RECREATIONAL AND SCHOOL SPORTS SAFETY PROTOCOLS; WHAT PROACTIVE MEASURES SHOULD YOU FOCUS ON?
SEPTEMBER 11, 2021 – IN 2021, RETURN-TO-PLAY SAFETY PROTOCOLS ARE NOW MORE MEANINGFUL THAN EVER WHEN IT COMES TO GETTING OUR KIDS BACK TO THEIR SPORTS. MAKE SURE THESE 7 ARE PUT INTO PRACTICE WITH YOUR TEAM.
Recreational and school sports and back and all of us, kids included, desperately want to keep it that way. Particularly with kids, sports play a role that goes well beyond the obvious physical health benefits; they fill an important social void in every child that participates. The relationship building, comradery, team building, validation, learning that working hard affects the success of those around you as well as your own, are all critical experiences that contribute to the all-around development of our kids.
With youth recreational and school sports teams finally active and playing games again, it is critical to take the basic proactive precautions that we can so that everyone stays healthy and can continue to enjoy their sport and team. Many of these precautions are not new, however the past eighteen months in particular have reinforced the importance of actually implementing them. Having someone tasked with overseeing that they take place on each team is a great place to start.
The following 7 steps are relatively simple to adapt and will go a long way to keeping the kids safe and their teams competing.
REGULAR CLEANING OF EQUIPMENT AND COMMON FACILITIES
The CDC website states “Cleaning with products containing soap or detergent reduces germs on surfaces and objects by removing contaminants and may also weaken or damage some of the virus particles, which decreases risk of infection from surfaces. Cleaning high touch surfaces and shared objects once a day is usually enough to sufficiently remove virus that may be on surfaces unless someone with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 has been in your facility.”
PRE-ACTIVITY HEALTH CHECKS AT HOME
Every family can get involved by simply monitoring their child for any symptoms of sickness prior to heading to a practice or game. Make it a practice to ask your child some simple questions regarding how they are feeling before each activity. Remind them that while being honest could mean missing a game or practice to be safe, trying to hide a symptom can result in a whole team missing much longer! If your child isn’t feeling 100%, err on the side of caution and stay home.
PRE-ACTIVITY HEALTH CHECKS BY COACHES
Just as parents should conduct a proactive check at home, at least one coach should be tasked with checking with each child before the start of a practice or game. Make a habit of checking at the facility entrance or at the dressing room entrance so that you can easily ensure that you catch everyone. Again, simple questions and honest visual evaluation can prevent many potential health issues from spreading.
WASH HANDS BEFORE THE START OF ACTIVITY
It’s probably the oldest advice around, yet likely the most effective. WASH YOUR HANDS! Task a coach to ensure that everyone does this before an activity so that any unavoidable contact that occurs is automatically lower risk. Make sure to use soap and hum a 20-30 second long song to ensure the job gets done. Hand sanitizer can be used if necessary, but regular hand washing will certainly keep the skin healthier than constantly using sanitizer.
ADEQUATE HYDRATION
Water is an amazing source of health, especially when the proactive approach is taken to ensure you drink enough each day. All of our systems function at a higher capacity when we are well hydrated, particularly when involved in daily activities that can dehydrate. Encourage all the members of your team to start and finish their day with water and keep water bottles with them even when they’re off the field. If you’re feeling thirsty, it’s too late! Water will flush out toxins in the body that could have the potential to materialize into sickness.
CLEARLY MARKING WATER BOTTLES
While adequate hydration is important, the last thing you want is for any potential sickness that may be forming to be passed along; especially when it’s because the kids are doing a great job of following the advice to stay hydrated! Clearly marking water bottles or drink containers is the easiest way to avoid potential confusion and keep the kids from passing along any germs, viruses or bacteria. Products like the All-Scratch! Patch are a great way to accomplish this since you don’t have to worry about not having a marker which will likely just wash off of a wet water bottle anyways. Not to mention, the kids will love being able to scratch their names or a funny nickname into them as well!
PROACTIVE SUPPLEMENTATION
Remember, the immune system is a powerful ally, especially in kids with strong ones. When coaches encourage team members to take advantage of basic daily supplements that ensure an adequate amount of the required nutrients to keep their immune systems at full strength, everybody wins. Simple and cheap, daily supplements like Vitamin D, Vitamin C, and Zinc can be a simple way to fend off anything that might try to attach itself to your kids. Maybe even consider including an extra $15 in team fees to provide each player with a bottle of each to keep in their sports bags!
Take the time to collectively select someone on each team that your children participate on who will ensure that these basic steps are followed. The smiles on their faces as they play the sports they love will consistently reward the effort that is put into making it happen!
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