The Loofball Sport Development Initiative (LSD Initiative) management team welcomes it esteemed community back from the long break that brought the world of sports to a standstill. The coronavirus disease, which was declared a pandemic on March 11 by the World Health Organization saw most organizations dashed into emergency closure for fear of spread due to the delicate nature of the virus.
The LSD Initiative was no exception to this rules as our programs slated for the month of March were truncated and so postponed pending when a cure or vaccine is found, or when situation improves. Thanks to the World Health Organization and other health agencies who worked tirelessly to better inform the world on safety measures to take in these trying times. Our hearts, however, go out to the families who lost their loved ones during this period.
How We Reached Out To Our Community During The Lockdown
The LSD Initiative reached-out to her growing community by leveraging on the internet space through the use social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Working remotely behind the scenes were highly committed members of our team, who ensured the organization remained functional through the pandemic. We had several virtual meetings on how to best reach our target and goals as soon as the world recovers from this scourge. We also had some one-off sessions at strategic locations to demonstrate how to safely practice loofball as well as how to stay safe from the deadly coronavirus.
The New Normal
As the world begins to take shape in its recovery process, the LSD Initiative is committed to working in line with safety guidelines and protocols established by the Federal Ministry of Health, the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and other relevant authorities by putting in place all safety measures as we resume our programs.
Following successful deliberations and consultations, the LSD Initiative team resolved to roll out specific safety guidelines for participation in our programs and events. This imperative is to ensure safer administration and/or practice of the sport in Nigeria and around the globe.
Below are safety guidelines outlined for our community:
- Coaches should ensure physical distancing is maintained between players as much as possible. This means spacing of at least 1.5 metres between players while playing or performing drills.
- Players and coaches should check their temperatures before attending practice.
- Shared equipment and/or hands should be cleaned and disinfected before and after practice to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread.
- Face masks or coverings should be worn during indoor trainings. Players should take a break from exercise if they experience any difficulty breathing and should change their mask or face covering if it becomes wet and sticks to the player’s face and obstructs breathing.
- Anyone with symptoms of illness must not be allowed to practice.
- Report any suspected case of COVID-19 to the nearest health official.
