2021 NSLL Return to Play Requirements

Northshore Little League seeks to provide a positive baseball and softball experience for players, families, and the community to help players learn the fundamentals and skills of the game, promote physical and mental health through an active lifestyle, sportsmanship and working as a part of a team toward collective goals. It also provides an important social experience to learn about respect for others, cultivate social skills and community building, and manage both success and disappointment through competition. The COVID-19 pandemic has been incredibly disruptive to all aspects of life in our community. Our League aspires to navigate a safe return to our activities and events to help our young players maintain a safe environment for their physical, psychological, and social health, and assist the community in developing a safe return to activities in these challenging times. The State of Washington classifies baseball and softball as “moderate risk sports” for the transmission of COVID-19 and has specific guidance for restart and recommendations for safely conducting these activities.

For specific information, see the Phase 3 COVID guidelines.

Professional Sports & Other Sporting Activities COVID-19 Requirements.

Northshore Little League COVID-19 Safety Plans 

Returning to play in a safe and healthy way will be facilitated by our individual and collective cooperation and vigilance with COVID-19 mitigation strategies. We can all help reduce the spread of the disease by employing strategies understood to be best practices. 

COVID-19 Waiver: 

A responsible adult for each Player must sign and deliver the COVID waiver/participant agreement before the Player may participate in any League Activity.

Daily Screening Procedure: 

Each team should appoint one volunteer to assume the role of the team Health and Safety Officer. This person should not be the Team manager. The team Health and Safety Officer should do the following: 

1. Participate personally or through a delegate in all Team Activities, which means practices, workouts, games, chalk-talk meetings, and social gatherings. 
2. Record attendance at each Activity to facilitate contact tracing if necessary. If small-group close-contact drills are a part of the Activity, the members of small groups should also be recorded. 
3. Maintain all records in a safe and secure location and format that can be accessed for contact tracing. 
4. Perform a symptom screen of each participant before each Activity; players complete a self-check for any symptoms of illness and complete a self-check log. 
5. Report to team Manager any symptoms revealed by the symptom screen or otherwise reported, any players sent home for illness or symptoms, and any safety issues observed that are not promptly resolved. 

 

Daily Symptom Screening 

 

• Fever of 100.4 or greater 
• Chills or repeated shaking with chills 
• Fatigue not attributed to another condition or event
• Upper respiratory symptoms (runny nose, congestion or sneezing) that you cannot contribute to another health condition such as allergies 
• Loss of taste or smell 
• Cough 
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing 
• Chest tightness
• Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea 
• Muscle or body aches not attributed to a specific activity or exercise 

STAY HOME IF SICK OR IF CLOSE CONTACT WITH SOMEONE WITH COVID-19 

League Participants, including athletes, coaches, umpires, spectators and any other volunteer must stay away from all League Activities upon any of the following circumstances. 

1. The League Participant tests positive for COVID-19;
   The League Participant experiences COVID-19 symptoms;
   The League Participant feels ill, without any COVID-19 symptoms; 
2. The League Participant has been in close contact with a person who as tested positive for COVID-19; or 
3. The League Participant has been in close contact with a person who has COVID-19 symptoms but has secured a negative test result. 

Those who are excluded from League Activities under these circumstances must follow King County or Snohomish County isolation and quarantine guidance before returning to League Activities. 

Masks and Face Coverings 

Masks 

To wear a mask means to have a cloth covering, including neck gaiter, closely fitted over the wearer’s nose and mouth. 

Adult participants and spectators 

Coaches, umpires, spectators, and any other volunteer staff must follow the Department of Health facial covering order. 

Players

Players should follow the Professional Sports & Other Sporting Activities COVID-19 Requirements. All players must follow the Department of Health facial covering order. 

Player equipment 

• Players must only use their own equipment, including helmet, hats, bats, batting gloves, fielding gloves and catcher’s equipment. Players must not share any equipment except bats may be shared if wiped down after each use or if players sharing the bat are all wearing batting gloves. 
• A responsible adult family member should clean and disinfect their player’s equipment before each League event where such equipment is used. 

