Currently we are in Phase 4 as of 8/11/20 For more updates check here
The purpose of this document is to provide players and parents with WCS's return-to-play procedures and protocols in the context of COVID-19. These guidelines focus on the early phases of return-to-play and additional guidelines may, or may not, follow as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve.
*updated as of 7/15/2020 all procedures can adn will be updated as often as needed to meet ever changing guidelines from NJDOH based on data trends. WSC will keep coaches abreast of changes as they evolve.
Many of these recommendations rely upon rules and regulations set forth by public health authorities, along with guidance from NJYS, US Youth Soccer and US Soccer. In addition, we all must recognize that there will be other logistical and implementation challenges that we must work through together given COVID-19. We as a club will always put the health and safety of players, families, and our staff first.
The purpose of this document is to provide players and parents with WCS's return-to-play procedures and protocols in the context of COVID-19. These guidelines focus on the phases of return-to-play and additional guidelines may, or may not, follow as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve.
As things progress or regress through different Phases of Play allowed Refer to this for details about different procedures for different phases of play and how that impacts on field behaviors.
NJ Youth Soccer Return to Play Protocol PDF.
**all WSC families are encouraged to read this and become familiar with**
The guidelines are designed to mitigate risk and are NOT intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The knowledge and circumstances around COVID-19 are changing constantly and, as such WSC makes no representation and assumes no responsibility for the completeness of this information. NJ DOH and NJYS guidelines are the prevailing sources guiding this policy.
Returning to the field is a personal decision that each family must make responsibly and independently. Only families who feel comfortable with the guidelines below should send their kids to WSC events. We understand this is a personal decision and respect your choices.
Thank you for your patience as we work through these unprecedented times and the challenges it brings.
Parents, please print out the attached Waiver and return to your coach. You can see the NJYS return to play protocol below and click on the PDF document for a clearer view. The states time line for return to full soccer activities is below. Coaches will get temperature checked, wear masks and will maintain 6 feet of distance with each other and with players at all times.
RETURN TO PLAY (COVID-19) GUIDELINES:
NJDOH designates Soccer as a medium risk sport - a sport that involves some close sustained contact, but with protective equipment in place between participants or intermittent close contact. For more info Please look here
Face coverings are not intended to protect the wearer, but rather to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-10 from the person to person (persons who may not have any symptoms of disease but are contagious prior to becoming ill). If we can keep community spread to a minimum, we can keep our season open and kids on the fields.
We appreciate your help in keeping our soccer players out on the fields!
All of our responsibilities
- All individuals shall remain 6’ apart from anyone outside their family group whenever possible.
- All individuals will wear a mask unless age 2 and under, or someone with a letter from his/her doctor providing a medical exemption are not required to wear a mask.
- All coaching staff and parents/guardians should wear cloth face coverings.Athletes are to wear a mask when not engaged in vigorous activity, such as sitting on the sideline, when interacting with an athletic trainer, etc.
- Face coverings should not be worn when by staff or athletes when engaging in high intensity aerobic or anaerobic workouts, or where doing so would inhibit the individual’s health.
- Visitors outside the family unit are discouraged from attending games to minimize the amount of people on fields at one time.
- Everyone is to bring their own food and water (label all bottles to avoid inadvertently sharing) to games and practices.
- Follow General hygiene practices to reduce the risk of spread of infection:
- Avoid touching your face.
- Frequently wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Cover mouth and nose (with arm or elbow, not hands) when coughing or sneezing and wash hands afterward.
- Frequently clean commonly used surfaces with an antiseptic cleanser.
- Avoid contact with other individuals (shaking hands, for example).
- Maintain a distance of 6 feet between you and others.
- Stay home if you feel sick and contact your health care provider.
While not required, it is suggested players coaches and their families self-isolate from anyone at more risk for COVID-19, such as older or immunocompromised family members during the playing season.
Parent Responsibilities:
- Ensure your child is healthy and check your child’s temperature before activities with others. Ensure that all from your family have no signs or symptoms of COVID-19 in the past 14 days and have no known exposure to someone that has been ill in 14 days. Players and coaches take responsibility for informing the club of their personal situation to maintain the safety of all persons on the field and protect our ability to keep the season open for all.
