BGSL Program Participation Plan
“Common sense above all else”
The information in this document is not intended or implied to be a substitute for guidelines published by the New Jersey Department of Healthy but rather in addition to those guidelines. All content, including text, link and information, are provided for general informational purposes only. The knowledge and circumstances around COVID-19 are changing constantly and, as such, BGSL/ BLAZE FASTPITCH makes no representation and assumes no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of this information. Further, you should seek advice from medical professionals and/or public health officials if you have specific questions about your return to practice and competition.
BGSL/ BLAZE FASTPITCH Practice and Competition: All players, coaches, staff, spectators and other attendees must adhere to specifically required guidelines from the New Jersey Department of Health (NJ DOH Guidance for Sports Activities). Furthermore, because BGSL/ BLAZE FASTPITCH teams utilize both public and private fields for practice and competition, additional requirements may be in place based on guidelines set forth by the hosting township, county or private facility. Any additional guidelines should be provided to the visiting team by the hosting team prior to their arrival with adequate notice.
BGSL/ BLAZE FASTPITCH Guidelines Prior to Practice or Competition:
● Screen athletes, coaches, staff and any other participants with a temperature check and health questionnaire prior to arrival at the field. Anybody showing symptoms of COVID-19 shall not be permitted to participate (CDC symptom checklist).
● Do not come to practice or competition if you or any member of your household are not feeling well or are showing symptoms of COVID-19.
● Do not come to practice or competition if you or any member of your household have been exposed to a person with COVID-19 within the past 14 days.
● Do not come to practice or competition if you are not comfortable with the guidelines set forth by the NJ DOH, BGSL/ BLAZE FASTPITCH or the facility at which you are practicing/competing.
● Adults 65 years and older or people of any age with serious underlying medical conditions are strongly encouraged not to attend practice or competition at this time.
● Fully Vaccinated athletes, coaches, staff and any other participants that may have been exposed AND do not have symptoms are allowed to participate for Practice and Competition - (Updated Mar. 23, 2021) - Fully Vaccinated Guidelines
People are considered fully vaccinated:
- 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or
- 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine
If it has been less than 2 weeks since your 1-dose shot, or if you still need to get your second dose of a 2-dose vaccine, you are NOT fully protected. Keep taking all prevention steps until you are fully vaccinated.
BGSL/ BLAZE FASTPITCH Guidelines during Practice or Competition:
● Healthy Practices: All players, coaches, umpires and spectators should practice “good hygiene” by regularly washing their hands with soap and water or using hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Players and coaches should avoid all but the essential contact necessary during practice or competition. Post-game handshakes should be replaced by a “tipping caps” as a sign of good sportsmanship.
● Social-distancing: Players, coaches, umpires and spectators should maintain 6-feet of distance whenever possible.
● Face-coverings:
○ Coaches/Spectators: Encouraged to wear face-coverings at all times when 6-feet of distancing is not possible.
○ Players: Should not wear face-coverings when actively participating in vigorous activity during practice or competition. Players are encouraged to wear face-coverings when not engaging in vigorous activity or are in close-contact areas where distancing is not feasible (ie. in dugouts). Players are permitted to wear a face-covering any time if the player or their parent/guardian/caretaker deem it necessary.
○ General/All: Face-coverings should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.
● Drinks & Snacks: All players, coaches and spectators should bring their own food or beverages that are clearly labeled with their name. There should not be any shared food or beverages.
○ Sunflower seeds, gum, chewing tobacco etc., are not be allowed in dugouts or on the field. All players and coaches are to refrain from spitting at all times.
● Player Equipment: Players should use their own equipment whenever possible. If equipment must be shared, it should be cleaned and then disinfected with an EPA-approved disinfectant against COVID-19 and allowed sufficient time to dry before being used by a new player.
● Temperature Check: Parent will be required to check temperature of player prior to any practice or game. If that temperature is over 100.4 degrees, that player will not be allowed to participate and will be advised to contact their doctor for further instruction.
○ Assigned coach will be responsible for tracking temperatures and asking Symptom checklist questions. All responses will be kept confidential unless requested by Health Department, tournament director, or other authorized person. Player’s initials only will be used in order to protect privacy.
Have you or has anyone in your home had contact within the last fourteen days with any person under screening/testing for COVID-19, or with anyone with known or suspected COVID-19?
Do you currently have any of the following symptoms?
- Fever (100.4°F or higher), or a sense of having a fever.
- New cough that you cannot attribute to another health condition.
- New shortness of breath that you cannot attribute to another health condition.
- New sore throat that you cannot attribute to another health condition.
- New muscle aches that you cannot attribute to another health condition or that may have been caused by a specific activity (such as physical exercise).
If an individual answers YES to any of the screening questions, immediately contact your doctor and stay home until advised otherwise by your doctor.
Travel Restrictions to/from New Jersey
Source: https://covid19.nj.gov/faqs/nj-information/travel-and-transportation/are-there-travel-restrictions-to-or-from-new-jersey
Last Updated: 02/17/2021
New Jersey strongly discourages all non-essential interstate travel at this time.
Travelers and residents returning from any U.S. state or territory beyond the immediate region (New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Delaware) should self-quarantine at their home, hotel, or other temporary lodging following recommendations from the CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/travel-during-covid19.html
If travel is unavoidable, travelers should consider getting tested with a viral test (not an antibody test) 1-3 days before the trip and again 3-5 days after the trip.
If travelers test positive, they should self-isolate for at least 10 days and should postpone travel during that time.
If travelers test negative, they should quarantine for a full 7 days after travel.
If testing is not available (or if the results are delayed), travelers should quarantine for 10 days after travel.
The advisory is no longer specific to certain states. Because of the high number of case counts across all states, there is an increased risk of spread of COVID-19 upon return from any travel.
The self-quarantine is voluntary, but compliance is expected. Travelers arriving from areas with increasing COVID-19 cases may wish to postpone their travel to the region if they are unwilling or unable to follow the quarantine advisory.
Travelers and those residents who are returning from states and territories beyond the immediate region should quarantine at their home, or a hotel or other temporary lodging. Individuals should leave the place of quarantine only to seek medical care/treatment or to obtain food and other essential items.