A Realistic Look at Rink Reopening

By Scott Lowe – DMVProspects.com
 
Let me start out by saying that I have absolutely no idea when local ice rinks will open.
 
It’s a question that I’m being asked on a daily basis by players and parents to which there is no answer. You can ask an ice rink owner or operator, a local club hockey director, your county executive, the governor or your state or the President of the United States.
 
No one has the exact answer, not even Dr. Fauci.
 
Over the next several months the county you live in, your state and the country are going to “reopen” slowly – this process started last week here in Maryland where I live – so that we can continue to make progress toward returning to some sense of normalcy without jeopardizing all the sacrifices we have made to this point.
 
When I saw all the people out and about for no particular reason last Friday just because they heard that Maryland was “reopening,” the first thought that came to my mind was “I hope we don’t screw up in a week what we’ve just worked toward for the last nine weeks.”
 
And while I don’t mind when a kid who truly misses hockey and just wants to get back on the ice asks me when the rinks are going to open, it definitely rubs me a little bit the wrong way when adults ask me. It’s not my fault the rinks aren’t open, I don’t have any say over when rinks will open and if rinks are opening in other parts of the country there is nothing I can do about that.
 
Please understand that any rinks that are opening legally – I’m sure there are some opening illegally – are abiding by local restrictions concerning the number of people allowed in the building and on the ice, social distancing and other guidelines.
 
Not being able to do a stick and puck with nine other people separated into three zones of the rink isn’t preventing anyone from making the NHL. And not having the option of paying some instructor a crazy amount of money for individual coaching is likely saving many of you a lot of money that might be better spent.
 
I have to think that 99 percent of American adults understand that there is no definitive answer to the question of when rinks will open. Maybe some folks are looking for that renegade person with access to a rink that is operating under the radar and who can get their kid on the ice for a few hours here and there. I’m really not sure.
 
The truth is that it really doesn’t matter when the rinks open other than we want to do everything in our power to ensure that we have a full youth and junior hockey season that starts as close to on time as possible. It doesn’t really make sense to risk that further by getting on the ice for a few hours now. If you think not being on the ice now is hurting a player’s chances of making a team or having a great season, what’s going to happen if there is no season at all?

Be smart. Stay patient.
 
For the most part, no one else in our area is skating right now – at least not legally. Many rinks have melted their ice since it costs money to keep facilities at a certain temperature and to keep compressors running. Some rinks are even being utilized in other ways, presumably to keep some sort of revenue coming in or to provide a necessary public service.  
 
Little Johnny is not falling behind, and if him getting on the ice with some other kids now for a few hours a week means that we might be forced to push back the date everyone else can get on the ice or the starting dates for preseason practices and the season, well then Little Johnny can wait just like the rest of us.
 
Every state and jurisdiction has a plan that is based on their current situations along with conversations they have had with medical experts, scientists, scholars, business leaders and other intelligent and qualified people. The goal is to continue making progress so that we can get back to a quality of life that is reasonably close to what are accustomed to as quickly as possible.
 
Each state’s plan can be found online and will be very similar to what is going on in my home state. Reading and absorbing these guidelines can help you draw some reasonable conclusions about when ice rinks in the area may open.
 
Since I live in Maryland, that’s where I went first in hopes of helping the people who have been asking me about rinks understand what to expect.
 
Maryland has implemented a three-stage system for reopening, which Governor Hogan has broken down into these categories in the state’s Roadmap to Recovery plan:
  • Low Risk
  • Medium Risk
  • High Risk
There are various activities and other specifics listed within each phase, and the governor has clearly stated – and shown with his recent actions – that there can be sub-phases within each category to allow for partial re-opening within each general phase. He also has given the right to each individual jurisdiction within the state, meaning the counties and Baltimore City, to further restrict activities based on COVID statistics as well as the advice of local government health officials in those specific areas.
 
It’s important to note for the local hockey community that indoor gyms and fitness classes will not be considered for reopening until the Medium Risk Stage or Stage 2, and even at that point they will be required to adhere to social-distancing protocols along with social-gathering restrictions. The assumption here is that ice rinks will be lumped into that category.

