WUFC Return To Play Guidelines

Return To Play Guidelines2020-10-27T13:59:53-07:00

DISCLAIMER: The information in this document is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All content including text, graphics, images, and information, are provided for general information purposes only.

On September 15, 2020 the OHA provided new guidelines for youth sports which allowed minimal to medium contact for “non-contact” sports. These new guidelines superseded all regulations created for the phased reopening of the county. Soccer is defined by the Oregon Health Authority as a “non-contact” sport. Beginning on September 18 WUFC implemented a plan to allow children to play soccer within the modified rules that follow the OHA safety guidelines.
 
Players are allowed to play soccer if:
• There are less than 50 people at a field
• All participants, coaches and spectators wear face coverings
• Eliminate all “non-essential” contact
• Provide hand sanitizer stations
• Create schedules that allow for participants of one game or practice to leave before
   the next scheduled event begins.
 
GAME SCHEDULES
We will be staggering kick off times in an effort to reduce foot traffic and parking lot congestion. We ask that you arrive at your event no earlier than TEN minutes before your scheduled time. We have built in time for warm ups. Do not group up for conversations AFTER an event . As soon as your event is complete PLEASE
leave the venue to clear things out for the next group.
 
BATHROOMS
While bathrooms may be open at the venues we are using we are asking that you refrain from using the park facilities unless absolutely necessary. We want to reduce the number of people using the restrooms if possible as restrooms are an enclosed area and are traditionally used by many people. Please try to use the bathroom right
before your game to reduce the need to use park facilities.
 
PARKING
Please be careful, safe and courteous when parking for soccer events. Leave space between cars if possible. Wear face coverings from the moment you get out of your car and wear it until you are seated in your car. Avoid walking to fields in groups or close to others walking to the fields. Wait a moment for a clear time and space to walk to the
fields and wait to get into your car until it is clear around your vehicle.
 
WUFC RETURN TO PLAY PLAN POLICIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
These are the specific responsibilities for the club, coaches, parents and players for our Return To Play,

Club Responsibilities:
• The club will create a hybrid game that follows the guidelines as stated by the OHA
• The club will provide adequate field space for the required social distancing.
(All players and coaches must stay at least six feet apart at all times.)
• We will work to limit numbers to 50 participants per field per game.
• We will educate staff/volunteers on protocols and requirements, including state and local regulations, CDC recommendations and other necessary safety information.
• We will require all players to bring and ONLY use their own water bottles
• We will educate our players and families on healthy behavior while on the field.
• We will create and distribute protocols, policies/responsibilities to all members.
Make all resources available through the club’s website
• We will require players not feeling well to stay home.
• We will maintain participant confidentiality regarding health status.
• The club will provide field maps for all of the venues we will be using this fall.

 
Coach Responsibilities:
• Strive to ensure the health and safety of players.
• Inquire how the athletes are feeling. The coach will inform a player’s parents if a player becomes ill.
• Follow all state and local health protocols and guidelines.
• Ensure players have their own personal equipment (water bottle, bag etc.)
• Ensure coach is the only person to handle equipment if equipment is ever needed
• Wear a face covering at all times
 
Player Responsibilities:
• Let your parent and or coach know if you are not feeling well.
• Wash hands thoroughly before and after training.
• Bring and use hand sanitizer with you to every training and game if possible.
• Do not touch or share anyone else’s equipment. Place gear on designated spots.
• Maintain social distancing when not playing in a game.
• Wash and sanitize all equipment and apparel before and after every training.
• No group celebrations, high-5s, hugs, handshakes, fist-bumps, etc.
• Do not touch goals, cones or any other equipment
• Do not gather in small groups before or after practices and games.
• Do NOT touch other players except for essential contact needed to play the game.
 
Parent Responsibilities:
• Ensure your child is healthy, and check your child’s temperature before your game.
• Do not send your player to training if your child feels sick.
• We recommend equipment (cleats, ball, shin guards etc.) are sanitized before and after every game.
• We recommend providing your child with personal sanitizing products.
• Educate your child about proper behavior for social distancing.
• Park in designated lots for games. Do not show up earlier than 10 minutes for games. 
• Avoid gathering in groups and staying after games to talk.

Willamette United Football Club’s #1 priority is to PLAY ON…SAFELY!

Our number one priority has been and will continue to be the health and safety of our players and their families. We want to stress to our families that there is no pressure to return until you are comfortable returning to the fields. We will work with any family concerned with “return to play” to ensure that their child has a soccer home WHEN they are comfortable returning to the field.

