COVID-19 Safety Guidelines for 2021 Spring Ball
All MYO programs should be following the safety guidelines put in place by the Ohio Department of Health for baseball and softball.
[04/08/21 UPDATE]
Guidelines from state and local health departmetns could change at any time. Please continue to check the following periodically:
Responsible Restart Ohio:
Before Each Game or Practice
All participants (coaches, players, umpires) should perform self checks at home prior to coming to each game or practice, including fever checks. If a fever is detected, that participant should not partipate in practices or games for at least 72 hours and be symptom-free before resuming team activities with MYO.
Game Adjustments
MYO has taken some more steps to try to help make safe environments for everyone for this 2020 fall season. These include:
- Smaller Rosters for the Youngsters. For our 4T and 6U ages, where it is more difficult to manage social distancing, we've reduced roster sizes to roughly 5-6 kids for 4T and 7-8 kids for 6U.
- Players MUST be socially distanced when not on the field.
- All players should remain socially distanced when not on the field of play, either sitting with their families or at designated seat markers (see the next section below for details).
- The only players that should be out of these designated seating arrangements are:
- Those that are on the field of play for defense.
- Active base runners
- Current batter
- "On deck" batter (next up)
- "In the hole" batter (2nd up)
- Limiting Equipment Sharing.
- No shared batters helmets. If your child does not have their own helmet, MYO will provide a helmet for him/her to keep and use for the duration of the season.
- No pitching machines. 6U baseball coaches, please utlize coach pitch rules, which you can find more details in the 8U section of the MYO Baseball Rules Supplement. And then still use the batting tee after 5 pitches if needed.
- No shared catchers gear.
- For 6U, no catchers are to be utilized.
- For 8U baseball, no catchers are needed during coach pitch innings. For the 2 kid pitch innings,only one catcher may use a single set of catcher's gear. So if a team has only one set of catcher's gear, then one player should play catcher for both innings.
- For 10U and older, no sharing of catchers gear. Catchers need to have their own gear, or at most one player can use the team catchers gear on any given day.
- No post game handshake.
- Suggested alternative: Teams lineup along the foul lines with players spaced apart, tip of the cap and/or applause to the opposing team.
- No team huddles.
- Suggested alternative, especially for the younger kids: Instead of the team all putting their hands in and shouting the team name, have the kids spaced apart and, on the count of 3, jump as high as they can and shout the team name!
Distancing Players at the Field
PARENTS- Please try to help the coaches enforce these guidelines while at the fields. Players need to remain at least 6 feet apart when not involved in an active play on the field. This means sitting or standing at least 6 feet apart when off the field. Players may sit with their families or at spots designated and marked by the league.
Cottell Park
The dugouts and bleachers at Cottell Park have been set up to accomodate the players in a socially distanced manner. Seat markers (see images below) are spaced out along the bench in the dugout (3 markers), and the bleachers (8 markers). These markers indicate where players may sit if they choose to sit with their teammates instead of with their families.
Also, colored zip ties have been placed along the fence line at least 6 feet apart. These zip ties indicate where players should put their baseball equipment bags.
Here are some examples of how players should utilize the seating markers.
3 players can utlize the seat markers in the dugouts, with their
equipment under the zip ties behind them. |
Players may utilize the seat markers on the front row of
the bleachers and place their equipment under the zip ties
marked along the fence. |
Players may utilize the seat markers on the back row
of the bleachers, with their equipment on the ground
behind them. |
|
Other Fields
There will be a similar setup at Herritage Oak Park, Fleckenstein, and Mason Sports Park. Please help us keep everyone safe by following these distanced seating arrangements as best we can.
Games played outside of Mason may have their own safety guidelines that need to be followed.
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Lebanon's COVID-19 Safety Guidelines
Other Suggested Safety Steps
Here are some futher steps you can take to help us make this season as safe as possible:
- Families and spectators should follow the distancing guidelines set by state and health officials. Please utilize the full length of the sidelines. Chairs may also be setup behind the outfield fences if needed.
- Coaches are encouraged but not required to wear masks.
- Spectators are encouraged but not required to wear masks.
- Coaches and/or parents are encouraged to offer hand sanitizer to players between innings.
If there is a positve COVID-19 test
If a child has a positive COVID-19 test result, it should be reported to the team's coach and the MYO board immediately. We will then notify the rest of that team as well as any team that was involved in a game with that player during the previous week. All of those contacted should be tested and receive a negative result and be symptom free before returning to any team activities.
Those testing positive should not be returning to team activities for at least 14 days.