2020 youth sports what are leagues doing

LoweTek

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Local Babe Ruth league is re-opening tomorrow. All kinds of rules about Covid releases, only parents allowed to attend games, dugouts expanded to allow social distancing, etc. They even put a temporary fence around he bleacher seats so they couldn't be used. Each kid has to pass a temperature check to be allowed to play. Enforcement of all this is on the managers. Glad I took a season off...
 

Saints Rest

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My son's U15 baseball team is going to start practice on Monday. They've scheduled ~20 in state (VT) games against other club teams even if all of the O-O-S tourney's get cancelled. The boy is beyond excited that he's actually going to get to play this year.

I am guessing there is going to be a limit on spectators - but we won't know what that is until next week. I do know the local LL is talking about a 1 spectator per player rule if we get to have a season for those kids.
Here in CT, our Cal Ripken Baseball League just sent the following email:
We hope this message finds you well. We are planning to begin our baseball activities later this month. The top priority in all we do is to ensure the safety of our players, parents, and loved ones. All of the SBA programs will be in strict compliance with the direction of the town and state. We plan to have programs for all of our age groups. We will be getting you more detail over the next couple of weeks once we get a firm clearance on fields from the town.

Please be safe. We will update you soon.
 

loshjott

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I just found out our County-based (MoCo, MD) travel baseball league is cancelled for the summer. Really disappointed. They're opening up fields for small group practices but no competitive games until September. With other counties in Maryland plus northern Virginia more open I'm going to try and salvage something for my son's team. Maybe some local tournaments. This is a group of guys who just lost their junior HS season and really, really want to play some baseball. I'm bummed.
 

knuck

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I just got my first email looking for refs for an AAU tournament next weekend, just south of Austin. Here is their plan to keep everyone safe.
 

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Humphrey

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I just got my first email looking for refs for an AAU tournament next weekend, just south of Austin. Here is their plan to keep everyone safe.
Has anything changed around there due to the cases apparently spiking?
 

knuck

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Has anything changed around there due to the cases apparently spiking?
Not that I know of. Since Friday I have gotten emails about three other tournaments, two this coming weekend and one the following. Two of them are in Travis County, one of them may use gyms in the Austin city limits, so not sure if that will impacts things.

Those didn't list out an protocol, just that they "will have" safety procedures in place.
 

Freddy Linn

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Where it rains. No, seriously.
I’d love to hear about how folks are dealing with waivers. Some of the waivers I’ve seen are ridiculously broad. One I’m being asked to sign with my daughter indemnifies her club team from any negligence (regular or gross?) that she situationally didn’t remove herself from and didn’t report to program officials. She’s 13.
 

nayrbrey

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For our Town travel team we have a disclaimer on the “return to soccer” instructions:

“DISCLAIMER
Participants, parents, family and spectators taking part in soccer and soccer related activities do so with the knowledge of risk and potential exposure involved. In doing so they agree to accept any and all inherent risks to their personal health.”

The state organization put out a 15 page document outlining responsibilities for leagues, coaches, parents and players. It will fall on the coaches to enforce the distancing guidelines, parents making sure the kids have all their own equipment (GK bring their own gloves etc), and a light/dark shirt so we don’t use the pinnies.
We don’t think we will have the development (1st/2nd grade) teams at least for the fall, in addition to the “in town” teams just doing individual drills and not games.
 

Omar's Wacky Neighbor

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Leaving in a bit to the studio :)
Got an email from NJ Refs today. Main takeaway is that they expect to be WAY short of refs for the remainder of the year.

(and if you already did your full 2020 recert, they're extending the cert thru 2021 at not additional charge, tho that may have been a national thing)
 

Heinie Wagner

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CJSA - CT Junior Soccer Assoc:

COMMUNICABLE DISEASE RELEASE OF LIABILITY AND ASSUMPTION OF RISK AGREEMENT

In consideration of being allowed to participate in any way in any program, event, or activity sponsored or authorized by Connecticut Junior Soccer Association, Inc. and/or any affiliated member, I the undersigned, acknowledge, appreciate, and agree that:

I am aware there are risks to me of exposure to, directly or indirectly, arising out of, contributed to, by, or resulting from an outbreak of any and all communicable diseases, including but not limited to, the virus “severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)”, which is responsible for Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) and/or any mutation or variation thereof.

I, for myself and on behalf of my heirs, assigns, personal representatives and next of kin, HEREBY RELEASE, INDEMNIFY, AND HOLD HARMLESS THE CONNECTICUT JUNIOR SOCCCER ASSOCIATION, INC. AND ITS AFFILIATED MEMBERS, and their respective officers, officials, agents and/or employees, other participants, sponsors, advertisers, and, if applicable, owners and lessors of premises used to conduct any program, event, or activity (RELEASEES), from any and all claims, demands, losses, and liability arising out of or related to any ILLNESS, INJURY, DISABILITY OR DEATH I may suffer, WHETHER ARISING FROM THE NEGLIGENCE OF THE RELEASEES OR OTHERWISE, to the fullest extent permitted by law.

