Westport PAL  
COVID-19 Protocols
Guidelines for Return to Play 2021

As of February 3, 2021

General Guidelines

• All participants (players, coaches and volunteers) must stay at home under the following circumstances: 

- If you experience any COVID-19 symptoms (consult the CDC website for a current list), or

- If you or an immediate family member have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or are awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test, or

- If you have been exposed to any person who has tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 14 days.

• Please note the Westport PAL youth athletics follows the Staples Athletics policy which differs from the student policy.  Differing changes are driven by Addendum #5 (end note #7) and can be found here for reference: https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/SDE/COVID-19/Addendum-5-Interim-Guidance-for-Responding-to-COVID-19-Scenarios-in-CT-School-Districts.pdf

• If a participant tests positive for COVID-19, the participant (or parent/guardian, for a player) must notify Westport PAL ( ) immediately and must quarantine for 10 days, beginning from the first day of symptoms. The local health department will be notified, and town protocols will be followed. Return to participation in Westport PAL programs will require completion of the 10-day quarantine and clearance from isolation from a heathcare provider. 

• If a participant is exposed to a person who has tested positive for COVID-19, the participant (or parent/guardian, for a player) must notify Westport PAL ( ) immediately and must quarantine for 14 days.  Return to participation in Westport PAL programs will require completion of the 14-day quarantine.

• All participants must adhere to CT Governor Ned Lamont’s travel advisory and quarantine for the mandatory period following travel to designated hot spots. 

• If a participant travels to an affected state, other than NY/NJ/RI, for less than 24 hours, no action is required, other than monitoring for symptoms.

• If a participant travels to an affected state, other than NY/NJ/RI, for longer than 24 hours, the participant is required to have a COVID-19 test performed within 72 hours prior to arrival back in CT or upon arrival in CT. While waiting for test results to come back, the participant may not participate in WPAL programs until she/he receives a negative result. If the participant does not get tested, she/he must quarantine for 10 days.

Health Screening

• Shortly before attending the event, all participants (coaches, players) are required to self-screen (or to be conducted by a parent/guardian, for a player) for any observable illness, including cough or respiratory distress, which would prevent them from attending, and to take their temperature. 

• Any participant with a temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher will be prohibited from attending/participating, should remain at home and contact their healthcare provider. 

• Should a participant display repeated COVID-19 symptoms or the onset of a fever during practice or Games, she/he will be immediately removed to an isolated safe area; in the case of a player without a parent present, the parent/guardian will be contacted to come immediately and take the player home.

Transportation

• Parents/caregivers are advised to drop off and pick up their own child and not use carpools.

• No congregating in groups before or after practice or games, including in areas adjacent to court or in parking lots. Players are to wait in their car with a guardian until just prior to the start of practice or games.

• Players and spectators are asked to quickly gather personal belongings after practices or games and head to their cars, so that the group to follow can use the facilities.

Social-Distancing/Mask-Wearing

• All players, coaches and spectators must abide by 6-foot social distancing guidelines.

• Spectators: NO spectators permitted for practices and ONE spectator per player is permitted for home games, if facility allows for 6 feet of social distancing between spectators.

• Players must bring their own mask to practices and games. Players will be required to wear masks during play. Players will be required to wear masks upon entry to and exit from the facility and are required to wear them when not engaging in active play. 

• Coaches will wear masks at all times.  

• Players should bring their own hand sanitizer for individual use when coming into contact with any shared surfaces or objects.

On-Field Guidance

• Peer and coach interaction - No physical contact is permitted, including high-fives, handshakes, fist bumps, or hugs.

• Players and coaches are to avoid touching their face, mouth, eyes or nose during events.

• No spitting allowed.

• Players and coaches must cover their coughs and sneezes with either a tissue or the inside of their elbow. Used tissues must be immediately disposed of properly in a trash receptacle and hand sanitizer used immediately afterward. 

Equipment

• Arrive to the field/gym dressed and ready to play, with masks. We recommend that players bring extra masks.

• No equipment/ bags on the sidelines - leave them in the car. Only a change of shoes, water bottles, mouth guards and hand sanitizer to the court.

• Clearly label all water bottles and hand sanitizer.

• Please make sure all needed clothing adjustments to be made by parents/guardians are done prior to practice or games.

• Players will be directed, upon entry to the location, to socially distanced (6-feet apart) designated spots will be marked off where they can place their water bottles.

• No sharing of any personal equipment, water bottles or hand sanitizer. 

• Coaches and Westport PAL staff will handle touching of and moving of equipment. 

• All equipment (balls, cones) will be sanitized after each practice or game.

• For consecutive practices (with a 15-minute time buffer), separate equipment (balls, cones) will be used for each session.

• Parents/guardians/caregivers are advised to wash player clothing, water bottles and mouth guards, as well as to disinfect all footballs, after each use.

Waiver

• Westport PAL will require parents to sign an additional COVID-19 waiver (Assumption of Risk and Waiver of Liability) this season. Players cannot participate without a signed waiver. 

Questions? For specific questions related to current public health guidelines, please consult the CDC (cdc.gov) and state of CT (ct.gov/coronavirus) websites.  

For questions related to Westport PAL policies, please Email 

Westport PAL reserves the right to modify these guidelines and best practices, given the fluid nature of policies and recommendations from federal, state, and local officials.