(Vancouver, Canada) June 12, 2020
Sport is returning to Canada according to the province’s phases and many, like British Columbia, have released their Return to Sport Guidelines on how to resume sport while operating safely. Interpodia has leaped into action to assist NSO’s and PSO’s across twenty different sports to initiate return-to-sport measures to save what is left of the 2020 season. Sport leaders have collaborated with Interpodia to implement a technology solution that provides a streamlined process for collecting COVID-19 self-declarations, track attendees, and ensure compliance with Provincial return to sport guidelines and the requirements of insurance providers. These are critical for a safe return to play for all involved and in risk management.
Key components of Return to Sport Guidelines Interpodia are working on include*:
Risk Mitigation for Waivers/Acknowledgement of Risk and Agreements
-
It is highly recommended that provincial sport organizations have their members acknowledge the risks associated with reopening and their agreement to follow the provincial sport organization’s plan.
-
Participants should be asked to sign an agreement acknowledging their acceptance of the risks .
-
Existing waivers/acknowledgement of risk and agreements should be reviewed to confirm that they are broad enough to encompass COVID-19 related risks.
Risk Mitigation for Activity Registration
-
Activities and events should use online registration only.
-
Drop-in activities should be prohibited.
-
Collection of payment should be performed online to limit use of cash and handling of credit cards
Risk Mitigation for Attendance
-
Program organizers should take attendance and keep a record of all participants in case of an outbreak for contact tracing.
*Reference from Return to Sport Guidelines
While there are many factors to consider in return to play, as a technology provider, our primary discussions have surrounded the required compliance of waivers/acknowledgement of risk and agreements, attendance tracking, and registration which are listed above. In fact, we have found the silver lining in this is the opportunity for leadership to investigate and improve general compliance and management of risk within the realm of “return to play” and across the sport in general. This is the time to create thorough risk mitigation strategies and utilize the right technologies to make participation better and safer than before in consultation with stakeholders, including insurance providers.
Case Study: Insight into Cycling BC’s Return-to-Sport Planning
Cycling BC (‘CBC’) is one of Interpodia’s longtime clients.
Over the past week, Cycling BC has been working on their own return to play guidelines and policies, much of which brings new responsibilities for affiliated clubs, events and clinic organizers.
As outlined, a key part of the return to play process is making sure that prior to participating all participants, coaches, officials and volunteers complete a COVID-19 self-declaration of informed consent. For Cycling BC, this meant creating a process for returning clubs and events to verify that all participants and coaches have a valid CBC membership and have completed a CBC COVID-19 Self Declaration Document.
Equally important is that the host is able to track attendance for each activity. Activity attendance records need to include activity date, location, and the names, email addresses, CBC membership and numbers of all participants, volunteers and coaches. These activity records must be kept on record for 365 days after the event and must be available to Cycling BC in spreadsheet form within 72 hours of request.
To make these safety and insurance requirements as easy to meet as possible and to avoid clubs incurring unexpected costs, Cycling BC engaged Interpodia to create an integrated online registration environment for the province’s clubs. This solution is being provided to all CBC affiliated clubs at no extra cost. Our work with CBC is just one example of how our technology and expertise is making it easier for clubs and events to begin their restart and reducing anxiety.
“Our strategic collaboration with Interpodia and their flexible technology has greatly helped our return-to-play planning. We are proud to be long time partners of Interpodia and their cycling-specific platform CCN. We highly recommend other PSOs and National Sporting Organizations talk to them about this and their other registration solutions”
Erin Waugh, Executive Director, Cycling BC
We understand the return to sport will not be linear, but Interpodia is here to act as your strategic partner. To learn more about Interpodia’s activity registration and tracking tools with integrated CBC COVID-19 Self Declaration, please reach out to info@interpodia.com.
About Interpodia
Based in North Vancouver, BC and founded in 2009, Interpodia Technology is the industry’s leading strategic partner for national and regional sport organizations, clubs and events. Our modular technology provides integrated membership management, club and event registration, waiver capture, coach & official licensing and much more. Interpodia powers the only sport-specific technology platforms on the market that enable all the levels of sport from international federation to a local club to co-exist on one platform. This established technology and expertise has enabled Interpodia to become a market leader in sport management technology, with proven results for clients in reducing risk, cutting down on administration time, and providing athletes with a smooth digital experience. Interpodia Technology unites sport, simplifies administration, and helps keep athletes safe and happy.
You can find Interpodia Technology market-leading sport organization software in more than 8 countries and on the web at interpodia.com.
Rupert May, Co-Founder and CFO 778.229.5949
Interpodia Technology, Inc.