Drinks and snacks 

• All League Participants must bring their own water bottle to all League Activities. Bottles should be clearly marked with the player’s name. 
• Players should bring individual, pre-packaged food for individual consumption if needed. 
• The following are prohibited: shared food including post-game snacks, bottles, and water coolers as well as seeds, chewing gum, spitting or horseplay likely to transfer spit between players. 
• Physical distancing 
• All League Participants should maintain six-foot physical distancing whenever possible. 

Cleaning

• Each Adult Team volunteers should clean high touch surfaces including the gates to the playing areas. 

Practices 

• The Team Health and Safety Officer should remind families to perform Health Screening as outlined in the Daily Screening Procedure.
• Players and families should maintain physical distancing while approaching fields. 
• Spectators must remain at least 50 yards away from practices; and should not congregate. Families should drop off players at practice with coaching staff and maintain a safe distance from the event. 
• Players should set their equipment spaced six feet apart along the fences. 
• All Participants should wash their hands with soap or hand sanitizer before participating in any League Activity. ● All Participants should wear a Mask when mandated by the Professional Sports & Other Sporting Activities COVID-19 Requirements. 
• Team stretching and warm-up drills must be structured to avoid close contact. Coaches are encouraged to structure and limit warm-up drills avoid formation of lines that allow for close contact between players. 
• Players should avoid confined spaces including dugouts and bleachers for all practices. 
• Practice drills, including tee drills, soft toss, and the forming lines should optimize physical distancing between Participants. 
• All Participants should wash their hands with soap or hand sanitizer at the end of practice. 

Games/Scrimmages 

• Fan attendance is governed by the Professional Sports & Other Sporting Activities COVID-19 Requirements; All fans must remain 6' away from anyone that is not their immediate family or household.
• Social distancing team- players and coaches will remain 6’ a part while in the dugout areas and at all times unless it is during the game on the field. The dugout area most likely will need to be extended into the bleachers (behind a fence)
  Health Screening- parents, players, coaches, and family members must take their temperature and screen themselves before leaving their house. Players will need to follow the Daily Screening Procedure. 
• Illness / Symptoms- parents and players must remain home if they have any illness or symptoms of COVID-19
  Baseballs- Umpires, coaches, and spectators will avoid contact with the game balls, allowing defensive players to retrieve all foul balls, whether in or out of the field of play
  Sanitizer- All players, coaches, umpires, and volunteers will wash their hands with soap or hand sanitizer before and after the game/scrimmage. 
• After outs- the ball will go immediately back to the pitcher (no throwing it around) 
• No sharing team equipment- helmets, gloves (bats can be shared if wiped down after each use or if players have batting gloves) 
• No shared team cooler or drinks; everyone must bring their own. 
• Meetings- No team meetings where everyone isn’t at least 6’ apart. 
• Conference- Home plate conference and other meetings should be conducted electronically prior to the game when possible. If required to happen at the field everyone must stay 6’ apart. 
• Equipment spacing- Equipment should be spaced out 6’ apart behind the dugout or elsewhere. 
• Line-ups - exchanged electronically.
• Umpires- Umpires will be required to wear a mask and socially distance when possible. Umpires can be positioned behind Pitcher or behind Catcher. 
• Masks- Governed by the league’s Masks and Face Coverings rule. 
• Reporting- the COVID Coach/Parent must report any COVID positive player or spectator to their coach, and local league within 12 hours of finding out. 
• COVID Parent/Coach- each team must have a parent or coach who is in charge of only COVID Social distancing / Hand sanitizer / Equipment / Seeds / Spitting / Wipes 
• Post-Game Sportsmanship - There should be no physical touching including high fives or handshakes. At the end of games, players will line up on respective baselines and cheer, shout, wave, or tip hats to the opposing team and umpires. 
• Team snacks- will not be permitted. 

COVID-19 Return to Play 

Guidelines for returning to play for 

players/coaches/umpires/volunteers who have had symptoms, been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 or they themselves have tested positive. 

