Season¡¯s Greetings to our NAFA Flyball Family.
?
The Board of Directors held their monthly conference call on December 19, 2020, to discuss amongst other topics, the current suspension of tournaments due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ?After reviewing data from both the CDC and Health Canada, in addition to the surge of cases since the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S., the Board voted unanimously to extend the suspension of tournaments through March 31, 2021.
?
The Board is encouraged by the recent roll-out of vaccinations around the globe and expressed their interest in opening sanctioning for tournaments in the Spring of 2021. ?While the Board continues to work on safety guidelines for both hosts and competitors, the FY ¡¯21 flyball year will be marked by the following changes:
?
1. ?There will be no Regional or ROCC Champions for the FY ¡¯21 racing year.
?
2. ?Sanctioning may be staggered by Region based on venue (indoor vs. outdoor), current local restrictions on gatherings/events, and any other Local, Federal, or Provincial guidelines.
?
3. ?We strongly suggest that any club entering into a rental agreement carefully review deposit and refund policies contained within the contract.
?
4. ?NAFA reserves the right to extend non-sanctioning of tournaments should the pandemic continue to pose a health and safety issue to our community and the public at large.
?
We continue to work towards a re-opening strategy and look forward to being able to offer flyball in the near future if even on a limited basis. ?We will always take into consideration the advice of professionals from a variety of public and government health organizations across the U.S. and Canada. ?While we all wish to be back racing, we must do so with the safety of all competitors and the public in mind.
?
As a side note from the meeting, the Board also voted unanimously to waive Judges Requirements for the FY ¡¯21 racing year. ?A decision on Iron Dog points was not considered at this meeting but will be discussed at future teleconferences.
?
As always, please don¡¯t hesitate to contact me with any questions.
?
Happy New Year!
Neil Flood ¨C Executive Director
North American Flyball Association
