To: Stamford FC Parents, Managers & Coaches
From: Stamford FC Board of Directors
Date: April 10, 2021
Subject: COVID-19 protocols for home games (and practices)

en Español

For Stamford FC to provide games and practices for our members we are required by the state to adhere
to Connecticut Junior Soccer’s current guidelines.

A key ingredient in the enforcement of these guidelines is the cooperation of the entire Stamford FC
community.

Covid-19 protocols call for the following at both games and practices and include entering and leaving
the field area:
• masks worn by players and coaches when they are not actively playing
• masks worn by spectators at ALL TIMES regardless of whether or not they are 6 feet apart
• temperature checks by parents before they bring their children to practices or games
• alerting team management if your child has a temperature and keeping that child home
• no sharing of water, equipment or clothes

Stamford FC is committed to the safety of our families and visiting teams and to creating an
environment within which we are able to provide sport for our children. If we do not follow the
guidelines, we risk not being able to play at all.
To avoid such a result, we have assigned Covid Monitors for each of our field facilities for game days.
Those monitors will be adults, many of whom are senior referees. They can be identified by a “Covid-
19 Monitor” badge which they will wear.

Covid Monitors are empowered to speak to spectators about guidelines and then to ask the Center
referee (through the linesman) to halt a game if spectators do not comply with Covid guidelines (such
as wearing masks). If people still do not comply, the center referee will have the authority to suspend
the game entirely.

You may have already seen the orange slashes which have been painted at Rippowam and West Beach
for spectator social distancing. These are about 10/12 feet apart to allow some room for family
members at each spot. At West Beach these slashes have been applied to the 4 small-sided fields (1A,
1B, 2A & 2B).
For the full-sided fields (1 & 2), spectators who are outside of the fence at West Beach will see signs
which advise social distancing in English and in Spanish. There will also be a series of orange slashes on
the top fence rail itself to mark each social distance location.

'Next to the sidelines we have marked a referee safety zone. Between the sideline and the spectators
social distance slashes we have also painted “NO STANDING” in orange.
Spectators are not permitted to be in this area under any circumstances.

Please understand that we respect the opinion of people who feel that being outdoors and 6 feet from
others means that they don’t need to wear a mask. However, we are governed by CJSA guidelines which
mandate the wearing of masks at all practice and games and have no flexibility in this matter if we are
to play games.
Therefore, for those who disagree with wearing a mask you are welcome to watch from your car or
you may decide to not attend the matches or practices. We certainly do not want to come to the point
where spectators will have to be banned from attending games, which has happened in some sports in
local towns. We rely on everyone’s cooperation in the interest of the kids. Let's all work together on
this in a positive way. We are happy to have our kids participate in a fun Spring Season.

Please see the Connecticut Junior Soccer Association's COVID-19 page for League updates.

Please See additional information below for Players, Parents and Coaches

PLAYERS

• Take temperature daily (see information outlining this in the parent’s section).
• Practice and encourage proper hygiene, washing hands frequently with soap and water, for at least 20 seconds at a time. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer (at least 60% alcohol). Cover coughs and sneezes with tissues or sleeves, do not use your hands. Do not touch your face (eyes, nose, mouth with unwashed hands).
• Have your own hand sanitizer with you.
• Wear a face covering before and immediately after each training session. They may be removed while participating in practice and drills, provided players are able to maintain at least 6 feet of distance from other persons present.
• Practice physical distancing on the sidelines. When sitting on the sidelines you should be 6’ from the next player. Your belongings should remain in your space when not in use.
• Bring your own equipment (Ball, GK Gloves (if required), shin guards, jacket etc.) Do not touch anyone else’s equipment.
• Bring your own water bottle and snack. Do not touch anyone else’s belongings as sharing will not be permitted.
• Wash and sanitize your equipment before and after each training.
• No group celebrations, hugs, handshakes, fist bumps, etc. 

