NENSA COVID-19 Considerations

UPDATES for the 2021-22 Season (updated September 2021)

The NENSA staff, like many of you, were hopeful this spring when the vaccines became widely available that we would not still be in the midst of the global pandemic this coming season.  But we are, and as the Delta variant continues to spread we need to pivot and adjust accordingly to be sure we continue to keep our community as safe as possible.

Here are our current recommendations and guidelines (subject to change as conditions warrant):

1. NENSA is STRONGLY ENCOURAGING VACCINATIONS for all of our eligible ski community members.
2. On all our registrations we are asking if participants are vaccinated or not (you can also choose not to answer the question, but we hope you do) so we can get a sense of how many folks are vaccinated at our events and races.
3. If inside space is available at any NENSA event, we are requiring everyone wear masks when indoors.
4. We also strongly encourage masking outdoors where physical distancing is not possible.
5. Like last season, we will have an official COVID Controller at the entrance to each event asking folks whether they are currently experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms, and turning them away if they are.
6. We also ask that all potential event attendees use common sense before arriving at an event and do not show up at an event if you have ANY symptoms.
7. For any of our NENSA events that require traveling with a team (and eating and staying in hotel rooms together) - such as the New England Junior National Team, U16 Champs, and EHSC - we will be requiring all athletes, coaches, and staff members to all be fully vaccinated, zero exceptions.  If, for any reason, you are not vaccinated, then we ask you make your own travel, hotel, and meal accommodations, and only show up to the venue (masked) to race.  We will also follow all current recommendation for masking at that time and will err on the side of caution.
8. Practice best etiquette in your personal life and while traveling to and from events. Wear a mask in indoor public places, wash your hands often, social distance inside and outside, and be smart and safe so we can continue to put on great events for you all season while keeping you and our whole community as safe as possible!

More to come as the season progresses ~ thank you all!

Questions: Please contact [email protected].

Please note, the Guides linked below have not been updated since the fall of 2020 but still contain some relevant and helpful information. They may be updated for the 2021-22 season if deemed necessary. For now, please refer to the above recommendations and guidelines.

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2020-21 Season Protocols:

The Covid-19 pandemic poses significant challenges to NENSA’s 2020-21 winter event schedule but we are as committed as ever to our New England community and making every effort to host safe events and support our clubs as best we can during this time. Our primary goal is to keep our community safe while our secondary goal is to host our events albeit with new formats that put health at the forefront and comply with all state, local, and venue COVID policies. Skiers are encouraged to limit their travel and attend events that are within their region and state. 

We understand that the course of this pandemic, and thus the guidelines put in place to keep us safe, might not progress linearly.  While the nature of competition will remain the same, we must operate our events in a manner that ensures the safety of all athletes, volunteers, staff and the communities in which our events are held until the end of the Covid-19 pandemic.  Below you will find detailed information outlining our event plans - please note all of these outlines require that participants abide by the New England Cross Country Promise (NECCP) - failing to follow these guidelines may warrant removal from an event and jeopardizes our community and the entire event calendar.  Our goal is to be transparent and keep our community informed and up-to-date on our evolving thoughts and plans. 

In addition to our event plans, below you can find our , 2020-21 Season NENSA COVID-19 XC Ski Host Guide & BKL COVID-19 Best Practices Guides.