Please note: All of the below guidelines are in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Northshore Health Department (NSHD) and Little League International (LLI).
Health and social distancing guidance:
· All players, coaches and volunteers should stay home if they feel sick.
· Anyone with symptoms of fever, cough, or worsening respiratory symptoms or any known exposure to a person with COVID-19 should not attend any Little League activity until cleared by a medical professional.
· Any individual, including players, at risk for severe illness or with serious underlying medical or respiratory condition should only attend Little League activities with permission from a medical professional.
· Please encourage your players not to touch their own face during practice (eyes, nose, mouth). If one does touch their face, they should wash their hands immediately afterwards.
· Masks are encouraged but not required for players, coaches and/or volunteers.
· COVID-19 Notification: If someone has contracted the disease one needs to inform GLL. GLL will inform NSHD accordingly and NSHD will determine next steps with applicable self-quarantine procedures and notification of others that may have been in contact. GLL will NOT release one’s name.
Practice on-field guidance:
· All contact should be prevented, except for essential contact necessary to participate in the practice. This includes all involved to refrain from handshakes, high fives, fist/elbow bumps, chest bumps or group celebrations.
· No food, sunflower seeds, gum, etc. will be allowed.
· All spitting is prohibited.
· Managers, coaches and volunteers will consider allocating consistent throwing partner pairs, when possible.
· Groups of players on the field in the same area will be restricted to no more than 9 players and/or coaches.
· All players will be assigned a small group (under 10 including a coach) to limit the numbers and rotate to specific practice stations with coaches and/or volunteers leading various practice skill instruction.
· The same practice balls will rotate with the small groups to each practice station. Practice balls will be disinfected after each practice by the manager or coach.
· Dugouts will be off-limits for players, coaches and volunteers. We will have players equipment organized/stored in socially distant spacing along the fence during practice.
· If batting cages are being used, we will limit the queue of players and adhere to 6-foot distance by having systematic markings. Initially, batting cages at GLL East/West will not be utilized prior to games and only one cage will be open during practices.
· If 6 feet distancing cannot be maintained coaches are encouraged to wear masks.
Equipment guidance:
· Players should have their own glove and bat. If a player doesn’t have their own bat, then shared equipment must be cleaned and dried prior to the next players using it, with the exception of catcher’s equipment.
· The league will supply individual batting helmets to players that don’t have one, which the player can keep through the year.
· Catcher’s equipment must be used by only one player per practice. Catcher’s gear must be disinfected after each practice by the manager or coach. If contact is made during a practice, a wipe down of gear should be made.
Cleaning and disinfecting guidance:
· Hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes will be available to all players, coaches and volunteers.
· Players, and coaches are encouraged to bring their own hand sanitizer for more frequent use.
· All common entry/exit gates will purposefully be left open to avoid contact. All GLL fields will have consistent entrance and exit only designations clearly marked for players, coaches and volunteers.
· Restrooms will be disinfected after each use during practice by workers, volunteers and/or coaches.
Drop-off/pick-up guidance:
· We are staggering practice times at GLL to mitigate the number of individuals at our fields at one time in order to abide by social distancing guidelines.
· Parents and family members may not remain on the GLL premises during practice (exception, one may remain in personal vehicle).
· Players and families should vacate the field immediately after the conclusion of practice to minimize unnecessary contact with players, coaches and volunteers from the next practice.
· Individuals should bring their own beverage. No shared beverage will be allowed among players.
Revised 05/24/2020