As of July 24, 2020, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs has updated the Safety and Reopening Standards for Business and other Entities Providing Youth and Adult Amateur Sports Activities – Phase III, Step 1.
Soccer is now classified in the Moderate Risk Sport category, and member organizations are permitted participate in Level 1, 2 and 3 type of play. This means that Medford Soccer can conduct practices/scrimmages during the month of August. This will be done via an email registration process outlined below. Please read these instructions carefully as drop-ins at these sessions will not be permitted.
Even though this news is exciting for our sport, we cannot stress enough the importance of the responsibilities we have to our children and all families involved in our sport for their health, safety and well-being. This is a privilege we have been given and we must stay true to our word that we will follow the CDC, State DPH, US Soccer and local guidelines in all that we do.
Mass Youth Soccer requires all adults involved in soccer activities (including parent and guardians) to read, understand and conduct themselves in accordance with the Massachusetts Youth Soccer Association COVID-19 Return to Soccer Activities Guidelines which can be found at https://www.mayouthsoccer.org/assets/61/6/return_to_soccer_activities_phase_3_step_1_-_july_24.pdf. This means that all coaches, parents and guardians must read and acknowledge receipt of the attached document. Your RSVP for any scrimmage/practice session will constitute your acknowledgment that you have received, read and understand the guidelines.
The weekly practice sessions will be FREE for all players that registered and paid for Spring 2020 (including our rising 9th graders). It will also be FREE for all players currently registered for Fall 2020. For insurance purposes all players must be registered with Medford Soccer to participate. If you are not registered, please do so as soon as possible.
We have posted a practice schedule below these instruction. The schedule covers the weeks beginning August 3, 10, 17 and 24. The practice times are per the grade your player will be in in Fall 2020. The age groups will then be split into smaller groups to ensure compliance with all regulations. Your RSVP is crucial as we must maintain appropriately sized groups and provide a sufficient number of coaches. DO NOT show up at the field without registering. We are required to know the number of players that will attend a session in advance.
To register for a practice session please email [email protected] with the following:
1. Player’s name;
2. Age group;
3. Dates and times you plan to attend.
Each participant will be required to have their own water bottle, soccer ball, shin guards, goalie gloves (for goaltenders only) and personal hygiene products (hand sanitizer, facial tissues, face coverings). Players are not required to wear face coverings during soccer activities, but MUST wear them when arriving and leaving a session. Coaches and spectators will be required to wear face coverings at all times by DPH guidelines and to maintain 6 feet of distance between non family members.
As no shared equipment is allowed, we will not be allowed to use pinnies. Please have your player bring a light and a dark colored shirt. This can be your uniform but any jersey or t-shirt will suffice.
**IMPORTANT: A player will be permitted to wear a face covering during play if they wish. The face covering must be of the type that hooks behind the ears. No neck gaiters or masks that tie or wrap around the player’s head will be permitted. Massachusetts Youth Soccer considers anything that wraps around the head or neck to be dangerous equipment.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us but please read the attached document before doing so as it may answer some of your questions We are excited to see everyone again and are confident we can all work together to achieve a safe return to the field.
