Brock University student-athletes returned to train on Monday, Jan. 31, for the first time since an increase of COVID-19 cases paused the sports season in December 2021.The Brock Badgers are preparing to complete the remainder of the 2021-22 sports season.
Student-athletes, coaches and staff have returned to campus as a return to training commenced on Monday, Jan. 31 in conjunction with Brock University resuming on-campus learning for Winter Term.
“Brock Sports is implementing measures to help combat the highly-contiguous COVID-19 Omicron variant as our varsity teams make a safe return to campus,” said Steve Lidstone, Associate Director, Brock Sports Performance and Medicine. “The health and safety of our community is our priority.”
These measures include a strict mask policy that requires all student-athletes, coaches and staff to wear either a medical-grade or three-layer mask while on campus, including in training and practice sessions.
This week, all student-athletes, coaches and support staff were required to produce two negative rapid antigen test results leading up to their first training session back in the Brock Sports Performance (BSP) Centre.
Brock Sports Medicine (BSM) will use a symptomatic approach while continuing with a weekly rapid antigen screening program. BSM will monitor the program for the next two weeks before reassessing the next steps.
Under these conditions, the Badgers men’s and women’s wrestling, hockey, volleyball and basketball teams have returned to training in the BSP Centre and resumed regular practice and skill sessions.
The OUA is preparing to resume league-based regular-season schedules on Wednesday, Feb. 9.
The Brock swimming teams have also returned to practice in the Eleanor Misener Aquatic Centre, while track and field, curling, fencing and figure skating have also restarted their training programs.
Brock Recreation reopened the Walker Sports Complex, including the Zone Fitness Centre, gymnasia and the pool to all Brock students through a pre-registration system.
Game days for some Badgers varsity teams will look different as Brock prepares to welcome spectators back to the Bob Davis Gymnasium.
Limited-capacity events on campus will start the week of Monday, Feb. 21. Ticket information for games will be announced in the near future.
Spectators will not be permitted to attend the men’s and women’s volleyball games on Sunday, Feb. 13 versus the Windsor Lancers or the men’s and women’s basketball games against the McMaster Marauders on Wednesday, Feb. 16.
The volleyball games will be live-streamed on YouTube, while the basketball games will be broadcast on OUA.tv
The City of St. Catharines will allow spectators at the Seymour-Hannah Arena when the Brock men’s and women’s hockey teams return to play on Thursday, Feb. 10. The men’s team hosts Lakehead at 2 p.m. and the women’s team faces off against Western at 7:15 p.m.
Spectators attending any Brock varsity games will be asked to provide the following on game day:
- Pre-purchased single ticket
- Enhanced vaccine certificate with a QR code. Vaccine receipts without a QR code are no longer accepted.
- Brock ID or government-issued ID
- Completed Brock COVID Self-Assessment Survey (basketball and volleyball only)
- Completed Ontario customer screening tool (hockey only)
On Tuesday, Feb. 1, the OUA announced an updated schedule for the conference’s winter championships. The Badgers are scheduled to host the OUA Squash Championships at White Oaks Resort and Spa from March 11-13.
Brock Sports is also working with the conference on the logistics of hosting the 2022 OUA Wrestling Championships.
