Wheaton Park District Youth Baseball & Softball Phase-4 Guidelines
- All participants and coaches should conduct a health self-screening prior to attending practice/game and ask the following questions. Parents should conduct a health screening with their child.
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- Are you experiencing the following: fever (100.4° and above), cough, shortness of breath, chills, muscle aches, headaches not related to caffeine, diet, hunger, migraines, or tension?
- Have you been in close contact with anyone that has tested positive for COVID-19 or has symptoms of COVID-19?
If the answer is “yes” to any of the above questions, participant will not be allowed to participate.
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- All participants and coaches should wash hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizer before participating.
- Designate an area separate from others for anyone who exhibits COVID-like symptoms while participating to isolate from others before being picked up to leave.
- All participants and coaches should place personal belongings at least 6-ft. away from others’ personal belongings.
- We encourage all participants to have their own supply of hand sanitizers and disinfecting wipes.
- All participants and coaches should sanitize hands regularly during participation.
- All participants and coaches should wear face coverings over their nose and mouth when they are not able to maintain a safe social distance (exceptions can be made for people with medical conditions or disabilities that prevent them from safely wearing a face covering).
- Group/team sizes should be limited to 50 total participants, coaches, and umpires (i.e. excludes spectators).
- Multiple groups/teams of 50 or fewer participants permitted at once as long as there is a 30-ft of distancing maintained between groups/teams.
- Participants should purchase and use their own equipment (e.g., helmet, bat, gloves) as much as practical.
- Minimize sharing of high-touch equipment (helmets, bats, catcher’s gear, balls) between non-household individuals. If equipment is to be shared, managers should sanitize equipment before and after practices/games.
- If practical, sanitize shared equipment during use at practices/games (e.g., between drills or innings).
- If enough players have their own equipment, designate helmets and bats provided by park district to participants to keep for the season.
- No handshakes at the beginning or end of practice/game.
- Encourage coaches to keep an attendance notebook and do their best to keep an accurate attendance log for practices and games.
- All participants and coaches should bring their own source of water. All water fountains are unavailable.
- Suspend post-activity group snacks.
- Teams should consider staggering drop-off and pick-up times to avoid overcrowding of children and parents/guardians.
- Practice activities should be set up to allow for 6-ft. of distancing between participants whenever possible.
- Spectators are not permitted at practice unless required for parental supervision.
- If spectators must be present, keep 6-ft. of distance from the team and other spectators.
- Spectators should wear face coverings over their nose and mouth when they are not able to maintain a safe social distance (exceptions can be made for people with medical conditions or disabilities that prevent them from safely wearing a face covering).
- As practical, parents dropping off or picking up participants should wait in the parking lot.
- If spectators must be present, keep 6-ft. of distance from the team and other spectators.
- If social distancing cannot be maintained during gameplay, participants should still maintain 6-ft. of distancing while on the sidelines/not directly involved in the gameplay.
- Dugouts are only to be used by coaches. Participants will only use dugouts to leave or return to the field. Participants will wait with their household spectators or along fence 6-ft. apart.
- Managers are to sanitize the dugout bench after each game.
- Dugouts are only to be used by coaches. Participants will only use dugouts to leave or return to the field. Participants will wait with their household spectators or along fence 6-ft. apart.
- Spectators to keep 6-ft. of distance from the team and other spectators.
- Spectators should wear face coverings over their nose and mouth when they are not able to maintain a safe social distance (exceptions can be made for people with medical conditions or disabilities that prevent them from safely wearing a face covering).
- Spectators are encouraged to bring their own additional seating (e.g., chairs) from home.
- Spectators from the same household should sit together.
- Umpires are to be placed 6-ft. behind the pitcher’s mound/circle to call balls and strikes.
- Umpires are encouraged to keep a safe distance from players/coaches as much as possible.
- Umpires should wear face coverings over their nose and mouth when they are not able to maintain a safe social distance (exceptions can be made for people with medical conditions or disabilities that prevent them from safely wearing a face covering).
- Umpires are encouraged to keep a safe distance from players/coaches as much as possible.
The Wheaton Park District has issued the above Return to Baseball/Softball Guidelines for use during “Phase 4” of the Restore Illinois Plan. These guidelines were compiled from resources and direct guidance from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Youth Sports Guidelines, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Considerations for Youth Sports and PDRMA COVID-19 Phase 3 Youth Sports Re-Opening Recommendations.
Additional Resources:
Gathering Limit & Tips Sign
Preventing the Spread of Covid-19 – CDC
Youth Baseball & Softball Phase-4 Guidelines
In-House Baseball & Softball Leagues
Travel & Tournament Teams
Sources for Wheaton Park District Youth Baseball & Softball Phase 4 Guidelines:
Restore Illinois Phase 4 Guidelines:
https://dceocovid19resources.com/restore-illinois/restore-illinois-phase-4/youth-and-recreational-sports-guidelines/
Restore Illinois Phase 3 Guidelines:
https://www2.illinois.gov/dceo/Pages/RestoreILP3.aspx
DCEO Youth Sports Guidelines:
https://dceocovid19resources.com/assets/Restore-Illinois/businessguidelines4/youthsports.pdf https://dceocovid19resources.com/assets/Restore-Illinois/businessguidelines3/youthsports.pdf
DCEO Youth Sports Toolkit:
https://dceocovid19resources.com/assets/Restore-Illinois/businesstoolkits4/youthsports.pdf https://dceocovid19resources.com/assets/Restore-Illinois/businesstoolkits/youthsports.pdf
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Considerations:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/youth-sports.html
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