COVID-19 Updates

COVID-19 Updates

Kansas Youth Soccer Update
07.17.2020

Kansas Youth Soccer Member Directors and Administrators,

Our goal is to get everyone back playing the game of soccer the way it is supposed to be enjoyed and meant to be played. We also don’t want to jeopardize going backwards and causing a longer layoff from getting back to life PRE-COVID-19.  We need KSYSA Member Clubs to continue to take the lead make sure we are keeping everyone safe as our children get ready to return to school.  

With that being said, it is important that you completely understand your home county and city governments plans for reopening. Many have different dates, definitions requirements for group gatherings and need to be adhered to continue forward as we look to combat COVID-19.

Please remember that each facility has the right to enforce their own COVID-19 safety guidelines. That may be above and beyond the home county recommendations.

Kansas Youth Soccer is recommending and encouraging our members clubs to continue to be prepared in the event one of their players or coaches contracting COVID-19:

Club Responsibilities:

  1. Contact insurers to ensure all coverage
    1. Have COVID-19 Waiver to sign if required by insurance company.
  2. Create and distribute COVID-19 protocols to its members.
    1. By email
    2. Easy to find on website
  3. Have an effective communication plan in place, identify strategies for working with public health to notify adult leaders, youth and their families if the organization learns a participant or adult leader has developed COVID-19 and may have been infectious to others while at a youth activity, while maintaining confidentiality
    1. Develop a relationship and a dialog with health local officials. (Identify Risk Tolerance)
    2. Know who is at each training, scrimmage and game
    3. Make a record of time, location and opponent (If scrimmage or game) of each event your club has contact with players, Information will be needed for contact tracing with the CDC.
    4. Have an action plan in place, in case of a positive test.
    5. Train and educate all staff to protocols and requirements, including state and local regulations, CDC recommendations and other necessary information.
    6. Be prepared to shut down and stop team or club operations. Develop plans for temporary closure of indoor facilities and cancel outdoor activities or camps to ensure other adult leaders or youth are not infected.
  4. Be understanding and accommodating of parent concerns/fears and precautions they choose to take with their own children.
  5. Provide adequate field space for social distancing.
  6. Provide hand sanitizing stations and waste receptacles at fields.

Coach Responsibilities:

  1. Always wear a face mask, when not actively coaching, maintain social distance requirements from players based on state and local health requirements.
  2. Ensure the health and safety of the Athletes.
  3. Inquire how the athletes are feeling, send them home should you believe they act or look ill.
  4. Follow all state and local health protocols.
  5. Ensure all athletes have their individual equipment (ball, water, bag etc.)
  6. Coach is the only person to handle cones, disk etc.
  7. All training outdoors and ensure social distancing per state or local health guidelines.
  8. Have fun, stay positive – players and parents are looking to you to stay calm, supportive and caring during this time.  

Thank you for continuing to set the example for youth sports of how can beat the common opponent of COVID-19.

Yours in Soccer,

Joe Burger

jburger@kansasyouthsoccer.org

Kansas Youth Soccer Update
04.07.2020

Kansas Youth Soccer Membership, 

As you know we are in trying times.   Everyone’s goal is to get the kids playing as soon as possible.   We are working to make this happen, in a timely fashion when it is safe to resume and we can conduct programming in a safe manner.

Please be assured we are working though the issues at hand.    We just don’t want to make any predictions of when we are going to be back on the field.   The ever changing information we are given from US Youth Soccer, The State of Kansas and local municipalities, makes it hard for us to determine when we are allowed to return to business as usual.

KSYSA WANTS TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT NO DECISIONS ON TRYOUTS OR THE STATE TOURNAMENTS (STATE CUP, PRESIDENTS CUP and JUNIOR STATE CUP) HAVE BEEN FINALIZED.

KSYSA Board and Staff along with the KSYSA Sanction leagues are in daily communication, working through the finalizing of when we can kick off again.    We have received some ideas from member clubs on how they would like to proceed after the pandemic breaks.    We are vetting the concerns and recommendations of our member clubs, keeping in mind that every member club has as unique set of circumstances they are dealing with at this time.

Please keep in mind we are working with many moving parts and want to act in the best interest to all who are involved with KSYSA. 

We understand that many are looking for ways to continue to be sustainable during this time. We are working with USYS, United Soccer Coaches and others to provide engagement for clubs during this time of social distancing.   We are being proactive on trying to find out when we can return to play and to normalcy.   We just don’t want to get members hopes up by setting dates that might not be the reality.  

Thank you for your support and understanding, WE WILL COMMUNICATE REGULARLY  TO UPDATE INFORMATION ON PROGRAMMING AND RESUMING PLAY AS IT IS FINALIZED.

Yours in Soccer,

Joe Burger

Executive Director

jburger@kansasyouthsoccer.org

Kansas Youth Soccer Update
03.23.20

Kansas Clubs, Members, and Administrators, 

With the evolving crisis regarding COVID-19, more commonly known as the Coronavirus, Kansas Youth Soccer has been closely monitoring the situation just like all of you at home.  

On March 12, 2020 Kansas Youth Soccer suspended all state-level sponsored activities including Kansas ODP, Coaching Courses and other programs scheduled for the rest of March 2020.  New guidelines have been provided from health and governmental organizations and with that context, we’ve reviewed what further action we should take.  As many of you know the amount of cases of Covid-19 has increased in Kansas and with now cases of community spread of the virus.  As such the Governor Lauren Kelly has closed all school buildings for the rest of the academic year and nationally avoid gatherings of 10 or more people.

Effective today 3/23/2020 Kansas Youth Soccer is amending its decision by mandating that all KSYSA sanctioned activities within our association be immediately suspended through April 15 th , 2020 as per the guidance of US Youth Soccer (USYS).  This includes but is not limited to the following:

  • All sanctioned leagues and tournament play (if your club runs a league)
  • Team or Individual Practices/Trainings
  • All tryouts, camps or clinics
  • In-person organizational meetings or educational sessions
  • Friendly games or scrimmages
  • Until the prohibition is lifted, KSYSA will NOT be sanctioning any soccer related activities during this period.
  • By not being sanctioned, any club, team, league or organization hosting any soccer related activity will do so without insurance coverage.

As for information on future programs and events that KSYSA has scheduled for Spring 2020 here are a few more details on that matter.

  • The Kansas State Tournaments (State Cup, Presidents Cup, & Jr. State Cup) play dates that been schedule are still on as planned.  However, it should be known that KSYSA intends to complete all state tournaments before the 2020-2021 seasonal year.  We are working on multiple scenarios to complete the state tournaments, but the fluidity of this situation along with the unknown return to play date and regional competition status make it impossible to do anything but plan. 
  • As of March 23, 2020, USYS has not cancelled or moved dates for Regional or National competitions (National Championship Series or Presidents Cup).  Should a change occur, KSYSA will update our members and teams currently registered to play in the event. 

With the acknowledgement that we’re facing the unknown and we may not be able to play spring soccer.  We ask for patience as we all try to comprehend the impact of this unprecedented pandemic. Please continue to take all advisements and instructions from local/national health agencies to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. 

Please note that  every area in Kansas is different during this situation and we advise all clubs to follow all City and County directives should they be issued for your area and may extend longer than what USYS & KSYSA mandate  states as we battle this virus together.