Although the coronavirus is still a concern, the downward trending numbers suggest that we may be able to reopen some local businesses and recreational activities. Many businesses have begun reopening in some capacity, but now it’s time for our children to find some normalcy in their lives. Soon, they may be able to take part in community sporting activities after Governor Tim Walz announced his recommendations for reopening sports.
It’s too early to tell how effective these measures will be at helping to contain COVID, and like rules in healthcare, we need to be able to adjust on the fly. Below, we take a closer look at the COVID-19 recommendations for reopening youth sports in Minnesota.
How To Safely Resume Youth Sports
Here’s a look at the recommendations for reopening youth sports in Minnesota. First, let’s look at when sports can begin:
- Outdoor sports can begin games or practices on or after June 24.
- Indoor sports can begin games or practices on or after July 1.
- Full team practices for both indoor and outdoor sports can begin on June 24.
Practice And Regulations
- Non-game settings should be limited to 25 people in a “pod.”
- Intermixing between pods should be kept to a minimum.
- Pod size should be reduced if a confirmed case occurs.
- Starting on June 24, begin with inter-team scrimmages as part of practice.
- Two weeks later, focus on playing teams in your local community, local club, or local organization.
- After another two weeks, consider expanding to teams beyond your local community, but consider COVID-19 case activity level and risk in those communities when making travel decisions.
- Reduce contact between players as much as possible, even during games.
- Before starting games for any sport, consider the risk associated with that sport.
- When deciding if teams can play in various venues, consider the size of the team(s) and whether the teams can adhere to the capacity and gathering guidance.
- Sports activities must continue to comply with applicable gathering and venue capacity limits.
Crowd and Gathering Recommendations
- Friends and family should not attend practices to avoid crowding.
- If necessary for them to be at practices, ensure that proper social distancing is maintained and encourage the use of cloth face coverings.
- If spectators are present at scrimmages or games, they must:
- Follow the guidelines for a public gathering space; they must follow social gathering guidance and maintain at least 6 feet of physical distance from each other.
- Follow the guidelines outlined by the hosting facility in terms of capacity and other social distancing measures.
- Follow facility requirements regarding wearing cloth face coverings. Cloth face coverings are encouraged even if not required by the facility.
For more information about the return to sport guidelines, you can view the full six-page report here.
