This is not the announcement we were hoping to make. Having reviewed the most recent Phase 4 guidelines for youth sports from the CDC, the State of Illinois, and the Illinois Youth Soccer Association, the CASA Board of Directors has determined that a Fall 2020 Season is not feasible. Unfortunately, the information available is still limited, which is why we delayed our decision until July. We were hoping to know more by now, including what the school system’s plans are for Fall 2020 school year. That information would have helped inform our decision, along with more consistent data from the governing bodies. We recognize that parents need as much time to plan as possible, so we are announcing our decision now, in case you’d like to make other plans for this year.
We love soccer and we care deeply for the players and their families, so it is out of respect for their safety and for the health of the league that we have reached this difficult decision. As a board, we have agonized over this decision and are disappointed that the risks outweigh the rewards in this scenario. We are well aware of the need our kids have for a sense of normalcy and the joy of playing a simple game of soccer outside with their friends. It is with the deepest regret that we are postponing our next season until Fall 2021.
Why? The restrictions in place for Phase 4 pose significant challenges, including the following:
- Players would have minimal restrictions during games and additional restrictions during practices, but spectators would be limited to 20% capacity, with strict social distancing enforced on the sidelines and in common areas.
- Coaches would face additional responsibilities including keeping attendance logs of all players and spectators, reporting confirmed cases in players and/or attendees, constant sanitizing of equipment, etc. Several coaches have already expressed concerns regarding their ability to coach within the parameters of the guidelines.
- CASA’s administration would be tasked with strictly enforcing the IYSA restrictions in keeping with its insurance coverage. This would require a level of engagement that would require dozens of additional volunteers to police the grounds constantly in an effort to enforce social distancing and/or face coverings. That isn’t a dynamic we feel would be feasible or successful in enforcing the restrictions.
IYSA affords CASA’s families the high safety standards and structure which we all appreciate. In a pandemic environment, those safety standards require the type of restrictions described here. As a private, not-for-profit, recreational league administered by a small group of dedicated volunteers, we simply cannot afford the impact of a negative outcome.
We strongly considered the financial impact on our families – when the family’s wage earners are forced to miss work for two weeks after a player in their household is exposed to a teammate with COVID-19. We also considered the logistical impact that team quarantines would have on scheduling and rescheduling games, as well as the impact of CASA’s small pool of volunteers being sidelined by quarantine after exposure.
The following supporting documentation is provided as context for the decision to defer the next season until 2021:
In light of this decision, we will proceed with closing the 2020 season, which includes closing online registration and communicating with current sponsors. We wish everyone the best in these challenging times. We want everyone to stay healthy and safe.
In the meantime, we will take advantage of this time off to make any repairs and minor improvements to our facilities and playing surfaces, while exploring the possibility of hosting a tournament next year or even a spring season if things have improved enough by then. We will also prepare for the 2021 season by recruiting three new coordinators, who will train under our current coordinators to step into this critical leadership role.
If you or someone you know would be a good fit for a coordinator position, please reach out to us during this time so we can begin the transition. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at [email protected].
Stay safe,
CASA Board of Directors