I HAVE READ THIS RELEASE OF LIABILITY AND ASSUMPTION OF RISK AGREEMENT, FULLY UNDERSTAND ITS TERMS, UNDERSTAND THAT I HAVE GIVEN UP SUBSTANTIAL RIGHTS BY SIGNING IT, AND SIGN IT FREELY AND VOLUNTARILY WITHOUT ANY INDUCEMENT.

X________________________________________________ ________ _______

Participant’s Signature (if over 18) Age Date

Participant’s Name: _________________

FOR PARENTS/GUARDIANS OF PARTICIPANT OF MINOR AGE (UNDER AGE 18 AT TIME OF REGISTRATION)

This is to certify that I, as parent/guardian with legal responsibility for this participant, do consent and agree to his/her release as provided above of all the Releases, and, for said participant and for myself, my heirs, assigns, and next of kin, I release and agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Releasees from any and all liability incident to my minor child’s involvement or participation in these programs as provided above, EVEN IF ARISING FROM THE NEGLIGENCE OF THE RELEASEES, to the fullest extent permitted by law.

X_____________________________ ___________ _________________________

Parent/Guardian Signature Date Emergency Phone Number(s)

Participant’s Name: ___________________
 

Heinie Wagner

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Got an email from NJ Refs today. Main takeaway is that they expect to be WAY short of refs for the remainder of the year.

(and if you already did your full 2020 recert, they're extending the cert thru 2021 at not additional charge, tho that may have been a national thing)
I could see this being a MAJOR challenge for all youth sports and even HS sports - so many officials are 50+ and it's extra cash for most of them not something they need to survive (at least in this area).
 

DJnVa

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The HUGE sand soccer tourney in Virginia Beach (1000 teams), which was postponed in June and rescheduled to August has now been cancelled.
 

Heinie Wagner

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First little league games in our town last night! Umps behind the pitcher's mound. Players spread out in the area behind the backstop with parents on either side of the field up the basepaths. I actually love that they put parents farther away from the players, I hate it when parents coach in games.
 

robssecondjob

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I just got an email from my local HS soccer ref organization saying they are assigning games and expect to be working, Our average age of officials is "old". I am the young guy in my late 40s.
 

Foxy42

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MA youth hockey expected to be able to have games / scrimmages as we enter phase 3, but hockey has been put into the high risk category and can still only do skills / scrimmages. Here is the response / note from Mass hockey:

323831594217892726.jpeg
 

Omar's Wacky Neighbor

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Leaving in a bit to the studio :)
Since this appears to be the only active thread in the forum:

If you got an email that says "Per U.S. Soccer policies on SafeSport, your referee licenses have been temporarily suspended. As soon as you complete a SafeSport course, your licenses will be reactivated." , ignore it. Glitch in the system. The whole SafeSport site is wonky right now.
 

TiredParent

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Summer basketball starting up next week in NS. 10 person practices and scrimmages only, 4x4 with two coaches. No parents allowed on gym premises. Not full games, but at least there will be something going forward.
 

Heinie Wagner

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My Son's AAU coach (Mass) said Zero Gravity was doing the 4v4 thing, but he thinks they have a tournament in CT this weekend with 5V5.
4V4 seems totally arbitrary. They told us it was 10 on a court at a time - 8 players, 2 refs.

They put the rims back up on the outdoor courts around here (north/central CT) and opened up parks and playgrounds.

Also heard at least some High Schools are having kids register for Fall sports!! Great news!
 

robssecondjob

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Since this appears to be the only active thread in the forum:

If you got an email that says "Per U.S. Soccer policies on SafeSport, your referee licenses have been temporarily suspended. As soon as you complete a SafeSport course, your licenses will be reactivated." , ignore it. Glitch in the system. The whole SafeSport site is wonky right now.
I just completed my refresher course on Monday.
 

wiffleballhero

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In the simulacrum
A few weeks ago I had my 12 yo on a short season summer soccer team but I essentially pulled her before the first practice. In early June I gave myself a ‘mark’ to track the death numbers over the next few weeks and if it continued to drop I’d take that as a good indication of the tide turning. Not exactly how things are playing out. I would do baseball or tennis, but no close contact sports for us.
 

Heinie Wagner

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The Founders league, a Prep School league with Choate, Loomis, Ethel Walkers, Kingswood Oxford etc. Canceled the Fall Season. individual schools can make their own decisions and play non-league games. Not necessarily going to impact the CIAC (public schools) but it might. If the CIAC schools cancel fall sports, hard to imagine they'd let any youth teams use their facilities.
 

