As much of the world watches and wonders if and when professional sports leagues will be back, hundreds of thousands of Americans are asking similar questions about youth sports. Now, it appears USA Football has a tentative answer. The organization, which is the governing body for youth football organizations in the United States, says leagues should “consult city or county health departments” to determine where their area is in the re-opening process.
In releasing its recommendation, the organization offered this statement: “During this very uncertain time, it’s important that parents know that USA Football has a detailed plan for getting their children back to the activities they enjoy…”
The statement came from Dr. Michael Koester, who is chair of the National Federation of State High School Associations’ Sports Medicine Advisory Committee. Dr. Koester said USA Football wanted to offer “expert guidance in safely returning young athletes to football in a thoughtful and deliberate manner…”
Koester and other officials seemed to understand that not everyone in their audience would be receptive to the message, phrasing it as recommendations that were strongly advised. These recommendations include face coverings for coaches, as well as screening for virus symptoms prior to any group activities. Tougher to implement will be the physical distancing rules for players practicing for a full-contact sport. These restrictions will be phased out gradually, but some still leave parents and coaches scratching their heads.
Additional restrictions are being communicated as rule changes that directly affect practices and may apply to game play. USA Football executive director Scott Hallenbeck called this an “incredibly fluid” situation, saying that ongoing communication with all stakeholders is important: “We have spent a lot of time talking to governing bodies… For the most part, they are taking this conservative approach… We’ve recognized the need to have direct conversations, town halls as we call them, with a diverse set of constituents…”
Hallenbeck said USA Football officials also plan to conduct surveys with league commissioners, coaches, administrators, and parents in an ongoing effort to shape operations and manage expectations as leagues move through the phased approach to getting back into football. The league’s eventual stated goal is to return to traditional full practices and games, but not quite yet.
This strategy, including ongoing conversations that include feedback from all involved, could serve as a playbook for other youth sports leagues trying to figure out how and when to open up again. At this point, everyone is writing this as they go. So, there will be questions, which makes an ongoing conversation, curated by the decision-makers, a strong strategy to help manage the conversation going forward.