Definition of contact: 

A contact is a person who experienced any one of the following exposures during the 2 days before and the 14 days after the onset of symptoms of a probable or confirmed case: 

1. Face-to-face contact with a probable or confirmed case within 1 meter and for more than 15 minutes: 
2. Direct physical contact with a probable or confirmed case. For any player/coach/volunteer who becomes ill, they may resume activity: 

• 10 days since symptoms first appeared and 24 hours with no fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and other symptoms of COVID-19 are improving *Loss of taste and smell may persist for weeks or months after recovery and need not delay the end of isolation 
• 10 days after a positive test if an individual tested positive but was asymptomatic. 
• In the case of a severe infection (inpatient or observation hospital treatment): 
• Requires MD clearance and negative COVID test ● OR stay home 20 days after onset of symptoms and completed all treatment, and; 
• 24 hrs clear of any fever or fever reducing medication. If one player/coach/volunteer reports a positive test, that exposed team members and coaching staff exposed to the individual must pause play/quarantine according to the CDC guidelines. 
• 10 days without testing 
• On day 7 after receiving a negative test result (test must occur on day 5 or later) 
• If the positive individual was involved in a game within their potential infectious window (48 hrs before onset of symptoms until 10 days AFTER onset of symptoms) the other team must pause play/quarantine according to the CDC guidelines. 
• 10 days without testing 
• On day 7 after receiving a negative test result (test must occur on day 5 or later) 
• Miscellaneous 
• If parents, coaches, or players have any concerns regarding their personal health and safety, they should alert the League of concerns and avoid league events. 
• The guidelines and recommendations listed above may change due to updated local public health, Washington State, Centers for Disease Control, or Little League International guidance, recommendations, or best practices.

Hi NSLL Families,

I hope you all had a chance to enjoy your spring break.  We have some updates and initial information that we want to share with you regarding the 2020 season.

While we realize that there are still a possibility these dates can change, this is our hope and initial plan to get the season started.

As you all know we are in a Stay Safe at Home mode per the Governor until May 4th. 
Little League International has recommended that ALL leagues suspend any activity until  May 11th.

Currently, we are making plans along with the 12 other leagues in District 8 to hold our season from Mid- May/beginning of June until the end of July.  Under this plan, practices could potentially start mid-May with games starting June 1st.

The Northshore School District has cancelled all field use permits (practice fields) until May 4th.  If these permits are made active again come May 4th or shortly after and small gatherings are allowed, we would be able to start practicing again starting Mid-May.  

The City of Bothell/Northcreek Fields (game fields) have been cancelled until May 4th. If these permits are made active again, we will be able to start holding games on these fields come June 1st.

Northshore Athletic Fields (NAF) in Woodinville (game fields) are privately owned and they are ready, willing and capable to open up their gates and host our games as soon as it is safe to do so.

I have no information regarding All-Stars at this time, as we haven't received any information from Williamsport.  We hope to have some updates on that soon.

To recap, we are looking to start games June 1st, season ending July 31st.  Practices will be dependent on the field use availability with NSD.

In the upcoming days, you will be receiving a separate email directly from your manager with additional information. We are trying to streamline the lines of communication right now and keep players/families feedback organized by team. (Managers, you will be receiving an email from me with further instructions).

PLEASE DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS EMAIL WITH FEEDBACK, QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, COMMITMENT LEVEL, ETC...  

Again, thank you all for your patience!  This will be a season to remember!  And, with the season happening during the summer, we should have plenty of sunshine!

Erin Peistrup
President
NSLL

Hi NSLL Families,

I hope this email finds all of you healthy and still enjoying spending time with your families.  I want to give you a quick update on where we are with the 2020 season.  I have had a few families email me this morning after the announcement of schools being closed for the remainder of the school year.

At this time, the season is still on a pause.  Our goal and hope is to still have a season.   I have been involved in several meetings with our league, other leagues in our District as well as Little League International.  There are several scenarios being discussed based on various start dates and other variables. I know this seems vague but trust me when I say that every league wants to get back out there and play as soon as we safely can!

At this time, I don't have much more information to share, however I hope to have some additional information in the upcoming weeks.  We are asking families to please hang on a little bit longer while we wait to see how this all plays out. 

We as a league, appreciate all of our families and your flexibility while we work through a very unique and difficult time.  In the  meantime, please keep training and practicing at home so when we can get back out there we will be ready!