PARENTS

• Ensure your child’s health. Take temperature daily. The average normal body temperature is generally accepted as 98.6°F (37°C). Some studies have shown that the “normal” body temperature can have a wide range, from 97°F (36.1° C) to 99°F (37.2°C). A temperature over 100.4°F (38°C) most often means you have a fever caused by an infection or illness.
• If your child has any symptoms, even mild ones, public health urges you to stay home and isolate until:
• You have had no fever for at least 72 hours (without the use of medicine)
  AND
• Other symptoms (cough, shortness of breath) have improved AND
• At least 7 days have passed since your symptoms first appeared.
• Anyone in your household that you have had close contact with (within six feet for approximately 10 minutes) should self-quarantine for 14 days, even if you haven’t been tested for COVID-19.
• Notify the club immediately if your child has become sick.
• Adhere to physical/social distance requirements posted by the organization. These are based on state and local requirements. When at training, wear a face covering if you are outside of your car.
• Ensure that your child has a water bottle, equipment (ball and GK Gloves if necessary), light and dark shirt (no shared scrimmage vests will be provided).
• Ensure your child’s personal equipment, cleats, balls, shin guards etc. are cleaned and sanitized before and after every training.
• Ensure your child’s clothing is washed after every session.
• Do not assist the coach with equipment before or after a training session.
• No carpooling with other members of the team.
• Be sure your child has necessary sanitizer with them at every session

COACHES

Please review the Coaches toolkit document found on the Return to Soccer Activities webpage for more information regarding responsibilities during coaching sessions  Understand that there may be parents/guardians who may not be ready to have their child return to activities at this time.

• Understand some parents/guardians may require their child to wear a face covering. If so, it should be a face covering which attaches around the ears so as not to cause any injury if accidentally tugged or pulled on. No around the head or neck face coverings permitted during play.
• Ensure the health and safety of all athletes.
• Ensure athletes arrive dressed for practice and leave immediately after practice. No recreational play, or loitering is allowed.
• Upon arrival, inquire how athletes are feeling, send them home if you believe they are acting or look ill.
• No handshakes, fist or elbow bumps, or any other physical contact.
• Practice and encourage proper hygiene, washing hands frequently with soap and water, for at least 20 seconds at a time. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer (at least 60% alcohol). Cover coughs and sneezes with tissues or sleeves, do not use your hands. Do not touch your face (eyes, nose, mouth with unwashed hands). Launder clothing after training session.
• Follow all state and local health protocols.
• Coach is to be the only one to handle cones, discs, goals etc.
• Ensure all athletes have their individual equipment. (Ball, water bottle, GK Gloves etc.)
  
  Ensure player’s personal belongings (bags, coats, sweatshirts) remain in their personal space and are kept physically distanced from the belongings of others. Do not allow sharing of personal items.
• Ask players to bring a dark and light shirt to eliminate the need of shared scrimmage vests.
• Do not allow shared team snacks. No use of public water bubblers, fountains or bottle fillers if present on site. Participants and spectators should only drink from their own containers.
• Wear a face covering, when not actively coaching and abide by the physical/social distance requirements from players and parents.
• STAY POSITIVE – Players and parents will be looking to you to remain calm and supportive during this transition time.

TOWN ORGANIZATION/CLUB

• Assign a COVID-19 Safety Officer who will communicate policies organization-wide, to coaching staff, administrators, parents, and players. Regular updates and reminders should be provided.
• Assign each team a coordinator to oversee compliance at the team level (can be a team parent who must register as an Adult with CJSA).
• Train and educate all volunteers/staff on return to activities protocols.
• Develop a relationship and dialog with local Health Department officials (identify risk tolerance).
• Develop a plan to communicate with the local health department in the event of a confirmed case of COVID-19 within a team.
• If a team member or coach contracts COVID-19, all training sessions will be canceled for that team and any additional team associated with that coach for 14 days.
• Be prepared to shut down and stop operations. Develop plans for temporary closure of facilities (indoor, outdoor) to properly disinfect and ensure other adult leaders are not infected.
• Provide coaches and team coordinators with PPE (masks) and sanitizing products.
• Schedule groups/teams with a minimum of 30 minutes in between the time one team concludes and the other arrives. Players must leave immediately after their session. Players should not arrive at their field earlier than 5 minutes prior to their scheduled arrival time.
• Teams who wish to schedule warm-up time prior to their sessions must build that into their scheduled session/rental time. Warm-ups will not be permitted adjacent to the assigned field prior to the scheduled start time for a team.
• Do not allow players or parents to congregate in parking lots, at drop off zones, facility entrances/exits before or after a training session.
• Provide adequate space at the field to allow for proper physical/social distancing (6’).
• All parents, spectators, and players should have their own chair. Chairs should be placed to allow for proper physical and social distancing (6’).
• All waste should be placed by the respective parent, player, coach, and spectator in the trash receptacle. Nothing should be picked up by anybody other than the originator of the waste.
• Require players to have their own water, sanitary products (hand sanitizer, facial tissues, PPE (optional for play), ball, GK Gloves (if necessary), dark and light shirt (in lieu of shared scrimmage vests