Dear Ottawa Lions,
What can be said about the past year that hasn’t already been expressed. It is under frustrating circumstances that we conclude 2020 with yet another provincial lockdown that not only disrupts our training routines, but keeps many of us distant from family and friends we typically embrace over the holidays.
It is very easy to reflect on the lockdowns, cancellations, and hardships each and every one of us have experienced throughout 2020. However, we should also focus on the triumphs of adapting our world of athletics and learning on systemic matters throughout the year that will allow us to set new standards we can apply in 2021 and the years to follow.
The “groundhog days” of March, April, and May won’t be forgotten any time soon, but let’s not forget the achievements our members had prior to March 13th. Athletes from across the country travelling to compete at our home events, the relief of completing the collegiate indoor season under the wire may be minor in the grand scheme of what was to be an Olympic year, but the consistent growth of our indoor events and achievements set by the individual athletes in the club and our varsity programs are to be acknowledged.
When June rolled around and the combined efforts of our Club and the City of Ottawa, with Athletics Canada’s “Back on Track” guidelines, we eagerly returned to the Terry Fox Athletic Facility and began conducting programing in our “new normal”. At a time when athletes would traditionally be putting in preparations for the Provincial and National Club Championships we had to reset and transition into what would be an early base season for some or opportunity to salvage a bit of competition with the late start to our annual twilight series (uninterrupted since 1988). By late July the Ottawa Lions had returned all programs (Competitive, Masters, Aspire, Foundation and Youth) to a safe and structured environment that was magnified by the execution of the clubs most successful summer camp season in history.
More than 800 athletes, over 30 coaches, and in excess of 50 officials/volunteers over six twilight meets (and the Capital XC Challenge in the fall) brought youth and Olympians alike to the Terry Fox Athletic Facility, adding another major accomplishment that can be built on as we navigate the world-wide pandemic in the spring and summer of 2021.
Fall and early winter would unfortunately be riddled with interruptions and adjustments due to restrictions out of our control. Training groups continued to put in the work and remained consistent at a time where uncertainty cast an unwanted shadow over where we would be in a few months, let alone the absence of competition during the winter.
While nothing in Eastern Ontario can come close to replacing the Dome at Louis Riel, we look forward to returning in 2021 with alternative options to conduct training during the winter months. As it stands, on December 26th we entered a new province wide lockdown extending to January 23rd, 2021. This unfortunately results in the temporary closure of all venues we had recently secured for training in the new year. In addition to layering up and braving the cold outdoors more often than usual this winter, we are excited to begin training at the following hubs when the time is appropriate:
- Aberdeen Pavilion located in Lansdowne Park – This venue will provide a large sheltered space that extends 80m in length and 40m in width, making it a solid option for all groups to get in training Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings while offering a gathering point for distance groups to use the plowed paths and canal trail nearby.
- Paul-Desmarais Megadome located in Stittsville, is home to a CFL regulation football field that will serve as a hub for our competitive groups on Saturday mornings.
- Oz Dome located in Stittsville, is one of the regions oldest and smallest sport domes. The small indoor space will serve as temporary home for our throwers and younger training groups throughout the week.
Even with these great alternative locations, we are not content and will continue to seek training options that will reflect a familiar track and field setting for all event groups.
Thank you to all club members, coaches, officials, volunteers, staff and parents for the continued support during these past nine months. While these winter months will likely test our resolve, we can all continue to find alternatives to keep active and motivated for the spring and summer seasons. With our knowledge of how to carry out safe and competitive events, a more traditional competitive season in 2021 may be possible. Premier events such as the Tokyo Olympics, FISU Games and U20 World Championships highlight the international calendar. While on the National stage the Olympic Trials (Montreal), National Combined Event Championships (Ottawa), Legion Youth Championships (Sherbrooke), and Ottawa playing host to the 2021 ACXC Championships make for a very exciting year in the Ontario-Quebec corridor.
I encourage everyone (coaches, teammates) to check in on each other, whether it is a discussion about training or a casual conversation, we can be there to support one another in so many different ways and platforms. Our website resource page has been updated over the past couple months with a number of new off-track resources that range from nutrition to mental performance and severe injury protocol. Most resources are accessible to all members and we encourage you to reference if help is needed. (https://ottawalions.com/about-us/resources-for-your-training-life-away-from-the-track/).
Please continue to keep any eye on our club website and social media platforms for updated information on registration and how we will proceed if there are any changes to the lockdown.
Wishing everyone a safe and Happy New Year!
Richard Johnston