What does that mean for hockey in Maryland?
 
Most likely it means that we will have to successfully clear the Low Risk Stage, with testing continuing to become more readily available, accurate contact tracing continuing to become more viable, hospitals and other facilities continuing to be able to handle the surge of patients impacted by COVID-19 and numbers of new cases and deaths continuing to decline, before ice rinks can even think about opening. And when they ultimately do open, there likely will be strict requirements in terms of the number of people allowed in facilities simultaneously, social-distancing and sanitation.
 
So even when the rinks do finally open, it is unlikely that any type of large tryout, camp or even a game will be allowed to take place immediately. Hockey initially is going to resume in a small-group environment with social-distancing restrictions in place. And you know what that means boys and girls … lots of skating!
 
If that is the way this plays out in Maryland, it still raises questions.
 
Would rink staff count against the numbers when figuring out a gathering size? If so, let’s say that at a minimum a rink needs one Zamboni driver and one office employee on duty when the facility is open. Add at least one coach, and just like that, three of the 10 or 20 available spots for an acceptable-sized gathering are taken.
 
If a rink is housed in a multi-purpose facility that also has another rink, a basketball court, an indoor field, a fitness center, a pro shop and/or a restaurant, would the social-gathering rule be in effect for the entire facility or each individual component or entity?
 
The final question to ponder is whether there could possibly be enough small-group business in this area for most rinks to open as usual?
 
Any time a facility is turning the lights on and paying employees, expenses are being incurred. At least for privately owned rinks, a business decision would have to be made based on whether it would be financially viable to open if the only revenue they can generate is through small-group rentals. The criteria might be different for public facilities, but it’s pretty likely that at least a few rinks won’t open immediately.
 
Also keep in mind that any setbacks or “stop signs” can put the process on hold or even move the state back into a Stay at Home situation. These signs include an unexpected increase in hospitalizations or cases requiring intensive care, indications that citizens are disregarding social-distancing guidelines and significant outbreaks or community transmission where contact testing cannot establish how the virus is spreading.
 
No matter how you slice it in Maryland, a lot of progress still needs to be made – and questions need to be answered – before rinks will have the green light to reopen.
 
Figuring out a timetable may be impossible at this point, but here is where things currently stand. 
 
Low-risk reopening, according to the Maryland Roadmap to Recovery plan, can include the following in addition to lifting the strict Stay at Home Order:
  • Small shops and certain small businesses
  • Curbside pickup and drop-off for businesses
  • Elective medical and dental procedures at ambulatory, outpatient and medical offices
  • Limited attendance outdoor religious gatherings
  • Recreational boating, fishing, golf, tennis, hiking and hunting
  • Car washes
  • Limited outdoor gym and fitness classes
  • Outdoor work with appropriate distancing measures
  • Some personal services
As of May 15 the state of Maryland officially entered its first phase of reopening – geared primarily toward quality-of-life improvements – but the reopening was narrowly defined by the governor to include a “Safer at Home” Advisory (meaning that we’re safer if we stay at home) and the “gradual reopening of retail, manufacturing, houses of worship, and some personal services.”
 
The Safer at Home Advisory encourages elderly and at-risk citizens to remain at home; employers to continue allowing employees to work from home (employees who have been telecommuting are expected to continue as long as a State of Emergency is in effect); masks to be worn at all times in indoor public spaces, retail stores and on public transportation; and social-distancing best practices to continue being observed. There also should continue to be no gatherings of more than 10 people, and frequent hand-washing should be ongoing.
 
Businesses and other activities that are allowed to resume must do so while meeting strict guidelines. For example, retail stores can reopen at up to 50-percent capacity, with curbside pickup and delivery “strongly encouraged and all public health precautions in place.” The types of businesses permitted to reopen include clothing and shoe stores, pet groomers, animal adoption shelters, car washes, art galleries and bookstores.
 
Manufacturing operations can resume “in a safe manner which protects the health of employees and guidelines encouraging multiple shifts and other safety precautions.”
 