OfTheCarmen

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I'm not terribly thrilled with my youth hockey association's plans to start the season. I'm in CT and we're still in Phase 2 which limits indoor sport activities to 25 people or 50% capacity, whichever is lower, but has a caveat that limit can be exceeded to accommodate 1 parent/guardian per athlete being there as well.

Their current plan is to have 25 kids on the ice at a time, but have the next ice slot's worth of skaters come in 20 minutes prior to their ice time and be staged and ready to go. They are at least setting up an A and B area for on ice and stage to limit the amount of crpss traffic, but in these scenarios there are going to be up to 100 people in the rink for 40 minutes out of every hour. I already felt they were playing fast and loose with the guidelines planning for 25 skaters and then whatever coaches they decide to put on the ice as well, but this really doesnt feel like it's in the spirit of the state's guidelines.
 

Doug Beerabelli

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I'm not terribly thrilled with my youth hockey association's plans to start the season. I'm in CT and we're still in Phase 2 which limits indoor sport activities to 25 people or 50% capacity, whichever is lower, but has a caveat that limit can be exceeded to accommodate 1 parent/guardian per athlete being there as well.

Their current plan is to have 25 kids on the ice at a time, but have the next ice slot's worth of skaters come in 20 minutes prior to their ice time and be staged and ready to go. They are at least setting up an A and B area for on ice and stage to limit the amount of crpss traffic, but in these scenarios there are going to be up to 100 people in the rink for 40 minutes out of every hour. I already felt they were playing fast and loose with the guidelines planning for 25 skaters and then whatever coaches they decide to put on the ice as well, but this really doesnt feel like it's in the spirit of the state's guidelines.
If you don’t feel it’s safe, makes sense to keep the kid home.

It’s going to be interesting over the next few weeks to see how and to what extent CT rolls out HS fall sports. I think the stakeholders are still in “fingers crossed it’s still on” mode.
 

OfTheCarmen

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Part of me wants to, but I think my wife is on the other side of things and I know my son is really looking forward to it. It feels kinda like I would be punishing my son.

We'll see how it plays out. I sent our board an alternate option that involves not having an cross traffic in the timing, but it also means forfeiting 10 minutes of each sheet and I'm positive that would not be approved.
 

Heinie Wagner

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If you don’t feel it’s safe, makes sense to keep the kid home.
Exactly. Very simple solution there.

I wonder how many facilities that host youth sports are going to go out of business? I'm not involved with hockey but I imagine if anyplace with a rink goes under, lots of kids are missing hockey in that area for years to come.
 

Saints Rest

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My son's baseball league (Cal RIpken) here in CT basically pushed the spring season into the summer. They started in mid-June right after CT went to Phase 2. Coaches are wearing masks when in close contact with the kids. They aren't using the dugouts for games, but rather having the kids sit 6' apart, each in his own folding chair, behind the fences, with parents sitting behind that (or out in the outfield). Umps are all masked, but calling pitches from behind the mound. For one game, the other team asked that each team use only their own balls when pitching/fielding, and asked that players, coaches and fans of the other team not touch those balls even when a ball went into foul territory. (This last bit I found really silly.)

Everyone has been very happy to have games going again, both parents and kids. But A) it's baseball with very little close contact between players, and B) it's all outside.
 

Cumberland Blues

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My son is playing in a U15 league that has rules similar to what Saints Rest describes - except the (masked) umps are calling balls/strikes from behind the plate. And they make the 1B wear a mask when holding a runner on. Each team has their own game balls - pitcher and catcher can use dugout when their team is batting to get out of the sun, everyone else in chairs outside the fence. There is little enforcement of the social distancing tho...and the kids end up mingling pretty closely. I do wish the coaches were better about keeping the kids separated.
 

LoweTek

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Parents in the local Babe Ruth league had to sign waivers and a special rule document. I am not coaching this Spring but I drive by the field almost daily as it's less than a mile from my house. Almost no masks and certainly no distancing by the parents. Umpires are behind the plate. I can't see from the road if they are masked.
 

Heinie Wagner

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Parents in the local Babe Ruth league had to sign waivers and a special rule document. I am not coaching this Spring but I drive by the field almost daily as it's less than a mile from my house. Almost no masks and certainly no distancing by the parents. Umpires are behind the plate. I can't see from the road if they are masked.
Umpires aren't wearing masks? What about fouls balls?!?!?! (kidding)
It's gotta be extra BRUTAL to be behind the plate, chest protector, shin guards, pants, regular mask plus a COVID mask on a 85-95 degree day.
 

LoweTek

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They're used to it. Pretty much 93-95 daily with near 100% humidity. Doesn't bother me any more than 10 below with 20mph winds used to bother me in New England. You adjust as necessary.
 

