As some states and communities return to youth sports during the COVID-19 pandemic, many parents are trying to navigate this new experience on their own. Project Play is here to help. While some questions are best answered by public health experts based on local conditions, there are guidelines and best practices that are very useful. We will periodically answer youth sports parents’ questions in this Project Play Parent Mailbag. Got a question? Submit it in the space on the right side of this page or email jon.solomon@aspeninstitute.org.
I’m a parent of a 17-year-old playing on a U18 EDP soccer team who loves the sport and wants this to be his “forever” job. We are on a very aggressive soccer club (affiliated with U.S. Soccer) that pursues games, or “scrimmages” as they’re now called, even if it means crossing state lines because our county COVID-19 guidelines do not permit scrimmaging. The teams we may be scrimmaging against may not even be from our region.
The club has told us that anyone who doesn’t want to participate in these games is free to not attend. The clubs are just using the fact that leagues like EDP are setting up to play, so it’s time for our league to play too. In my mind, this is unethical. As a parent, I feel powerless to call out the club on this poor behavior. There would be repercussions. Is this legal? What would you do if this was your child playing at a high level for this club?
Juanita
This is tough. You’re not alone. We’ve heard of this happening in spots around the country, such as soccer clubs in Orange County, California that can’t play or scrimmage locally, so they drive to San Diego County and ignore state orders restricting youth sports. Some in California are even traveling to Utah for tournaments – even though public health experts have advised against travel sports tournaments.
UCLA law professor Steven Bank, who’s a soccer dad himself, said some city, county or state orders explicitly prohibit residents from traveling outside the jurisdiction. “It’s also possible your club is acting in violation of its sanctioning authority’s protocols, which could get it in trouble with that organization and could cause the club to be in violation of its insurance policy requirements,” Bank said. “However, none of this is likely to cause the club to change what it plans to do, and certainly not in time to resolve your issue.”
It’s a very personal and difficult decision. As much as soccer clubs say they won’t hold a decision not to play against your child and family, we know some will and there can even be unintentional repercussions against youth who opt out. Parents worry that their child will be left behind. Playing time may disappear in the future because other players proved their value and improved their skills while your family tried to stay safe.
“I’m sure your son really wants to play and you would rather the club didn’t put you in the position of being the bad guy who doesn’t let him,” Bank said. “I get it. You can take this as a sign that it’s time to leave for another club – there are dozens out there eager for top players – but that may take time and may be inconvenient for you, and your son may not like his new team or coach.”
As always, be safe and do what you believe is right for your family. All of this suggests the need for national regulation in youth sports. We’ll be discussing this Wednesday in our latest online conversation series event. Without coordinated leadership, youth sports was the last cog in our sport ecosystem to halt play and the first to restart – with some organizations moving right back into games and tournaments despite recommendations to do otherwise from the Centers and Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and their own National Governing Bodies.
Recommendations from these organizations may no longer be enough. Youth sports need greater accountability to address coach quality, injury rates, controlling costs, and yes, competitive soccer clubs who go county shopping to find somewhere to play.
High school football started up last week. How did schools do with keeping fans spread out in the stands and wearing masks?
Phil Clements
Based on media reports, it was a mixed bag. Photos did show some fans following guidelines, so it’s important to acknowledge that. But there were also too many accounts of spectators completely ignoring social distancing and masks. Some examples:
In Tuscaloosa, Alabama, photos showed many fans shoulder to shoulder and without masks at the Tuscaloosa County High School football game. “We did have some groups of students not socially distancing and not wearing their masks,” Superintendent Keri Johnson told The Tuscaloosa News. “I investigated that and I spoke to the principal. He told them numerous times throughout the game to put their masks on. We are dealing with teenagers, so obviously even though they may put their masks on when he was there, they took them off.”
Sheriff’s deputies were stationed throughout the stadium, but Johnson said their job is not to enforce a mask ordinance. “It’s a waste of police resources to have somebody going over and constantly having to police those things, so our message to our students is be responsible, be safe, so that we can keep having these events for you.” Better answer: Enforce the guidelines or don’t have fans.
A similar scene played out in Mobile, Alabama at the Spanish Fort high school football game, according to WKRG 5 in Mobile. Even with the stadium at 50% capacity, most fans ignored the rules to stay socially distant and wear masks.
“We want our people to wear masks more, we required it,” Principal Jon Cardwell said. “We were sending people back to the cars to get masks. But, you know, our point is we can’t make anybody do something. We encourage it.” Better answer: There actually is a way to back up your rules.
Introducing American Fork High School in Utah. Kudos to the school’s athlete director, Jeremy Lewis, who stopped the team’s game and required fans to wear masks and go to their assigned seats. He did not resume play until that happened. The response was slow at first, and then several fans were seen distancing themselves in the stands while others who weren’t wearing masks put them on again.
“I’m just the messenger and that’s just me doing my job,” Lewis told the Deseret News. “More and more we get to realize the privilege we all have in Utah to actually be at football games, and certainly for the kids to be out there – playing the game that they love. So my job is to help ensure it happens and can continue.”
Imagine that: Enforce guidelines or there’s no football. It’s a lesson that others in youth and high school sports should follow.
What happens to high school players whose seasons are canceled and they’re missing out on a shot for a scholarship? Can they transfer somewhere else and play?
Kenny Abbott
Get ready for a year of high school transfers – some legal and some against state athletic association rules. Some families are shopping for states that allow fall sports. Said Karissa Niehoff, executive director of the National Federation of State High School Associations: “There are families that are telling their schools and state associations (that) if there are no sports this fall, they’re moving. ‘We’re going to go somewhere else. I can still commute to work, but I’m just moving.’”
Three players in Oregon transferred to Utah. Players in Illinois have moved to Florida and Georgia. A player in New York moved to Georgia. There’s an offensive lineman from Colorado who moved to one area of Kansas with football. Meanwhile, another area of Kansas without football saw a player move to Iowa. At this rate, high schools may need to produce weekly rosters to keep up with all of the new names.
Moving carries one obvious risk: There is no guarantee that the new state will play sports throughout the fall. “This thing could change tomorrow,” Iowa High School Athletic Association Executive Director Tom Keating told The Washington Post. “So families who are choosing to do this, they’re rolling the dice. We’re certainly planning for fall sports. We think we have good plans in place, good protocols in place. But who knows what happens in two days, two weeks? What happens if we have an outbreak in three weeks?”
The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association is now allowing athletes to transfer without penalty and without proof of a bonafide change of address. Even with the relaxed rules, New Jersey says its rules prohibiting recruiting and transferring for athletic advantage will remain in place. Athletic directors still are allowed to challenge a transfer.
Good luck getting that challenge granted. Recruiting is happening. Transfers are happening for athletic purposes. For better or worse, it’s open season on high school transfers during the pandemic.