Churches and houses of worship can hold services at up to 50-percent of a facility’s capacity, with outdoor services strongly encouraged and social-distancing and other precautions required.

Barber shops and salons can operate by appointment only and at up to 50-percent capacity
 
Also remember that the governor has given individual jurisdictions the right to further limit the reopening based on the COVID statistics in their area and the advice of medical experts. A quick look around the state showed that initially 16 of 24 local jurisdictions adopted the governor’s modified Stage 1 reopening plan, with four adopting it while adding further restrictions and four not proceeding with Stage 1 at all.
 
As you can see by comparing the list of what’s open and all the restrictions that are in place with the list of what else could be open during the first stage, Maryland is just at the beginning of the Low Risk Stage, with some counties and Baltimore City not reopening at all.
 
The following changes can be implemented for the Medium Risk Stage:
  • Raising the cap on social gatherings
  • Indoor gyms and fitness classes
  • Childcare centers
  • Transit schedules begin returning to normal
  • Indoor religious gatherings
  • Restaurants and bars with restrictions
  • Elective and outpatient procedures at hospitals
That is where ice rinks seem to fall, keeping in mind that there likely will be restrictions prohibiting rinks and other entities from returning to business as usual during the Medium Risk period.
 
Finally, the High Risk Stage could include the following:
  • Larger social gatherings
  • High-capacity bars and restaurants
  • Lessened restrictions on visits to nursing homes and hospitals
  • Entertainment venues
  • Larger religious gatherings
As we look at the High Risk Stage, we are talking about potentially having games with spectators, tournaments and all the things that we come to expect when hockey season usually gets underway in the late summer and early fall. But even if that happens and we can have a hockey season that begins at least somewhat close to when it normally does, until there is a vaccine in place hockey players, coaches and families are going to have to operate under a new, different and strict set of rules.
 
Governor Hogan has not set a timetable for each stage of the state’s Road to Recovery, but he has spoken quite a bit in the past about seeing continued, positive improvements over a 14-day period before considering easing restrictions. Remember, though, that when you talk about potential new exposures to the virus as a nation, we have been assuming a 14-day incubation period – hence the two-week self-quarantine for potential new exposures.
 
Doing some basic math, using May 15 as the starting point for the partial re-opening, we probably should allow for the 14-day new exposure period and then another 14 days to track results before there would be a full Low Risk reopening. That takes us to June 12 to completely reopen according to the Low Risk Stage guidelines.
 
Using similar math, it would be about July 10, assuming everything goes perfectly, before ice rinks could open with restrictions – again assuming that everything goes smoothly in terms of us meeting the criteria that have been established for providing testing, tracking outbreaks, meeting hospital demand and lowering new cases and deaths.
 
That’s with no setbacks and keeping in mind that each jurisdiction has the right to completely follow, partially follow or not follow the governor’s reopening advisories. Continuing the math and assuming that the governor uses the 14-day incubation period and then looks at the numbers over the following 14 days following each stage of reopening, it appears as though rinks could be close to fully operational by the second week of August.  
 
That seems to be a very optimistic timetable for rinks to be fully functioning. Common sense dictates that there may be gradual increases in the number of people permitted to gather in athletic facilities from 10 to 20 to 50 before a full reopening is possible. Will it be 14 days between each of those increases?
 
There are many political factors at play here that could speed up the process, while additional stop signs may emerge that slow it down. It’s all speculation at this point, but at least there is hope that we are moving in the right direction and hope that hockey can return – of course with some new twists – sometime this fall.
 
If the governor just looks at numbers over 14-day periods without factoring in the 14-day incubation period each time, you might see rinks open with strict guidelines by mid-June. Personally I wouldn’t be surprised if rinks are able to open for small groups earlier than the July 10 date, but that they won’t be in a position to hold larger events such as tryouts, camps, games or tournaments until much later than that Aug. 7 date. If we could have 50 people in a rink at one time by Aug. 7 that would be great and potentially allow for tryouts and preseason practices.  
 