DJnVa

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Virginia high school sports being pushed to December, and each season (fall, winter, spring) will be condensed.
 

robssecondjob

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I just got the update from MassRef (soccer). We are to wear masks before, during and after matches. And no whistles unless they are electronic. And stay 6 -10 feet away from players on the pitch.
 
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Heinie Wagner

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I've been to a couple basketball tournaments with squeeze whistles. Horrible. One game they had the guy keeping the clock hit the horn every time he heard a whistle.
I can't imagine how bad they'd be outside. Hopefully the electronic onea are better, they should be, my phone is louder than the squeeze whistles.

It makes sense to ditch the traditional whistles, you can't help but get saliva on your hand with a whistle you blow, then you touch the ball...
 

nayrbrey

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That’s an interesting change regarding the whistles, that never even crossed my mind, but makes total sense.
I wonder if those disposable compressed air horns would work as a substitute.
For our town youth soccer league (Essex County MA) we’ve opened up registration, in case we get the approval to play. We are only fielding 1 travel team per gender for U12 and U14 and the various boards are looking at only playing adjacent towns.
U10 will be in town only this fall, and if travel soccer is not happening, we’d basically just have practices and small sided (4v4) scrimmages for the kids, with steps in place from Mass and US Soccer to ensure distancing, including a 3rd coach who is the Covid Coordinator. Of course this is just wishful planning and we will ultimately follow the city and state government guidelines.
Edit - spelling
 
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Humphrey

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I just got the update from MassRef (soccer). We are to wear masks before, during and after matches. And no whistles unless they are electronic. And stay 6 -10 feet away from players on the pitch.
This DQs me for sure. I cannot move around with a mask on; the last two months have proven that beyond a reasonable doubt.
 

Humphrey

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I just got the update from MassRef (soccer). We are to wear masks before, during and after matches. And no whistles unless they are electronic. And stay 6 -10 feet away from players on the pitch.
I showed the MassRef email to one of my high school assigners (different governing body, the MIAA/NFHS). His opinion is they won't adopt this rule because the referees will refuse to work if they do (because they can't breathe). My thought is that the powers-that-be won't budge on this and, yes, it will knock a lot of refs out of the box.
 

Heinie Wagner

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I showed the MassRef email to one of my high school assigners (different governing body, the MIAA/NFHS). His opinion is they won't adopt this rule because the referees will refuse to work if they do (because they can't breathe). My thought is that the powers-that-be won't budge on this and, yes, it will knock a lot of refs out of the box.
There is going to be a shortage of officials for youth sports for sure this fall and winter.
I can't imagine officiating a basketball game (and actually trying to keep up) in a mask.
 

Hendu for Kutch

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There is going to be a shortage of officials for youth sports for sure this fall and winter.
I can't imagine officiating a basketball game (and actually trying to keep up) in a mask.
I'm not even sure how I can justify letting my kids play indoor sports this winter. Will be interesting to see what the numbers look like in terms of signups. My son is playing baseball now, which I'm fine with, but I can't imagine signing him up for basketball unless things change dramatically.
 

Heinie Wagner

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I'm not even sure how I can justify letting my kids play indoor sports this winter. Will be interesting to see what the numbers look like in terms of signups. My son is playing baseball now, which I'm fine with, but I can't imagine signing him up for basketball unless things change dramatically.
I agree, signups for winter sports will be interesting. Not looking forward to having to deal with people on the extremes of either side.

I'm in CT. There have been two COVID-19 deaths in CT under 19 years old. Six under 30
https://data.ct.gov/Health-and-Human-Services/COVID-19-Cases-and-Deaths-by-Age-Group/ypz6-8qyf
 

TheRooster

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There is going to be a shortage of officials for youth sports for sure this fall and winter.
I can't imagine officiating a basketball game (and actually trying to keep up) in a mask.
There are AAU games every weekend in NH and the masked refs are doing fine.
 

Humphrey

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A Mass EEA document about restarting youth and hs sports. This has to go through 3 different state bodies, the EEA, the DESE, finally the MIAA.

Full of absurdities like the following.

“For example, soccer players should have facial coverings with them at all times, and where possible play with the facial covering on, removing it for long runs down the field, for plays without close contact, and in the goal,” the guidelines state.
 

Heinie Wagner

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A Mass EEA document about restarting youth and hs sports. This has to go through 3 different state bodies, the EEA, the DESE, finally the MIAA.

Full of absurdities like the following.

“For example, soccer players should have facial coverings with them at all times, and where possible play with the facial covering on, removing it for long runs down the field, for plays without close contact, and in the goal,” the guidelines state.
Take the mask on and off during live play? Absurdity is the right word. It sounds more like a comedy/parody skit than real world.
 

nayrbrey

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Essex County (MA) Youth Soccer canceled the Fall travel season. Our town is looking at just doing practices or possibly in town only sessions as a fallback.
I believe those will be eventually canceled as well, as the guidelines will continue to change.