- Parents are required to monitor their family member’s temperatures at home. All persons must have a temperature of 100.4 degrees or below (per CDC Guidelines) to be on the field.
- In NJYS Phase 3 or lower; Parents must Stay in the car or adhere to social distance requirements, based on state and local health requirements. No visitors are allowed on playing fields. Phase 4 and above all family groups must maintain a social distance while on the fields.
- Be sure your child has the necessary mask and hand sanitizing products with them at every training.
- Ensure washing (e.g. hands) takes place before and after every training and bathroom use. Use of Hand sanitizer while at the fields or when sinks unavailable..
- Ensure clothes and equipment (clothes, cleats, ball, shin guards etc.) are sanitized before and after every training. And all equipment is labeled, especially water bottles so there is less chance of getting items mixed up.
- Notify your coach or club immediately if your child becomes ill for any reason. Club contact: [email protected]. Your privacy will be maintained; however, when needed we have contact tracing requirements that must be met.
- Only the assigned volunteer for the day can assist your coach(es) with equipment before or after training. Team parents will help ensure that athletes and coaches adhere to social distancing and other protocols on the sidelines for this policy (such as helping kids use hand sanitizer, remind children of the rules), sanitize equipment, and mark fields with the coach.
- Encourage your child to focus on building their individual skills and cardiovascular conditioning, so they can limit close contact with other players as much as possible as we get back into the routine of practices.
Player Responsibilities:
- Take your temperature before activities with others and allow for the coach to take your temperature prior to joining the team for any activities on the field.
- Wash hands thoroughly before and after training. Bring, and use, hand sanitizer with you at every training.
- All players are encouraged to bring their own equipment and ball to each session. Coach will supply extra Balls as needed and cones which will be sanitized after every training session.
- Instead of pinnies, players are encouraged to bring their blue jersey to use as a pinnie.
- Wear a mask before and immediately after all training (to from the field to the parking lot etc). Wear a mask when on the sidelines or not engaged in vigorous activity, especially if unable to be socially distant from others.
- Practice social distancing, place bags and equipment at least 6 feet apart on the sidelines when arriving on the field.
- Do not touch or share anyone else’s equipment, water, food or bags. Food, unless medically necessary, is not allowed in team areas. This includes sunflower seeds, gum, etc. Label your water bottle and equipment.
- Wash and sanitize all equipment before and after every training.
- Sportsmanship remains an important part of youth sports. The handshake line should be replaced with a group tip-of-the-cap, salute, or other acknowledgement of the opposing team and officials. No group celebrations, high-5s, hugs, handshakes, fist-bumps, etc, that require close contact.
- No Spitting, gum chewing, and if you cough or sneeze please use a tissue or sneeze into your elbow.
- Avoid touching your face with your hands,
- Follow all CDC guidelines as well those of your local health authorities.
- Willingly comply with the coach if asked to leave the field if showing any symptoms of concern, forgets their mask, or not complying to these procedures.
- Child excluded do to at risk symptoms will wait to return to the field until after 14 days of being symptom free and/or a negative COVID-19 test and doctor clearance to return to play.
Club and Coach Responsibilities.
- Stagger schedules to limit contact between groups and/or players
- Keep attendance of all players at each soccer related activity to aid with contact tracing should it be needed.
- Take all players' temperatures and do screening questionnaires prior to allowing them on the field.
- Any player refusing a temperature screening or showing any symptoms of concern will be sent home and not allowed to play that day. They can return to play upon doctor's clearance (Negative test for COVID-19) or a 14-day quarantine that starts once they are symptom free.
- Any person presenting with a fever can return to play/the fields upon doctor’s clearance.
- Limit time spent on practice activities that involve person-to-person contact between athletes and/or coaches.
- Minimize equipment sharing and clean and disinfect shared equipment at the end of a practice session.
- Do not permit athletes to share food, beverages, water bottles, towels, pinnies, gloves, or goalie gear. (do they have enough goalie jerseys & gloves for 2 per team?) so only 2 goalies per game.
- Limit any nonessential visitors, spectators, staff, as much as possible. Visitors and spectators should wear face coverings at all times, unless doing so would inhibit the individual’s health or the individual is under age two.
