COVID-19 Policies and Procedures Plan for Eden Prairie Soccer Association

The Eden Prairie Soccer Association wishes to provide a spring/summer soccer program for interested 4-18 year olds who are either Eden Prairie residents or students attending Eden Prairie Schools.

Before arriving at the facility

·         All players should take their own temperature or have it taken by a parent before leaving their home to come to the fields. If the player’s temperature is 100.4
  degrees or higher, they should stay home.

·         If a member of the player’s household has tested positive for COVID-19, the player must adhere to the required household quarantine protocols and not attend
  practice(s)/game(s) during the quarantine period.

o   The player of family must also notify their coach of the positive test as soon as possible.

·         Each player must bring their own water bottle/sports drink. The Parks water fountain at the fields will not permitted to be used.

·         Players must arrive at the fields fully dressed for soccer workouts. The only changing of clothes taking place at the fields should be a change of shoes into/out of
  soccer cleats.

·         Players must remain in vehicles in the parking lot until 10 minutes before the time of their scheduled session.

During practices at the fields

·         Players must store their equipment along the touchlines on their assigned field.

·         Players are not to use communal bench spaces. Player’s personal equipment will instead need to be spaced out 6 feet apart or more down along the touchlines of
   the soccer field itself.  Touchline areas will be used by coaches only.

·         All players and coaches are to practice 6 feet of social distancing at all times before, during and after participation in soccer activities while on the fields.

·         The only shared equipment to be used will be soccer balls and other training equipment provided by the coaching staff. All other equipment including cleats and shin
  guards MUST be supplied by the player.

                          * Practice pinnies will be issued and assigned by the coach to the player for the season, player will be responsible to take home and wash between events                               and turn into the coach at the end of the season.

                           * Goalie gloves are provided to teams in division D-G. Recommendation to wash hands with hand sanitizer before and after usage of gloves. No two
                              players should share gloves during an event [practice or games].

                           * If you are in need of a piece of equipment, please contact Equipment Toni Knorr or Amber Stoner at [email protected], and we will work
                             to provide a piece of equipment that we can “check out” to you for the duration of the program and that you will take home with you and bring each day.

·         Players are not required to wear face coverings while actively practicing or playing. Players are required to wear face coverings when they are not actively practicing
          or playing and cannot maintain physical distancing.

                           * The loosening of the face covering requirement comes with a recommendation from MDH to continue wearing face coverings in outdoor organized
                             sports activities when social distancing cannot be maintained.

-         Referees are not required to wear a face covering while actively refereeing, though like players, are required to wear face coverings when not actively refereeing and
          cannot maintain physical distancing.

-         All other participants (coaches, spectators, and volunteers) should continue to wear face coverings whenever 6 feet of physical distancing cannot be maintained.

·         Each player will be assigned a team (pod).  Team participants will remain the same with no more than 15 including coaches.  There will be no more than one team
  (pod) per half of the soccer field(s) during the first two weeks. No scrimmages allowed in the first two weeks.

·         Games/scrimmages. The number of participants shall not exceed the two teams (pods) scheduled to be held per soccer fields. No communal share of players from
  outside the scheduled teams per field.

·         The portable restroom(s) at the fields should only be used in emergencies. Hand sanitizer should be applied immediately after use.

·         Players are also encouraged to bring their own hand sanitizer.

·         No handshakes, high fives, or physical contact of any kind are allowed between players or coaches.

·         Chaperones are recommended to be limited to one individual per participant and maintain 6 feet between spectators or household groups. It is recommended that
  spectators remain at least 12 feet away from the closest participant – meaning, at least 10 feet from the field or the bench whichever is closest.

After practices have concluded

·         At the conclusion of practices, players must not congregate either on the fields or in the parking lot and should not linger in the parking lot unless awaiting a parent
  pick-up.

·         Players and coaches should wash hands thoroughly for 20 seconds or more immediately upon returning home from the fields, if not before, and avoid touching their
  face.

·         Clothes should be laundered after each practice.

           Concession Stand at the Brown Shed will open when MDH regulations and the City allows.

Communications Plan

In the event that a member of the EPSA staff or a player tests positive for COVID-19, the following communication plan shall be implemented:

The Eden Prairie Soccer Association President, Vice-President, or Commissioners shall immediately send a mass notification via email and text all association members of an incident. This same notification will be sent to the City of Eden Prairie (Doug Tucker at [email protected]). Should a head coach be the one that tests positive for COVID-19, the assistant coach shall resume responsibility for managing practices/games until the other coach has fully recovered. Should a player test positive for COVID-19, they shall adhere to CDC guidelines for self-quarantine. Once the player/coach has fully recovered from COVID-19 and provided the coach and/or commissioners with a doctor’s letter clearing them to return to play, they may resume soccer activities.

The Eden Prairie Soccer Association understands there is a potential for immediate changes to procedures and the use of the city facilities; up to and including immediate suspension of the program. Any changes to the procedures listed above will be summitted to Doug Tucker at the City of Eden Prairie immediately for approval. All CDC and the Minnesota Department of Health policies, procedures and guidelines must be followed at all times.

COVID-19 Policies and Procedures

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