We have used resources from the following agencies and organizations in order to create a thorough return to play strategy:

CDC
US Youth Soccer
Oregon Youth Soccer Association
The United States Olympic Committee

Below is Willamette United Football Club’s phased approach to returning to play, based on the official phased approach to reopening Oregon businesses and modifying physical/social distancing from Governor Kate Brown.

We want to clearly communicate the policies and protocols that we will deploy in an effort to keep everyone healthy and as safe as possible as our players return to the field. We ask that all of our members follow these guidelines closely and diligently.

Clackamas County Phases

Policies and Responsibilities

These are the specific responsibilities for the club, players, parents and coaches within the WUFC Return To Play plan.
We must all work together in order to get players back on the field.

Field Maps

Parents can find their player’s scheduled practice field, drop-off and pick-up locations when practice schedules are released in TeamSnap.

Additional FAQs

My main concern is that there will be no soccer season. The basic view seems to be that children are disease vectors and we should just lock them up for the duration. How are you speaking up for the rights of children to get outside and resume team sports?2020-05-25T12:55:45-07:00

Players come first, their physical and mental health are important to us. Being outside in the fresh air and with their team safely is our goal. We will be following federal, state, and local guidelines to ensure everyone’s safety.

We want to stress to our families that there is no pressure to return until you are comfortable returning to the fields. We will work with any family concerned with “return to play” to ensure that their child has a soccer home WHEN they are comfortable returning to the field.

Parents and players need to have a clear understanding of rules put in place to protect them. How will we keep them updated?2020-05-25T12:56:40-07:00

All of our policies will be shared on our website, social media platforms, and emailed out to our members.

What happens if someone on a team gets infected?2020-05-25T13:14:18-07:00

If a player or coach tests positive for Covid 19, we may suspend practices for that player’s team for two weeks
while all players self-quarantine. Our communication to the team will be daily to check on the welfare of our players
and to keep everyone updated. Once a two week quarantine passes, we may restart practices as outlined in this
document. We will work closely with medical experts and local governing bodies to handle any situation where we
have a player or coach test positive for Covid 19.

There are youth with asthma or allergies that take the risk to play soccer despite the outdoor nature. Are we to expect them to wear masks in case they happen to wheeze or sneeze?2020-05-25T12:59:36-07:00

Coaches and sidelines observers will be asked to wear masks initially, but players will only need to wear their masks to and from the car/field.

Are there going to be any safety precautions for the referees?2020-05-23T09:39:35-07:00

Referees will follow the same protocol as players.

There have been discussions around taking temperatures of players and attendees prior to attending sporting events. What does this look like?2020-05-24T11:09:40-07:00

WUFC recommends that parents monitor and check temperatures prior to sending children to practice.

If not soon then, why, when statistics clearly demonstrate at this point that healthy youth are no more likely to succumb to protracted health issues from COVID-19 than any other illness, are we to be expected to radically alter our way of life to a “new normal” both within and without the circle of soccer?2020-05-23T09:33:55-07:00

Because kids can be carriers, and will interact with other at-risk individuals, they may pass the virus on to others unknowingly. Additionally, just as we Honor the Game in soccer, which means following the rules even when you can get away without following them, we choose to partner with our Governor and local officials and follow all mandates to insure the safety of all in our community.

Can we use kick-ins or other modified rules? Assuming there is no handling of the ball except for goalkeepers wearing gloves.2020-05-23T09:31:54-07:00

WUFC will follow CDC guidelines and USYS directives regarding the transmission of the virus.

Is it safe for players to wear masks and play at the same time? Especially in the heat?2020-05-23T09:22:39-07:00

Understanding that masks can inhibit a player’s ability to breathe during exercise, players will only be asked to wear masks to and from the field.

Promoting Behaviors that Reduce Spread

WUFC encourages behaviors that reduce the spread of COVID-19. Everyone should follow these guidelines as we return to play.

Staying Home when Appropriate

We are encouraging sick staff, families, and players to stay home. If any staff member or player is not feeling well and or has a high temperature we encourage you to stay at home. While we want everyone on the fields having fun we ask that any player or coach that may not be feeling well to stay at home!

  • Individuals, including coaches, players, and families, should stay home if they have tested positive for or are showing COVID-19 symptoms.
  • Individuals, including coaches, players, and families, who have recently had a close contact with a person with COVID-19 should also stay home and monitor their health.

Hand Hygiene and Respiratory Etiquette

Please wash your hands thoroughly before and after attending any soccer activity. Wash hands with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds.

  • If soap and water are not readily available, hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol can be used. We will have hand sanitizer available at every field we use.
  • We will not allow spitting and we encourage everyone to cover their coughs and sneezes with the inside of their elbow. Use hand sanitizer after you cough or sneeze.

