Hello Soccer Families,

As you all know, a lot has changed in the past few months. The coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic has likely affected all of us in one way or another. Many of the things that we all used to take for granted in life are now constantly changing. I want to take some time to update you all as to how these changes affect SkVYSA and its member clubs.

At this time, Washington Youth Soccer (our sanctioning organization) is directly involved with the Governor's advisory team regarding re-opening activities. Based on the guidance that I have received from WYS and others, SkVYSA is still hopeful that we will be able to provide a soccer season for the kids this fall.

Many of the recreational clubs are now open for registration. The rest expect to be open very soon. One frequent question involves refunds in the event that we are forced to cancel the season. Refund policies are not set by SkVYSA. You would need to contact your respective club for their refund policies/details. Also, if you have been financially impacted by the recent closures/shut-downs and would still like your child to play soccer this fall, please reach out to your club. Many of the clubs are offering assistance to those affected.

Northwest United FC (premier/select soccer) is also conducting registration differently this year due to restrictions that limit the traditional tryouts. Please see their website for more details: www.nwunited.org .

There were a couple of significant changes this off-season that are unrelated to the pandemic. The first involves recreational registration. Note that registration will look different this season. We had to make a change in website/registration platforms this off-season. You may have to create a new log-on/profile with this new system. The other change affects those families playing with Burlington Youth Soccer. In the off-season, BEYSC handed operations over to Burlington Parks & Recreation. This change is not expected to affect soccer and Parks & Recreation is doing their best to keep things “normal” for their members. The one thing that has changed is the website for Burlington families. You will now want to go to: http://www.burlingtonwa.gov/besoccer .

As noted, we are hopeful that we can provide soccer again this fall. I'm sure that many of your kids are ready for something that seems “normal” right now. However, current conditions and restrictions are almost certainly going to require us to make some significant changes to our recreational program this fall. We are anticipating that we will have to make many changes to the way we schedule matches. These changes will be required in order to comply with expected restrictions regarding facility capacities, group size, social-distancing, and other requirements. A major factor for us involves parking areas at most of our facilities. These are typically crowded and we will need to take steps to cut down on the number of people at a given facility at a given time period. Another factor involves fields that are typically close together and the need to stagger matches to avoid having too many people too close to each other.

In order to accommodate the anticipated restrictions (and be allowed to play), we are currently considering many schedule options. Nothing has been decided at this time. But, I feel that you should be aware of some possibilities being discussed. Here is a list of some items being considered:

- Sunday matches. These would not start until 1pm. (Note, this is almost certain to happen)

- Different start times for U-10 and below. We would use 2-hour time blocks (instead of our usual 1.5-hour blocks) to cut down on the amount of cross-traffic at the fields.

- Friday evening matches in the first half of the season. Anticipated start time of 5pm or 5:30pm.

- 5pm start times in the first half of the season (Saturday and Sunday).

- Double-header weekends. With this scenario, a given team would play on both Saturday and Sunday on the same weekend. That team would then have a BYE week (no match) later in the season. This would allow us get more matches played in the first half of the season thus cutting down on the number of matches needed later in the season when the 5pm time slot is not feasible.

- Some clubs that have small facilities may have to play some home matches at a larger “neutral” field/facility.

The noted scheduling changes are not final. Some of these modifications may not happen, others not listed may be introduced and adopted. A lot will depend on the conditions and/or restrictions in place as the season gets closer. Unfortunately, we just don't know what those conditions and restrictions will be right now. Most of this will also be determined by government agencies and the owners/operators of the fields that our clubs use. We will not be able to control the restrictions, but we will have to find ways to adapt and comply.

We may also be faced with some other restrictions. At this time, I would guess that face masks will be required of all spectators. Players might need to wear face masks when not actually playing (face masks while playing are not advised). The possibility exists that we will have to limit the number of spectators at a given match (example: each player may only be allowed to have one spectator present). Each player will need to have their own water and/or snack. I am anticipating that the typical practice of a parent bringing a “snack” for the whole team will no longer be allowed. I know that grandparents love to come out and support their grand-kids. But, individuals in known high-risk groups might be well-advised to avoid soccer matches this year. Unfortunately, kids with health conditions which place them as high-risk should consult with their doctor before registering to play soccer this year.

Again, most of these changes are just under discussion at this time. A lot of this will be determined by conditions which we do not control. I know that some of these ideas are not likely to be popular with some. But, in these times, we are going to do our best to provide an opportunity for your kids to play soccer yet stay safe doing so.

Thank you for your time and understanding. I hope to see you out on the pitch this fall.

Chad Burton

SkVYSA