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Return to play

By NEOFC, 05/17/20, 10:00PM CDT

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These are the recommended guidelines for return to play beginning May 18th. By returning to trainings, games and other soccer activities, you are agreeing to assume and accept the risks involved with returning to play. The following applies to games, trainings, and other soccer related events:

Parent Responsibilities:

  • Ensure your child is healthy, and check your child’s temperature before activities with others.
  • Consider not carpooling or very limited carpooling.
  • Stay in car or adhere to social distance requirements, based on state and local health requirements
  • When at training, wear a mask if outside your car.
  • Ensure child’s clothing is washed after every training.
  • Ensure all equipment (cleats, ball, shin guards etc.) are sanitized before and after every training.
  • Notify your club immediately if your child becomes ill for any reason.
  • Do not assist your coach with equipment before or after training.
  • Be sure your child has necessary sanitizing products with them at every training.
  • Help your child remember to bring to both training shirts for training.
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Players Responsibilities:

  • Take your temperature daily and especially before activities with others.
  • Wash hands thoroughly before and after training.
  • Bring, and use, hand sanitizer with you at every training.
  • Wear mask before and immediately after all training.
  • Do not touch or share anyone else’s equipment, water, food or bags.
  • Practice social distancing, place bags and equipment at least 6 feet apart.
  • Wash and sanitize all equipment before and after every training.
  • No group celebrations, high-5s, hugs, handshakes, fist-bumps, etc.
  • Bring both training tops, the use of pennies will not be allowed
  • Follow all CDC guidelines as well those of your local health authorities.
  •  

Coach Responsibilities:

  • Ensure the health and safety of the participants.
  • Inquire how the athletes are feeling. Send home anyone you believe acts or looks ill.
  • Follow all state and local health protocols and guidelines.
  • Ensure all athletes have their own individual equipment (ball, water, bag etc.)
  • Ensure coach is the only person to handle equipment (e.g. cones, disk etc.); do not enlist parental or attendee assistance.
  • All training should be conducted outdoors and compliant with social distancing per state or local health guidelines.
  • “Recommended” to wear a mask while coaching and not coaching
  • Coaches should maintain social distance requirements from players based on state and local health requirements.
  • Have fun, stay positive – players and parents are looking to you for leadership.
  • The use of scrimmage vest, or targets, is not recommended at this time.
  • Communicate to player to bring both training shirts

 

General Guidance:

  • Registration tables (if utilized) should be cleaned prior to event.
  • Registration desk assistants/staff should wear a mask and disposable gloves.
  • Every person should be required to clean his or her hands with readily accessible hand sanitizer.
  • Hand sanitizer needs to be present on registration table(s).
  • Emphasis should be placed on electronic forms. Try to move away from paper registration forms.
  • Sign in sheets and name tags should only be written by the registration desk assistants/staff vs individual registrants. Pre-printed name tags via electronic registration are encouraged.

Players and Volunteers:

  • Greet players/parents at the beginning and administer screening questions about player illnesses and those within their household members.
  • Utilize hand sanitizer prior to, during, and after participation.
  • Participants and attendees should use their own water bottle, towel, and personal hygiene products.

Equipment: Prior to each session:

  • All equipment that is touched during play should be disinfected with spray/wipes.
  • Only staff should touch equipment, if possible.
  • All pennies (vests) should be washed prior to each session.
  • If using another facility’s equipment (e.g. goals, benches), they should be sanitized/cleaned before and after sessions. Exercises:
  • Emphasis should be placed on exercises that allow players and buddies to practice skills with 6 feet of distance from each other, if possible.
  • Exercises should avoid transitions that involve "physically tagging a teammate" such as relay races or tag. Use alternative visual cues.
  • Consider small-sided games.
  • Reduce the amount of time (and total number of players). Closing rituals:
  • No handshakes, high-5s or group celebrations; consider alternatives that avoid contact like individual dancing, hand waves, gestures, etc.

After the session:

  • Have a wastebasket available for masks and gloves.
  • Require everyone to use hand sanitizer before leaving sessions.
  • Use disinfectant spray/wipes on high traffic areas, especially gates, door handles and water fountains.

 

Additional information:

CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/Camps-Decision-Tree.pdf