Youth-Sports Administration
It’s a whole new world
By John Engh
Having written this many times before, I will say it again: youth-sports administrators are some of the most dedicated public employees in our communities. In “normal” times, they are forced to wear several different hats and to be experts in many areas—all with the goal of providing safe and positive youth-sports experiences. But with the continued threat of a pandemic and parental concern keeping many children from activities outside the home, the challenges continue.
Photo: NAYS
As I continue to hear daily about recommendations for children to return to organized play, I thought it would be appropriate to share one very dedicated Certified Youth Sports Administrator’s (CYSA) perspective on the challenges recreation staff members are facing. Aileen Henderson, Athletics Business Operations for Hillsborough County (Fla.) Parks and Recreation Department, tackles the realities of shrinking participation, concerns from parents, spectator and player safety, and more in the questions below. In youth-sports administration, it’s a whole new world.
What has been the biggest issue the department has faced and resolved?
Our partnered baseball and softball programs are feeling the pinch in terms of total registration numbers. While Hillsborough County released the use of fields on June 8, 2020, for practices only, surrounding municipalities had released their fields earlier and allowed games and tournaments. As a result, parents interested in allowing their children to play games and tournaments are relocating to those municipalities. While the leagues understand Hillsborough County’s more cautious approach based on recommendations from leading medical advisors, the leagues are also frustrated by losing players. Some leagues are allowing for interlocking game play at the other municipalities to accommodate parents looking for more competitive play, not just skills and drills.
Overall, the biggest issue is learning to navigate through the added requirements, processes, and guidelines COVID-19 has brought to all of us, not only in youth sports, but professionally and personally. None of us were prepared to change our way of life to remain safe and healthy. That means not only taking care of ourselves, but making sure to take care of others. The challenge has been to simply find the balance and learn that change is inevitable. We will forever be aware of the importance of our actions or lack thereof. Here, in Hillsborough County, we have always been dedicated to the safety and well-being of youth in sports, along with the community. We feel we are successfully finding that balance in order to maintain the elevated standards of safety and well-being, making sure the experience creates fun-filled, everlasting memories.
How are you handling spectators?
Handling spectators equates to handling parents/guardians and other family and friends. I mean, how do we tell folks spectators are limited to only one person per child, or they must stay in the car, or just drop players off and then pick them up when practice ends? Since Hillsborough County Athletics’ play resumed, we have not had one complaint about the limitation of spectators or any new rules or process. Since bleachers are off-limits, most of the leagues allow for spectators to BYOC (Bring Your Own Chair) while maintaining a distance of six feet. Some leagues have removed windscreens altogether to allow for better visibility along the fence lines, where spectators are directed to sit. Part of the guidelines before returning to play was to have a specific entry and exit point at the facility and a drop-off and pick-up plan. We felt this would provide a more controlled approach, so temperatures could be taken and attendance rosters more easily documented. In my opinion, spectators have been very accommodating and cooperative, thus allowing practice sessions to be more focused on the task at hand, which allows the children a safe outlet to learn and hone their skills.
How are you emphasizing safety?
As a department, we emphasize safety by providing guidelines to the leagues, along with requesting each of their schedules. We also require the leagues to provide their action plan for a return to play. Plus, The A Team (Athletics Team) has added five new members, which brings our staff to seven total. During COVID-19, staff members have been doing random site checks every day, making sure the leagues and the public are following all administered guidelines. The leagues are complying with occasional gentle reminders and have implemented stringent hygiene routines, bathroom sanitization, and signage. Some leagues are even making the six-foot distance into a game, so to speak. When working with their younger age groups, coaches use cones spaced appropriately with a child’s name on them. The children are called upon, one at a time, to perform a drill or skill, and then they must return to their individual cone. One of the leagues is contemplating a “no-parent” Saturday. This would allow a parent to drop off and pick a child at a specified time. While it may not be feasible, it sure is an interesting concept. Quite possibly, the idea may even reduce the stress for young athletes while promoting safety by removing the crowd. All in all, we are in agreement about the importance of safety, and together we are meeting those goals.
What changes/ideas have you successfully implemented that other programs could utilize in their communities?
We feel we have met with success through a combination of working with medical advisors, implementing county guidelines, and having the leagues provide specific return-to-play safety plans. Out of 12,500 players, volunteers, and spectators on the fields for the months of June and July, there have been only 10 cases, with no positive cases on the A Team. The leagues are responsibly reporting any positive cases or potential contact and then following a strict protocol to keep everyone safe. Overall, we are proud of the job we are doing, and while we may be more cautious than our neighboring municipalities, clearly the numbers speak for themselves in terms of our rate of success.
John Engh is executive director of the National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS) in West Palm Beach, Fla. He can be reached via email at jengh@nays.org. To join more than 3,000 communities by starting a NAYS Member Organization, visit www.nays.org, email nays@nays.org or call (800) 729-2057.