A note from Coach Adam
When we first began training amid this pandemic, we did a great job of following guidelines. Most everyone showed up to practice with a buff on, or at least in their bag. I kept a handful of buffs washed and packaged in individual ziplock baggies to give out, lest anyone forget. We pulled our masks up when we passed people on a trail or bike path.
But concern faded, complacency set in, and our groups grew in size along with the permitted group size that the state put in place. At this point almost the only skiers wearing buffs or masks at practice are the coaches. We haven’t strictly enforced any rules, we haven’t sent skiers home from training, and while we check temperatures and request personal safety and common sense with sickness, we have drifted into the deep end of the pool of responsibility.
I am as accountable as anyone here, as it is literally my job to provide a safe training environment, not just a fun and productive one. I think we’ve succeeded on those latter two goals this summer, and now it’s time to close the gap and stay safe from the virus just as we’ve stayed [relatively] safe from cars, pedestrians, crashes, injuries, and phone calls from angry town residents.
The State of Vermont has now issued a mandate that masks must be worn in public places where 6’ separation cannot be maintained. Newsflash: we are kidding ourselves if we think we spend the entirety of every training session (whether running, skiing, or biking) 6’ apart from each other. Are we engaging in “vigorous exercise”? You could call it that. But we’ve had a simple solution since day one, the same one we began with and have steadily drifted away from: wearing a buff around our necks.
We got too comfortable, and it’s not fair to ourselves, our teammates, or the rest of the population that we see on a regular basis. We pass MANY pedestrians on the streets and paths near Allen Brook School. We ride around families of beginners and shredders alike on the trails at Cochrans. And we never know when we might have to stop and help a teammate who broke a pole, got a flat tire, or needs an extra package of gummies…these are all situations where we should be covering our faces for the same of ALL PARTIES.
How do I know we’ve strayed so far from both the mandates and the suggestions? When I post something on our social media accounts, I have to always check twice: if people seem too close, the photo doesn’t go online. If there aren’t masks in a situation where there should be, the photo doesn’t go online. The sign of a safe club training environment is one where I can snap a photo at any time and publicly distribute it!
A buff is non-intrusive, it can be work with a helmet on and easily pulled up or down (as opposed to an ear-loop face mask), and it’s really not that hot…on Saturday afternoon in the warmest part of the day I went for a mountain bike ride with a tank top on and a buff around my neck. Ten minutes in, I had forgotten the buff was even there, save for the fact that I was able to pull it up over my face if I approached another rider on the narrow trail.
That’s the mentality and the action we should all be striving for. We’re lucky to be in the state that currently has both the lowest positivity rate, AND the lowest total case count, in the nation. But we only got here by being diligent, and we’ll only stay here by remaining diligent.
Now that we have entered a new month, a chance to reinforce strong habits is here. Please wear a buff around your neck at every practice. I have a supply of around 6 extras that I will keep on hand should athletes forget. I will try to both be more accountable myself, AND hold the team accountable.
Coming soon: MNC custom facemasks for school!
-Adam
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