COVID Safety and Action Plan
In accordance with guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Association (EPYSA), our organization Coventry Soccer Association will return to play with the following safety and action plan. It is important to note that this plan is based on the current directives in place as of July 31, 2020. This is an ever-changing situation and is subject to change as the situation evolves – our approach to adjusting for these changes is reflected in this document.
A. Communication and Education
- All players and parents will receive communication on our safety and action plan before return to play begins.
- CDC Education materials will be shared with participants (coaches, players, and parents) on behaviors that reduce the spread of COVID-19 to include but not limited to: hand hygiene, sanitizing equipment, properly covering coughs and sneezes, and staying home when appropriate.
- Our primary method of sharing updates and materials will be through Coventry Soccer Association’s facebook page, website, and/or club emails.
- We have initiated a new volunteer role – Designated Safety Representative – to help ensure new guidance is disseminated to each team throughout the year (see section 4).
B. Steps to Reduce the Spread
1. Club Level
- Sharing information and guidelines as they become available
- Training and education of Coaches to promote safe play
- Minimize body contact and maximize social distance during training
- No games, scrimmages or league participation will be permitted if there are restrictions by EPYSA, County, or State-wide guidelines. If guidelines are in conflict, the organization will default to the most conservative restriction.
- Reduced numbers of participants
- No shared equipment (including pinnies and water bottles). Soccer balls used in the course of play across participants will be sanitized after each training or playing session.
- Adult coaches MUST wear masks when with participants.
- The club will create a separate safety team, from the staff level through the team level. Each team will have a safety representative/team manager, who will work with our risk management team directly.
- Safety Team includes: Heather Gasser and Caitlin Bernhard – Co-Directors of Intramurals and Shane Kulp – Director of Travel
- The Coaches primary job will be to coach.
2. General Hygiene and Safety Protocols
- Have hand sanitizer available for players and coaches. Use regularly during training and games.
- No sharing of water, snacks, or equipment
- No shaking hands, high fives, fist bumps, hugs, etc.
- Social distancing = six (6) feet apart
- Education maintaining safety when using restroom facilities will be provided to all families.
- Spectators should be minimized, and physically separated from the players and each other.
- No player or coach can attend if they are feeling sick. Sick players or coaches must self-quarantine as required by the CDC/PA Dept. of Health. We are not health professionals, and if a child is sick, regardless of the cause, they should not play and can only return to play after clearance by a health professional.
- Disinfect all equipment – balls, cones, goals, flags, etc. Only coaches can touch or move equipment.
- Coaches and spectators must wear a face mask.
- Players are to wear face masks when not involved in soccer activities or on the bench. Player may wear mask during activity at parent or player’s discretion.
- Only one coach may attend to an injured player. Must wear mask and gloves.
- Minimize contact with the other teams before, during, and after each session.
- Minimize carpooling.
3. Coaches
- Comply with Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, EPYSA, and any additional club directives or requirements.
- Reinforce directives, policies, and protocols as necessary with parents and children. Coaches can reach out to the health and safety officer with questions and concerns throughout the season.
- In conjunction with the team safety representative, coaches will ensure any players that appear to be ill be sent home.
- Supply your medical kit of bag with gloves, extra masks, sanitizer, and facial tissues.
- Implement social distancing at all times. Each player and their equipment at least six (6) feet from the next player.
- Coaches wear masks at all times.
- Players may wear masks during training at their discretion. Must wear when not engaged in soccer activities.
- Only coaches may touch or move equipment. Players do not touch or move equipment.
- No bodily contact in training.
- Avoid activities involving lines were players are close in proximity to maintain social distancing in training.
- Sanitize all equipment after training.
- Scrimmage vests should not be shared.
- Minimize interaction with other teams that train before or after you. Emphasize players should go straight to cars.
- Be positive, fun, and engaging. Help the children acclimate and reintegrate.
4. Safety Representative
- Each team will have an independent safety representative, also the team manager, who will be responsible for record keeping and implementing safety procedures.
- Our intent is that the Coach and Safety Representatives will work together, each focusing on their part of the process.
- The Safety Representative will perform record keeping of attendees at each team event, and will verify with each parent that their child is healthy before participation.
- Each child will need to be accompanied by a parent to each team event. That parent will “sign in” the player with the Safety Representative and verify the child is healthy for play, with no fever or symptoms.
- Reinforce directives, policies, and protocols as necessary with parents and children. Provide communication on new policies as needed through the season to accommodate any needed adjustments as the situation evolves.
5. Parents and Guardians
- Comply with Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, EPYSA, and any additional club directives or requirements. Share information with their player(s).
- Each child will need to be accompanied by a parent to each team event. That parent will “sign in” the player with the safety representative, and verify that the child is healthy for play, with no fever or symptoms.
- No signs of COVID-19 for the player the past 14 days and no known exposure before sending him or her to training. Sick players and coaches must stay at home and follow appropriate health guidelines.
- Determine if you want your child to wear a face mask during training.
- Sanitize and wash all equipment and uniforms after training.
- Pack hand sanitizer and a face mask in his or her bag
- Spectators are not essential to training and not recommended to attend, however, it may be necessary for younger players.
- Comply with social distancing and mask directives. Adhere to rules of the club regarding attending training session.
- Direct your child to never share water, snacks, or equipment.
- Notify the club and coach/safety representative should your child become ill.
- Do not assist the coach or coaches with equipment at the beginning or end of practice.
- When the ball goes off the touchline or endline, allow players or coach to retrieve the ball.
- Parents make the ultimate decision on their child’s attendance and participation.
C. Identification of COVID Exposure
Parents of participants will notify the Safety Team of Coventry Soccer Association if a participant or someone in the participant’s home is presumptive positive or tests positive for COVID. The full board will be notified of a positive case but we will limit the identity of the positive case to the Safety Team.
Coventry Soccer Association will notify participants who came in contact with the individual of potential exposure following CDC guidelines and HIPAA regulations on confidentiality. Coventry Soccer Association will (in conjunction with local health authorities where appropriate) postpone further play for the impacted player, team or teams and club as needed.
D. COVID Point of Contact
For all Coventry Soccer Association COVID related policy questions and concerns, our co-director of Intramural will serve as the point of contact.
Caitlin Bernhard - [email protected]
E. Summary
Soccer is a contact sport, and by its nature, we cannot eliminate all risk or potential for spread of a contagious disease. We have adopted a set of procedures and policies intended to minimize this risk. Each family will need to make their own decision whether they want to play or not and will have to assume any risks involved with that decision to play.
We are hoping that we will be able to get the kids out on the field, however if the situation changes, we may have to make changes to these procedures. This plan is designed to help ensure we can adjust as the situation changes in a timely manner. We have always emphasized that this is a game, and these are children. If we can’t do it safely, we won’t do it.
The Coventry Soccer Association Staff and Board