to the intellectual, social and emotional wellbeing of children."

While tournaments remain paused, the Ministry said that student athletes are still able to compete in games and individual competitions at this time.

This week, the Ministry will meet with the province's K-12 steering committee, which is made up of educators, parents, support workers, school leaders, trustees, Indigenous rightsholders and public health experts.

The steering committee will review the current guidelines with respect to school sports tournaments.

"We have been working closely with Public Health and BC School Sports to ensure we can keep students and staff safe and healthy as we continue to navigate through the Omicron wave of the pandemic," explained the Ministry.

"We are grateful for the extraordinary work undertaken at this time by everyone in our education system to ensure learning continuity for students."

On Friday, BC School Sports revealed the decision by the Ministry to keep school sports tournaments paused. The organization said it was "stunned by the decision."

"There was commitment made this year to ensuring club and community sport access remained equal to school sport," a statement from BCSS said.

"To have this decision made at such a critical time of year is disheartening for everyone involved in school sport and continues to threaten and erode at the long-term health and sustainability of school sport.”

BCSS said it would not be cancelling any provincial events and will continue to plan for these tournaments, along with any variable contingencies that may be required.

(Original story: Jan. 28 @ 4:25 pm) - On Tuesday, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said that the restriction on youth sports tournaments would be lifted as of Feb. 1.

“I know this is an important time of the year for many different sports, especially team sports, and we’ve been working with organizers and with viaSport to make sure that this can be done in a safe way,” she said during a live briefing.

While it appeared to be exciting news for parents and children, it quickly became apparent that it may not mean all youth sports tournaments would return.

BC School Sports (BCSS) took to social media shortly after Tuesday's briefing to say that the current prevention measures for K-12 require extracurricular sports tournaments to remain paused.

(2/2) We have already been in discussion with the Ministry of Education and expect to have more clarity on school sporting tournaments no later than Friday, January 28. We will provide a further update as soon as information becomes available. Thank you for your patience.

— BC School Sports (@BCSchoolSports) January 25, 2022

“We have already been in discussion with the Ministry of Education and expect to have more clarity on school sporting tournaments no later than Friday,” BCSS wrote.

Friday arrived and a decision did come down, but it was not at all what BCSS, parents and young athletes were hoping for.

“We were in contact many times this week providing critical information on the importance of these events, and the tight timelines due to upcoming zone and provincial events,” said a BCSS statement.

“We communicated that having to adapt zone events would have a significant impact on the direct financial costs for kids and their families, the costs to schools, the impact on school time missed, or events that may not even happen at all.”

BCSS added that it expressed concern over the immense cost that student-athletes have felt already over the past 24 months, but it didn’t change the decision.

Unfortunately, the Ministry of Education has decided make no changes to their K-12 Addendum, meaning school sports tournaments are prohibited moving forward, despite club/community tournaments starting on Feb 1. #bced

Full Memo to Membership here: https://t.co/hx7lOB7jgQ

— BC School Sports (@BCSchoolSports) January 28, 2022

“Unfortunately, the Ministry of Education has made the decision to keep the addendum of K12 guidelines in place without changes, meaning that all school sports tournaments are still prohibited from taking place,” the BCSS statement explained.

“We are stunned by this decision, as there was commitment made this year to ensuring club and community sport access remained equal to school sport, and to have this decision made at such a critical time of year is disheartening for everyone involved in school sport and continues to threaten and erode at the long-term health and sustainability of school sport.”

The reasoning behind the decision is unclear and NowMedia has not received a response to its request to the Ministry for comment that was made earlier this afternoon.

According to BCSS, the Ministry has said the decision will be reviewed on a weekly basis, but offered no indication of when the K-12 guidelines might be altered to align with PHO orders.

“We will continue to advocate strongly for the return of school sport tournaments and share in the frustration undoubtedly felt by student-athletes, coaches, parents, and supporters across the province,” finished BCSS’ statement.

“At this time, we are not cancelling provincial events, and continue to plan for these events, as well as variable contingencies that may be required. We will update the membership as soon as more information becomes available.”

NowMedia will update this story if and when more information becomes available from the Ministry of Education.