Cloth Face Coverings

We will follow all requirements concerning face masks as set by Federal, State and County mandates. At this time we do not know what, if any, requirements will be mandated concerning face masks. We will update our recommendation, if we have any, when return to play happens.

As of now, our coaches will wear a face mask when actively coaching near players.

Cleaning and Disinfection

  • Use of shared objects and equipment (e.g., soccer balls) will be limited, and cleaned between sessions.
  • The club will ensure safe and correct use and storage of disinfectants, including storing products securely away from children. We will use products that meet EPA disinfection criteria.

Signs and Messages

The club will post signs in highly visible locations (e.g., at entrances and exits, and in restrooms) that promote everyday protective measures and describe how to stop the spread of germs such as by properly washing hands and covering youth coughs and sneezes.

Water Systems

We are requiring staff, and players to bring and use their own water bottles.

Modified Layouts and Social (Physical) Distancing

  • The club will identify adult staff, members or volunteers to help maintain social distancing among youth, coaches, referees, and spectators (if state and local directives allow for spectators).
  • We will make every effort to space players at least 6 feet apart on the field while participating in soccer activities.
  • We will discourage unnecessary physical contact, such as high fives, handshakes, fist bumps, or hugs.
  • We will create distance between players when explaining drills or the rules of the game.
  • We will urge parents to limit the use of carpools or van pools. When riding in an automobile to a sports event, encourage players to ride to the sports event with persons living in their same household.
  • If practices or competition facilities must be shared, we will increase the amount of time between practices and competitions to allow for one group to leave before another group enters the facility. If possible, we will allow time for cleaning and/or disinfecting.

Physical Barriers and Guides

  • The club will provide physical guides, such as signs and cone/paint on playing fields, to make sure that coaches and players remain at least 6 feet apart.

Recreational Soccer Considerations

Willamette United provides several very different soccer programs to our community. Our classic and PDP programs provide players with paid coaches that are employees of the club. Our recreational soccer program is by far our largest program and it relies almost completely upon volunteer coaches and team managers. We are asking all of our volunteer coaches to follow the same protocols as our classic and PDP coaches. We understand that it may be more difficult for volunteers to enforce club policies and protocol while managing families and using city and school fields. The club will do its best to support our volunteer coaches and our recreational families in and effort to provide an environment that is as safe as possible.

The club will communicate, on multiple platforms, the club’s policies and expectations for all soccer families. We will post safety signs on all fields used by Willamette United to help setting expectations for our families.

If a recreational coach has any issues with an individual or family they should reach out to our Recreational Director, Steve Piercy at [email protected]. The club leadership will support our recreational coaches in an effort to help our players maintain the safest environment possible.

Our recreational coaches should focus on these specific areas:

  • Stress to all families that they should read and follow the policies outlined in the “WUFC COVID-19 ReturnTo Play Handbook”.
  • Make sure all players have and use hand sanitizer before and after games and practices.
  • Set up cones at least six feet apart for players to store their backpacks, water bottles and gear during practices and games.
  • Discourage any unnecessary physical contact like fist bumps and high fives.
  • Reach out to the club if they need any special assistance in handling COVID-19 expectations.

How To Disinfect Clothes

In this section, we provide some basic guidelines for preventing the spread of COVID-19 while doing laundry. This information was gathered from medicalnewstoday.com

Doing Laundry At Home:

  • Launder items with laundry soap or household detergent. Consider using a detergent that contains bleach. However, be sure to read the product description and guidelines to avoid potentially ruining certain clothing items. Consider soaking clothes in a solution containing quaternary ammonium
    before washing them.
  • Choose the warmest available water setting. The WHO recommend water temperatures between 60–90°C (140–194°F). However, high temperatures can damage or shrink delicate clothing items, so remember to read the care labels.
  • Dry clothing completely.
  • Disinfect laundry baskets with 0.1% sodium hypochlorite or one of these household disinfectants, which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have approved.
  • Wear gloves when doing laundry. Wash the hands with warm water and soap immediately after removing the gloves. If gloves are not available, wash the hands immediately after handling dirty clothing and avoid touching the face.

Doing Laundry At A Laundromat:

Not everyone has a washing machine in their home. However, those who use laundry facilities can still follow the guidelines that we have listed above. In addition, consider the following precautions when doing laundry in a public place:

  • Maintain a 6-foot (2-meter) distance from other people.
  • Wear disposable gloves and avoid touching the face.
  • Disinfect the surfaces of the washer and dryer.
  • Fold the laundry at home.
  • At home, immediately wash the hands before folding the laundry.
  • Disinfect the laundry basket or consider using disposable laundry bags.
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