AIR QUALITY ALERT:

Optimist Youth Football will not hold practices or games if the Air Quality Index is greater than 150. (RED) With the AQI in the ORANGE, practices and games may still be held, but with increased rest/water breaks. You can download the AirNow app for your phone or mobile device.

2020 SEASON FIRST GAMES SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 12TH

COVID-19 INFORMATION FOR PARENTS / COACHES

THE FOLLOWING PROTOCOLS HAVE BEEN APPROVED BY THE CITY OF BOISE RISK MANAGEMENT AND CENTRAL DISTRICT HEALTH:

Practice

Football:

Optimist Youth Football will make a one-year exception to the existing rules and allow all OYF Coaching staffs to add up to two (2) parent volunteers to their staffs. These two additional staff positions would be designated as Sanitation Staff. They would have access to the team during practice. They would have to pass an OYF background check and would be required to have OYF ID Badges. Duties would include, but not be limited to:

• Conduct daily health checks; symptoms and taking of temperature, of all the coaching staff, and players safely and respectfully, and in accordance with any applicable privacy and confidentiality laws and regulations, daily before each practice
• Making sure there are extra masks on hand for parents and other spectators
• Ensuring there are enough individual water bottles for each player or if they are bringing their own, having extra on hand for anyone who forgets or needs a refill.
• Enforcing social distancing throughout the practice including all areas where players might mingle, especially during downtime and water breaks.
• Be in-charge of cleaning all equipment, balls, and any shared objects
• Make sure the equipment, supplies and materials needed to accomplish all-of-the above are on hand at every team gathering.

Coaches will be expected to:

· Sanitize their hands before and after each session

· Monitor that their “sanitation staff” take temperatures of all players and coaches as they arrive for each practice

· Report any symptoms immediately

· Avoid high-fives, fist bumps, or any form of physical contact with children and families

· Carry hand sanitizer in your pocket to discreetly sanitize before and after any contact may occur

· Use rings, spots or orange cones as “home base” to keep children spread out

· Keep players together in small groups with dedicated coaches or staff, and make sure that each group of players and coaches avoid mixing with other groups as much as possible. Consider having the same group of players rotate among coaches.

· playing scrimmage games with other teams during the week is not allowed, in order to minimize exposure among players and teams.

· “Live”, full contact between players, either by one-on-one, half-line, or intra-squad scrimmage will be limited to a maximum of (30) thirty minutes per practice, for a maximum of (3) three practices per week.

· Immediately after the conclusion of the “live” period, players will be separated, and hand hygiene will be required.

· Minimize equipment sharing, limit use of equipment to one group at a time and clean and disinfect shared equipment between each use by sanitation staff to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread

· Change out footballs every 15 minutes and have them cleaned and disinfected before using again

· Request that equipment be cleaned up and put away only by either a coach or member of their sanitation staff.

· Continue to remind children the importance of keeping safe distances when practicing skills, by mentioning to, “keep your distance so you don’t bump into your friends”

· Do not allow spitting and encourage everyone to cover their coughs and sneezes with the inside of their elbow

• Do not let players share towels, clothing, or other items they use to wipe their faces or hands

· Keep each player’s belongings separated from others’ and in individually labeled containers, bags, or areas.

· Do not use pennies

· Use a modified cheer at the end of the session; no contact between players and coaches

· Only use the USA Football “Heads Up” curriculum

Game Day

Football:

• Game starting times will be staggered to allow for more time between groups arriving and leaving the facilities.
• Fields will be separated as much as feasible and spectators will be required to either wear a facemask or social distance on the sidelines. Security personal; MAV or BPD, will monitor and remove anyone not in compliance.
• Teams are asked to try and limit any nonessential visitors and/or spectators to a maximum of two (2) per player, cheerleader and coach, excluding siblings
• Players and parents are requested to arrive for pre-game warm-ups NO more than (40) forty minutes prior to their game time. Players who arrive sooner than the (40) forty minutes are requested to wait in their car until the appropriate time - to minimize the gathering of players in groups
• When teams arrive at the fields for their game, they will meet as a team and a member of the OYF Sanitation staff will conduct a health check including symptoms and taking of temperature, of all the coaching staff, and players, safely and respectfully, and in accordance with any applicable privacy and confidentiality laws and regulations.
• Players are not to share towels, clothing, or other items they use to wipe their faces or hands
• If after-game treats are offered, only pre-packaged boxes or bags are allowed for each person
• Players, parents, and coaches are asked to leave the facilities as soon after their game as possible to reduce contact with players and parents arriving for the next game.

· All Coaches will wear a face covering during the game

· Immediately after players come off the field, hand hygiene will be required.

· Footballs will be changed out at every change of possession and be cleaned and disinfected before using again

· Players are encouraged to not spit and encouraged to cover their coughs and sneezes with the inside of their elbow

· Player’s belongings are to be separated from others’ and in individually labeled containers, bags, or areas

· There will be no sideline benches, to allow for social distancing by players on the sideline.

· Use a modified cheer at the end of the game; no contact between players and coaches of either team

If you have a parent login, click on view my account. If not, click "register as parent / guardian

If you have already registered your child with OYF, select enroll. If not, click on Add a participant

Select Boise for club

Select Fall 2020 for league

Select the Sport (Tackle, Cheer or Flex)

The league will be determined by your childs age.

Complete registration and proceed to payment page.

FLEX FOOTBALL IS FOR BOYS AND GIRLS AGES 6-12 YEARS OLD. PARTICIPANTS ARE PROVIDED WITH SOFT PADS AND SOFT HELMETS. PLAYERS ARE TAUGHT THE BASICS OF FOOTBALL IN A WAY THAT LIMITS CONTACT WITH NO TACKLING. FLAGS ARE STILL USED AND BLOCKING IS LIMITED TO THE USE OF OPEN HANDS. FLEX FOOTBALL TEACHES PROPER FUNDAMENTALS IN A FUN AND EXCITING WAY. ALL PLAYERS ARE ELIGIBLE PASS RECEIVERS! COST FOR FLEX IS $125.00 AND OPTIMIST FOOTBALL WILL PROVIDE THE SOFT PADS AND SOFT HELMET.