AS OF 1/12/23 -- THE POLICIES AND PLANS HAVE BEEN MODIFIED FOR THE SPRING 2023 SEASON.  WLC WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR AND FOLLOW NJ AND CDC GUIDANCE FOR OPERATION.  ANY PERSON EXHIBITING COVID-19 SYMPTOMS SHOULD NOT ATTEND A WLC EVENT UNTIL SO DIRECTED BY THEIR PHYSICIAN.

BY BRINGING YOUR CHILD TO A WLC EVENT, YOU ARE AFFIRMING TO THE WLC, THE TOWNSHIP OF WESTFIELD AND THE WESTFIELD BOARD OF EDUCATION THAT YOUR CHILD IS NOT EXHIBITING SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH COVID-19, HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A CLOSE CONTACT, IS NOT AWAITING THE RESULTS OF A COVID-19 TEST OR HAS NOT TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19.

PLEASE REFER TO https://covid19.nj.gov/pages/quarantine-calculator FOR PURPOSES OF DETERMINING QUARANTINE OBLIGATIONS AND MASK WEARING RESPONSIBILITIES.

Westfield Lacrosse Club Program Preparation Plan (as of 4/29/21) -- the plan outlined below is for informational purposes only as it relates to the 2021 spring season.

Introduction: These are the policies and procedures established to ensure a healthy and safe experience for the Westfield Lacrosse Club (“WLC”) community. We are asking for several safety controls and best practices to be put into place to comply with CDC and NJDOH guidelines.  If you have any questions regarding this plan, please email the WLC Board at CovidWestfieldLacrosse@gmail.com.

A. Controls

  • All members of the WLC community (athletes, coaching staff, parents/guardians and other spectators) will be provided with access or a copy of this plan so that the WLC and its members/parents/guardians comply with social distancing of 6 feet apart whenever possible.
  • Coaching staff and parents/guardians will wear cloth or disposable face coverings when attending a WLC event.
  • Spectators will be permitted in designated field locations in accordance with appropriate regulations.  Currently, for home games, spectators (upto 200 people) are permitted on Township Fields (Sid Fey/Houlihan) for Home Games.  With regard to Board of Education fields, no more than two (2) parents/guardians are permitted per family.  All spectators shall wear an appropriate face covering and engage in social distancing.
  • Athletes are required to wear cloth or disposable face coverings when not engaging in practice/games/vigorous activities, such as when not being able to maintain social distancing or sitting on a bench.  Face coverings are not required to be worn by athletes when engaging in high intensity aerobic or anaerobic workouts or where doing so would inhibit the individual’s health.
  • WLC will create staggered schedules to limit contact between groups and/or players
  • WLC will encourage its players and parents/guardians to limit carpools and ride to sports events with persons living in their same household.
  • Prior to resumption of athletic activities, WLC will educate its coaches on COVID-19 health and safety protocols, including revised practice rules and regulations, the importance of staying home when experiencing or residing with someone experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, proper hand hygiene, social distancing, face coverings, how to address a situation in which an athlete presents symptoms of COVID-19 and how to address situations in which social distancing or other requirements are challenged by third-parties.
  • Coaches will use methods to physically separate players into smaller groups, keeping the same players together.
  • Each player should have hand sanitizers for personal use.
  • Prior to each practice or game, all players must have their temperature checked by a parent, must complete a health assessment questionnaire and turn it into the player’s head coach before taking the field.  This may be done electronically or in paper form.
  • Each player is required to bring their own equipment and should not share equipment of any kind, including, but not limited to, balls, gloves, arm pads, shoulder pads, rib protectors, helmets, mouthguards, sticks…etc.
  • Each player should come to the field for practice/game in full equipment and ready to play.  Players should not bring bags to the fields. If a player needs to bring a small bag to carry personal medical or other products to the field, the small bag may be brought onto the field of play to carry those items.
  • Each player should bring their own water bottle or beverage (sports drink). There shall be no sharing of food or drinks at any practice or game.  WLC will not be providing any food or beverages during any practices or games.
  • All equipment should be sanitized before and after practices and games using disinfectant wipes or other recommended sanitizing methods and during practices and games as necessary between each players’ usage.
  • To the extent practical, practices will be handled in smaller groups to limit contact amongst the team and other participants.
  • WLC will provide separate game balls.  The game balls will be sanitized prior to the start and at the end of each game.
  • No spitting, or licking of fingers is permitted and no seeds are permitted at any games or practices.

B. Safe Practices

  • Any player, coach or player/coach with a family member who have symptoms of COVID-19 are instructed to stay home for a period of 10 days or until cleared to resume activities by their physician.  If you receive a negative COVID-19 test, you may return to WLC activities once you are asymptomatic.
  • Any player or coach who has come into close contact with someone with symptoms of COVID-19 are instructed to stay home for a period of 10 days.  This period may be reduced to 7 days if the player/coach receives a negative PCR test taken 3-4 days after exposure/close contact.
  • If you are awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test taken due to exposure or symptoms, you should not return to WLC activities until you have received a negative test result and remain asymptomatic.
  • Players who appear to have symptoms upon arrival or who become sick during an event/game/practice should immediately be separated from others and sent home with parents to follow-up with their health care professional.
  • All persons should wear a cloth face covering to cover their nose and mouth when entering, exiting or otherwise moving about the playing areas, subject to the “Controls” set forth above. See CDC recommendations for wearing a cloth face covering as a measure to contain the wearer’s respiratory droplets and protect others in the workplace.
  • Communication will be made available on the WLC website, topics should include signs and symptoms of infection, staying home when ill, social distancing, personal protective equipment, hand hygiene practices, and identifying and minimizing potential routes of transmission.
  • Limit any nonessential visitors, spectators, staff, volunteers…etc. as much as possible.  Limit spectators consistent with State and local guidelines.

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