As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread, many parents are trying to navigate on their own what this means for their child playing sports. 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.
We have provided youth football combine training sessions in October in partnership with other local community partners. Based on what you have heard, how do you see the parameters of active youth sports playing out in 2021?
Adrion Roberson
It’s the million-dollar question we all would love to know. Unfortunately, we don’t know. Some states, such as New York and Illinois, are beginning to loosen restrictions again for some sports and activities. TeamSnap is tracking return to sports by state. Anecdotally, unorganized sports seem to have seen an uptick. Some leading organizations affiliated with youth sports are expecting a full return by the fall.
Of course, that’s dependent on the virus spread, its new variants, public health officials and vaccine distributions. It’s quite possible that youth sports parameters in 2021 will continue to fluctuate by state, county and city based on how well vaccinations are being administered. As of Jan. 24, 41.4 million COVID-19 vaccine doses had been distributed to states and other jurisdictions in the U.S., but only 21.8 million (53%) had been administered, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Another key factor for youth sports parameters in 2021: Children will likely be among the last to receive the vaccination. While children with COVID-19 typically present with mild or no symptoms at all, they can and do contract and spread the virus. Drug companies are only in the beginning phases of including children in ongoing vaccination trials. The Pfizer vaccine can be given to people age 16 and older. The Moderna vaccine is for adults 18 and older, and the company said it likely won’t have clinical trial data in younger children (ages 1-11) until 2022.
One interesting question to watch: Once a vaccine is widely available for children, will immunization be required for youth – and even coaches and spectators – to participate in organized sports? The superintendent of Los Angeles County, the country’s second-biggest school system, has already said a vaccination will be necessary to return to in-person school. “No different than students being vaccinated for measles and mumps or tested for tuberculosis before they come on campus,” said Austin Beutner, the county superintendent. “That’s the best way we know to keep all on the campus safe.”
Will vaccinations get taken by enough Americans that there will be an expectation that they’re needed for players, coaches and spectators? We’ll see. As of December, 60% of Americans said they would definitely or probably get a vaccine, up from 51% in September, according to Pew Research Center. Still, 21% of U.S. adults said they do not intend to get vaccinated and are “pretty certain” more information will not change their mind.
In the meantime, it’s vital to listen to public health experts about whether it’s safe to play and wear masks. The Minnesota Health Department reported the state had 9,457 confirmed COVID-19 cases which it believes were affiliated with sports activities between June 1 and Dec. 26, 2020. This was an increase of 8,005 cases over three-and-a-half months from the 1,452 that were reported through Sept. 9, 2020. The number of people recommended to be quarantined after being affiliated with sports activities rose from 3,348 in September to 18,111 in late December. And the health department said these numbers are significantly underestimated.
“The science shows us that large groups, small spaces, and sports create serious transmission risks, particularly when people are exerting themselves without wearing face coverings,” Minnesota health commissioner Jan Malcolm wrote in response to criticism of the state’s mask mandate for youth sports.
There’s hope that the new Biden administration can help correct youth sports’ failed response to COVID-19. Far more consistent messaging would be a start. None of this will be easy, and where organized youth sports are shut down, we encourage parents and young athletes to be creative and find other ways to train and stay active (see our Project Play Return to Play resources). But there is light at the end of the tunnel if we consistently follow good science.
I just paid for the upcoming winter season for my child to skate at our local arena. On the same day after I paid, I found out that all the rinks are being closed. I called our rink and they said they don’t have any money-back policy, even though services will be closed and not provided. What practically can be done, if anything, to make them reimburse money? There are many parents like me with this huge problem now.
Bogna Swiatkiewicz
My daughter is supposed to be playing club volleyball, but we are trying to pull her from the club because the season has been delayed and is not offering any refund. My husband was laid off in April due to the pandemic. We notified the club and never got a response. We cannot financially allow her to play. We are receiving food assistance and on Medicaid. Isn’t that enough proof we cannot pay for a season that has been delayed since they won’t offer what they initially promised?
Karin Zuniga
We combined these questions because this is a common complaint around the country. There are many families in a really tough bind, and sadly, they’re learning the financial risks of attaching so many youth sports opportunities to a commercialized business. For instance, Boston-based Legacy Global Sports, one of the nation’s largest youth sports enterprises, is bankrupt amid a federal criminal investigation, allegations of fraud and mismanagement, and the impact of COVID-19. The company’s demise has left thousands of parents, coaches, staffers, vendors and investors with little hope of recovering the combined $30 million they are owed, according to The Boston Globe.
In some cases, youth sports teams and facilities may simply not have any money to repay families. If that gets clearly communicated, some families may be willing to not seek a refund or apply it as credit for future services. Either way, communication is vital from the organization or facility. If push comes to shove and parents demand a refund, they should get it during a pandemic. It’s common courtesy and good business. A lot of families are hurting financially.
In these cases, make sure you have explored all options with the ice rink and volleyball club to amicably seek a refund. You could organize other parents to also make requests and promote the difficulties with a local media outlet to draw attention. Otherwise, the next option is to contact the consumer protections division in your state attorney general’s office. Several attorney general’s offices have investigated complaints over troubles getting refunds in youth sports, including Indiana, Massachusetts and Maryland. These complaints can sometimes draw media attention and apply pressure to organizations to do the right thing.
But the fact is, unfortunately, some families that really need money now simply won’t get refunds because their team or facility will ignore them or has no money left. We hope these challenges help open the public’s eyes for the need to create more affordable, community-based youth sports models coming out of the pandemic.
We will periodically answer youth sports parents’ questions in this Project Play Parent Mailbag. Got a question? Submit it in the form in this page’s sidebar or email jon.solomon@aspeninstitute.org.
