Mt. Lebanon Field Hockey Youth Program Return-to-Play
COVID-19 Healthy and Safety Guidelines

General considerations: Youth players returning to the field for our Fall Season in the Green Phase will be grouped into small, static groups and will remain with the same small group daily. Camp will focus primarily on skills-building and conditioning. Hand hygiene and social distancing will be maintained and enforced by coaches. Equipment sharing will be limited and shared equipment will be sanitized daily. Illness monitoring as well as communication standards will be established and followed.

The following practices are based on the most current guidance by the CDC, PA Dept. of Health, and USA Field Hockey.

Part 1 – Reducing Spread
• Coaches and players will be asked to stay home if they have tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 14 days, have been exposed to anyone who has tested positive within the last 14 days, or are experiencing any COVD-19 symptoms.

o The CDC defines possible COVID-19 symptoms as:
▪ Fever (defined as temperature above 100.4 F) or chills
▪ Cough
▪ Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
▪ Fatigue
▪ Muscle or body aches
▪ Headache
▪ New loss of taste or smell
▪ Sore throat
▪ Congestion or runny nose
▪ Nausea or vomiting
▪ Diarrhea

o Parents will be asked to provide temperature checks and assess their children for symptoms prior to camp daily. Any players with fevers (temp over 100.4 F) or symptoms will be asked to remain at home.

o Coaches will be asked to check their own temperatures and monitor symptoms prior to camp daily. Any coaches with fevers (temp over 100.4 F) or symptoms will be asked to stay home.

o Coaches will continue to monitor players and themselves for symptoms while at camp.

o Players and coaches will be asked to self-report symptoms should they begin to experience them during camp.

o Flexible attendance policies will be adopted for both players and coaches to encourage staying home in the event of illness or symptoms.

• Hand Hygiene
o Players and coaches will be asked to used hand sanitizer (containing at least 60% alcohol) provided by the Field Hockey Association at arrival, departure, during water breaks, and after using restroom facilities.

o Hand hygiene standards will be encouraged and enforced by coaching staff.

• Mask Usage
o Masks will be required for coaches and volunteers, particularly where social-distancing is difficult.

o Masks will be optional for players.

o Masks will be made available by the Field Hockey Association for players and/or coaches for those who wish to wear them but do not have their own.

Part 2 – Maintaining a Healthy Environment
• All camp sessions will occur outside.

• Camp sessions will focus primarily on skills-building and conditioning where social distancing can be maintained.

• Coaches and volunteers will encourage and enforce 6-ft. social distancing guidelines both on the field and on the sidelines.

• Shared Equipment/Cleaning Protocols
o Players will be asked to bring their own clearly labeled sticks, water bottles, and protective equipment.
▪ In the event that a stick is borrowed from the Association, it will be loaned for the duration of camp, not returned daily.
▪ Loaned sticks will be sanitized after return at the end of camp.
▪ Personal affects will be placed in a separate area for each player rather than grouped together.

o Shared equipment including cones, balls, and goals will be handled only by coaches where possible and sanitized following play daily.

o Goalie equipment will only be used by one player per day and will be sanitized after each camp session.

Part 3 – Maintaining Healthy Operations
• Players will each be assigned to a small group. Groups will remain static during the duration of the camp day.

• Dropoff and pickup procedures will be modified to encourage social distancing.
o Players will be asked to wait in their cars until it is time for camp to begin.
o Players will go directly to their small groups upon exiting their cars rather than gathering as a large group.
o Players will go directly from their small groups to their cars at the end of the camp session.

• Parents will be asked to remain in their cars and not gather or spectate camp at this time. In the event that a parent should need to approach camp, they will be asked to maintain social distancing guidelines including mask-wearing.

• Designated Points of Contact o The President of the Association will be designated as the COVID-19 Point of Contact for the organization. Any questions about the Association’s practices as they relate to COVID-19 can be directed to this individual
o The Camp Director will be responsible for monitoring daily adherence to standards during camp.

• Communication Procedures
o New COVID-19 standards and practices will be communicated to all coaches, volunteers, players, and parents prior to the start of camp.
o An Emergency Contact List including at least two emergency numbers for each player will be provided to all coaches prior to camp.
o Coach and administrator contact information will be provided to each family prior to the start of camp.

Part 4 – When Someone Gets Sick
• In the event that a player develops COVID-19 symptoms during a camp session, the player will be isolated in a separate area of the field.
o A coach who needs to be in contact with the affected player will wear a mask, and gloves provided by the Association.
o The affected player will also be asked to wear a mask.
o A parent will be contacted to pick up the player immediately.

• In the event that a coach develops COVID-19 symptoms during a camp session, the coach will leave the premises immediately.

• Any areas known to have been used by the affected player or coach will be closed immediately.

• Any objects known to have been used by the affected player or coach will be isolated and sanitized after 24 hours or as long as possible.

• In the event of a subsequent positive or presumed positive case of COVID-19, local health officials will be notified, as will any players or coaches who are known to have been in close contact with the affected individual.

 

For questions regarding these procedures, please contact:
Shelley Pieklik
President, Mt. Lebanon Field Hockey Association
swpieklik@gmail.com
412.216.6536