Governor Inslee’s office posted an update last night on phase 2 requirements for outdoor activities in line with much of what you see on this page and in our documents, and it does not change our recommended guidelines for contacting local officials, but it provides another document to show them when requesting return to play in your county.
Professional Sports & Other Sporting Activities Phase 2 and 3 COVID-19 Requirements – WA Governor’s Office
The most notable section re: youth sports:
In Phase 2, team practice can resume if a) players are limited to groups of five in separate parts of the field, separated by a buffer zone and b) practice can follow social distancing of a minimum of five feet between players with no contact. Each league, organization, or club must publish and follow a “return to play” safety plan. Parents and household members must not congregate on the sidelines during practice.
To be clear, this statement and the WYS Return to Play documents DO NOT give clubs automatic permission to resume play in Phase 2. If your county is in Phase 2, clubs MUST reach out directly to their local county officials, city council, and parks and recreation departments and get permission to rent fields. Clubs should use the above document from the governor’s office, as well as the WYS RTP documents to craft their own Return to Play safety plan as required by the release. If permission is granted, you CAN return to play. If permission is NOT granted, you CAN NOT return to play until Phase 3.
As Washington progresses through the Phased Approach on a county-by-county basis, we urge you and your members to contact the appropriate departments about returning to play in their respective counties if one has not been established. Contact the following groups and be sure to mention the governor’s release and your club’s Return to Play safety plan:
- local city council
- county officials
- parks and recreation departments
6/1/20
As counties across the State of Washington adjust their criteria for safe return to play for youth soccer, it is imperative that associations, clubs, and their members work hand in hand to understand these local criteria. Applications and approval for use of fields need to be directed to your local county officials, city council, and parks departments. Please continue to use the Washington Youth Soccer RTP documents as a resource in your application process. We are here to support you.
There has been no change in Washington Youth Soccer liability coverage for facilities that were requested for the seasonal playing year that runs from September 2019 to the end of August 2020 by our members. Those COIs (certificates of insurance) remain on file and were issued to your facilities as requested in the past nine months.
Washington Youth Soccer’s #1 priority is to PLAY ON…SAFELY!