- Visitors showing symptoms of COVID-19 shall not be permitted to attend.
- Practice and game gatherings will abide by gathering limitations outlined by the governor’s orders that are in effect at the time of the competition.
- All coaches will be educated on COVID-19 health and safety protocols prior to the resumption of athletic activities, including and then schedule a parent meeting prior to their first practice to educate the families and athletes on:
- Understanding of different Phases of play that may be needed and Revised practice rules and regulations in place during CODIV-19 to meet the changing needs
- The importance of staying home when experiencing symptoms of CODIV-19 or residing with someone experiencing symptoms of COVID-19
- Social distancing and face coverings
- Proper hand hygiene
- How to address a situation in which an athlete presents with symptoms of COVID-19. Immediately separate and send home coaches staff and athletes with COVID-19 symptoms at any sports activity.
- How to address situations in which social distancing or other necessary requirements are challenged by athletes or parents/guardians/visitors.
The following are additional resources that reference return to play guidance:
US Soccer Club guidance
NJYS Phase 3 “Return to Play” Guidelines Video
“Return to Play” FAQs
CDC Youth Sports Guidelines
CDC Youth Sports Return to Play Video
WSC COVID-19 Waiver - Complete and return to your coach
Resources for NJYS return to play protocol are also pictured below.
US Youth Soccer COVID Activity Guide
Thank you for your patience as we work through these unprecedented times and the challenges it brings.
WSC COVID-19 Waiver - Complete and return to your coach
NJ Youth Soccer Return to Play Protocol PDF
njys_2020_competitionguidelinescovid.pptx
Appendix 1: The most common symptoms of COVID-19 in humans include:
Early symptoms reported by some people include fatigue, headache, sore throat or fever. Children tend to experience more gastrointestinal early symptoms. Some people experience a loss of smell or taste. Symptoms can be mild at first, and in some people, become more intense over five to seven days, with cough and shortness of breath worsening if pneumonia develops. But it is important to know that the type and severity of the first symptoms can vary widely from person to person.
Symptoms of COVID-19 usually show up from two to 14 days after exposure to the new coronavirus, but some people who are infected do not develop symptoms or feel ill.
For more and updated information please see this resource
Appendix 2: Return to Play Following Confirmed or Suspected COVID-19 Infection
These recommendations are intended to guide decision-making regarding players or
staff with a suspected of documented COVID-19 infection in order to reduce the risk
of disease transmission.
Symptomatic player / staff with suspected or laboratory-confirmed COVID-19
Infection Cannot attend club events until:
At least 3 days (72 hours) have passed since resolution of fever (defined as ≥100.4 degrees) without the use of fever-reducing medications and respiratory symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath), AND…
At least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared.
OR:
Resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications, AND
Improvement in respiratory symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath), AND…
Negative results of an FDA authorized molecular assay for detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA from at least two consecutive respiratory specimens collected ≥24 hours apart (two negative specimens).
Player / staff with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 who have not had any symptoms: Cannot attend club events until:
10 days after the date of their first positive COVID-19 diagnostic test assuming no symptoms since that time. If symptoms develop symptoms, then management should be guided as above for symptomatic individuals.
Negative results of an FDA authorized SARS-CoV-2 RNA test from at least two consecutive respiratory specimens collected ≥24 hours apart (two negative specimens).
Appendix 3: Return to Play Following Exposure to a Suspected or Diagnosed Case of COVID-19
These recommendations are intended to guide decision-making regarding players or staff following exposure to a suspected or diagnosed case of COVID-19 infection in order to reduce the risk of disease transmission.
Any asymptomatic player or staff member who has been exposed to an individual with a suspected or diagnosed case of COVID-19 should be restricted from participation for at least 14 days and monitored for any symptoms consistent with infection.
If asymptomatic after 14 days since last exposure, they can return to participation. In general, you need to be in close contact with an individual to contract the disease. In this case, exposure means any one of the following:
Caring for a sick person with a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection.
Living in the same household as an individual with a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection.
Being within 6 feet of an individual with a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection for around 10 minutes or more.
OR:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/guidance-risk-assesment-hcp.html
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/youth-sports-faq.html
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-guidance.html