Despite COVID-19 putting soccer on hold for several months, we are proud to announce that the Soccer Management Company officially returned to play in July. We recognize the value that soccer has in our lives and in our communities, which is why we are working around the clock to ensure that America’s youth can safely enjoy the game we love. After being sidelined since March, we ran two safe and successful tournaments on back to back weekends.
We kicked things off at the Utah Invitational on July 15th, followed immediately by the Williamsburg Invitational in Virginia several days later with player and spectator safety being the top priority. Our plans met state guidelines and provided a safe environment for our athletes, coaches and spectators. The SMC team put together a thorough plan of best practices (view HERE), as well as a protocols to follow if we were notified of a Coronavirus case on site. With the assistance of the Utah Youth Soccer Association, coaches, parents and players in attendance, we finally returned the game of soccer to our communities.
There were many lessons learned while preparing for the Utah Invitational and the Williamsburg Invitational. Bill Phillips, the Covid-19 Coordinator was extremely pleased with the cooperation that took place at our events. “We were delighted to see players following the best practices we had outlined. Parents sat a minimum of 10 feet from the touchline during the match and volunteers served as “crowd busters” to disperse groups congregating near walkways. With each event, we learn and we will implement new strategies to prevent the spread of Covid-19. ” We have proven that we are more than ready to return to play; we look forward to making the game better during the remainder of tournaments scheduled through 2020.
Credit cards will be charged upon acceptance and checks will be deposited when we are 100% certain the tournament will move forward. But we will not accept teams until we know the event can take place.
A club should base their decision on expert guidance from numerous, relevant organizations which include but are not limited to: Centers for Disease Control, State and Local Health Departments, US Soccer and US Youth Soccer. The final decision is up to you and your comfort level.
If your travel plans take you outside of your region, you are required to obtain permission from your state association. If your state is in a lower phase than the tournament host state, you should not travel outside of your state for competition.
We have created best practices and guidelines to ensure player safety and spectator safety is first and foremost. We have run several events already and we are constantly refining these measures based on lesson learned. Guidelines have been created and implemented for referees, coaches, players, and spectators.
We are asking parents, coaches and all who plan to attend our event, to partner with us to fight the spread of Covid-19. We are not medical professionals. We will not take temperature readings nor will we assess the health of individuals. We ask parents, coaches and team managers to ensure that all players from the team are 100% healthy and that they will be removed if they become ill.
We will not require anyone to sign a waiver for release of liability. If you attend our event, the risk is greater than not attending the event. If we all wear proper PPE, limit physical contact and maintain social distancing; then we have every reason to believe competition can continue in a safe manner.
We do have a best practices agreement we are asking coaches and managers to sign. They will pass on and educate their players and parents about our current guidelines. This form is to be turned in during the online check-in process.