Dear members.
It is with a mix of emotions that the Ottawa Lions closed out the 2019-2020 season this past Saturday.
There is no question that something was missing this year and amongst the emotions that go with the unknown as the world changed in mid-March, the excitement and eagerness of our return to training on June 18th wiped the table clean. The time came to officially hit the reset button and with the announcement of our Competitive, Masters, Aspire, Foundation and Youth programs returning we were able to adapt and get “back on track”. Thank you to the Ottawa Lion coaches who showed their dedication in the athletes development during what can be simply described as a challenging season.
Practices were scaled back in size, travel was eliminated and major competitions were missing but our summer camps and twilights successfully returned.
A record setting 300+ campers joined us at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility across the 7 weeks of summer camp. A massive thank you to the camp counsellors (Alison Adams, Fabrice Nonez, Megan Ethier, Keito Newman and Quinn Lyness) who took on the important role of re-introducing our youth back into an active/social atmosphere while providing a safe, fun and enjoyable experience on the track and in the field.
Twilights looked a lot different but allowed us to reconnect with our competitive edge and challenge ourselves after what may have been a very different training environment during the spring months. With the assistance of the City of Ottawa we managed our gatherings and adapted the format of our traditional twilight layout to run the event in a safe environment. Being able to offer twilights for a 32nd consecutive year would only have been possible with the assistance of our volunteers and officials who are the backbone of event hosting. Thank you again for taking time out of your evenings.
We are well aware that COVID-19 is still here and the safety guidelines we have been following continue to help limit the spread. The health and well-being of our athletes, coaches and officials is of the upmost importance and it is with that mindset we will continue to adapt to our new normal when it comes to fall programs.
Youth, Foundation, Aspire, Competitive, Varsity and Master’s program registration is now open with the first practice set for Saturday, September 12th. As we head into the fall cross country season and base season please remain patient and considerate of the safety guidelines in place to minimize the spread of COVID-19 (physical distancing and wearing masks indoors will continue). As the summer twilight series looked different, so will our fall cross country events set to take place in October!
Our club’s return strategy will continue to be adapted for the fall months and then again for the indoor season. At this time, we will only be opening registration for the fall programs. Please keep an eye open for Winter registration as we continue to plan and work with our partnered indoor facilities.
Enjoy a safe and healthy end to the summer. Do not hesitate to visit any of these helpful COVID-19 resources.
Public Health Agency of Canada
Province of Ontario Resource Page
City of Ottawa Resource Page
Ottawa Public Health
Sincerely,
Richard Johnston
Executive Director
Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club