This projection matches up with what several rink operators I have spoken to have told me. Most of them seem to think it will be August before local rinks will truly be up and running. When rinks do reopen, USA Hockey has worked with the U.S. Figure Skating Association, Learn to Skate USA and the U.S. Ice Rink Association to create a Returning to the Rinks document that outlines many of the changes we should expect to see.
 
Information about where to go to find out about the status of general reopening in Virginia, D.C. and other areas of interest can be found at the end of this article.
 
While this information may be upsetting to some, to me it gives us hope.
 
Hope that maybe we can get some kids back on the ice and skating sometime before July. Hope that we can hold tryouts and training camps at some point in August with the goal of starting the season in September. Hope that even if this timetable is way too optimistic and there are setbacks along that way we will have a youth and junior hockey season this year, even it if starts in October or November.
 
It also gives me hope that maybe the situation we have confronted the past several months has allowed us to take a step back and appreciate the freedoms and opportunities we do have a little more and to stop taking so many things for granted.
 
It gives me hope that the hockey world will reflect and start to realize that we don’t need to have 8-, 10- and 12-year-olds on the ice 11 or 12 months of the year – that we have made things far too serious, intense and specialized for too many kids at too young of an age and that putting the sport on hold for a couple months actually helps a young player recharge the batteries mentally and physically and realize how much he or she truly loves and misses the sport.
 
We survive and advance as a society by learning from every curve ball – or screened shot from the point – that life sends our way. Let’s do what we can in the moment given the current circumstances to learn, better ourselves and enjoy the extra time with our families – not worry so much about when the rinks will open and when we can get on the ice again.
 
No one in this area is skating right now. Stop stressing out about not being on the ice. You won’t forget how to skate. I promise. Use your time effectively and wisely to better yourself so that you have an advantage over those who didn’t do that when you do get back on the ice.
 
I’m here to assist in any way that I can and have been providing resources for the last two-plus months to help make you a better hockey player and to be ready for whatever comes next. Become a member of our Help Desk program. Read the articles. Do the workouts. Put the right kind of video together and send it to coaches for whom you want to play. Build relationships. Participate in our Zoom sessions and ask real, meaningful questions instead of checking a box and telling your parents that you watched.
 
You can act like you care and play that game or you can really care. You can say you’re “committed” or you can demonstrate that you truly are committed through your actions and work ethic.
 
Many players right now are stressed out, complaining and sitting around feeling sorry for themselves instead of using the many resources at their disposal and the extra time on their hands to get better. Some people prefer to play the victim and to point to all the reasons and factors that worked against them and led to their inevitable failure.
 
There are players and parents right now – trust me, I’ve heard them – already figuring out how to blame COVID, politics and everything else for not making the team they want to play for this year when they haven’t even reached out to the coach to express interest, to provide appropriate video clips or to build a relationship.
 
These are some of the same people who say that they read all of my articles, love what I do for hockey in the area and “like” all of my Tweets. Some folks just have the “that doesn’t apply to me or my kid” menatlity, I guess.
 
On the flip side, there are always players who refuse to be denied and find a way to succeed no matter what. As always, the cream will rise to the top. This is true in hockey and in life.
 
Be that person.
 
 
COVID-19 INFORMATION FROM OTHER JURISDICTIONS OF INTEREST & USA HOCKEY
 
Virginia entered Phase I of its reopening plan on May 15 as well, however certain localities in Northern Virginia requested a two-week delay as did Richmond and Accomack County.
 
Washington, D.C. at the moment has a stay-at-home order in effect and is requiring all non-essential businesses to remain closed through at least June 8. Here is the city’s May 15 update.
 
Massachusetts is of great interest to local hockey families since that’s where many of the top spring and summer showcases are held and where many junior teams are located. While state has a four-phase approach to reopening. Each phase will last at least three weeks, beginning with some sports facilities opening May 25. Youth tournaments and events may begin during Phase 3, which would be at least six weeks from May 25 or July 6.   
 
New Hampshire also is home to a good deal of spring and summer hockey activity. The state currently is at a similar place in its reopening plan as Maryland.
CLICK HERE for the USA Hockey Returning to the Rinks recommended plan of action.
 
CLICK HERE for USA Hockey’s COVID-19 resource page.