Warm Regards,
Erin Peistrup
President
NSLL

Hi NSLL Families,

Well.....we held out as long as we could.  Little League International has suggested that ALL Little Leagues suspend ALL activities until April 6th.  What does this mean? For now, ALL Northshore Little League sanctioned activities (practices, games, meetings, events) have been suspended until April 6th.   This could change if the ongoing situation gets better or worse.  We are still encouraging players to practice at home.  If you would like to get together with your friends in small groups and play some baseball, please do so!  Here's the email from Little League International:

Dear Little League Volunteers,

As information continues to become available regarding the increasing spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), we wanted to provide you, our leagues and district administrators, with additional guidance on the implementation of the Little League® program in your local communities.

Little League International operates more than 6,500 programs in more than 84 countries, and therefore, we recommend that our leagues exercise an abundance of caution and implement a temporary suspension of all league activities until no earlier than April 6.

While each community is being affected differently by the coronavirus, the Little League International Board of Directors and staff feel that it is in the best interest of our volunteers and participant families to delay the implementation of the Little League season to begin no earlier April 6. If your league chooses to continue to operate in its local community, then we strongly encourage you to seek the counsel of your community municipalities, public health departments, and local school districts.

For those leagues that have already begun their seasons, we kindly ask that you postpone all league activity that may involve the gathering of individuals for games, practices, events, or meetings. If you have not started your season, we kindly ask that you modify your schedule and season plans to start no earlier than April 6.

Should Little League determine that the recommended delay of the season will extend past April 6, we will provide timely notification and information regarding the impact of such a delay.

We are committed to communicating with you on a consistent basis, providing you with additional information and best practices to work through the coronavirus pandemic. Please look for our official communication via email, on our website (LittleLeague.org/Coronavirus), and on social media (@LittleLeague).

Over the course of the next few weeks, Little League will continue to provide additional guidance on the impact of delaying the season on player eligibility and tournament participation, charter and insurance status for the year, A Safety Awareness Program plan deadlines, and guidance for communicating with parents and families in your communities. At this time, no decision has been made regarding delaying the start of the Little League International Tournament, however, it is our hope that Little League seasons can continue uninterrupted after April 6.

Based on Little League International’s recommendation that you suspend your season until April 6, Little League will be considerate of the missed game play opportunities as we establish a new policy for tournament eligibility for the 2020 tournament season. It is our hope to alleviate any concerns of the impact of the situation on the tournament season and that your league and its families can focus on the health and well-being of your community at this time.

We will continue to work with our medical advisors as we closely monitor the situation, and we are advising all our leagues and families to follow the guidelines set by the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), your state’s public health department (click here for a listing of state public health departments ), and other county and/or local authorities including precedents set by area school districts and government agencies.

We encourage you to share this information with parents and membership of your league to ensure they are up-to-date and informed.

As the situation continues to develop, Little League International will do our best to continue to keep our leagues, volunteers, and families informed. We encourage you to stay in touch with Little League and share any additional feedback or questions from your local communities by emailing [email protected].

We will be thinking of our global Little League community during this difficult time.

Sincerely,

Stephen D. Keener
Little League President and CEO

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact to directly.

Thank you,
Erin Peistrup
President
NSLL

Good Morning NSLL Families,

Again, I want to thank all of our board members, managers, parents, other volunteers and especially the players for your cooperation, patience and understanding while we process constantly changing information and make tough decisions but decisions that we are confident in. Our league is aligning ourselves with the other North end Leagues (North Bothell, Northlake & Woodinville).  The Presidents of these 4 leagues are in contact each day and attempting to make decisions together as we are all part of the Northshore School District.  

 Many of you may be wondering what to do with Governor Inslee's statements yesterday. At this point all field permits remain open, NSD High Schools are still practicing and we are operating and planning for our season so practices are still on and our games will start on Saturday March 21st.. We will of course keep you updated regarding any changes. Please remember to follow the recommendations below as well as current CDC recommendations also are stated below.

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing, or having been in a public place.
• If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
• To the extent possible, avoid touching high-touch surfaces –  no handshaking or high 5s
  
• Do not share equipment other than the ball.
  
• Avoid touching your face, nose, eyes, etc.
• Disinfect gear during and after each practice you know kids like to  touch stuff including their friends bat.
  
• If you are hitting indoors (NSLL is recommending you don't), Dottie has recommended split squads, i.e. 6 players for 30 minutes then the other 6 players for 30 minutes. Parents drop players off and wait in the car or outside of facility to avoid larger unnecessary congregation of people.
• It is up to each player's parent whether you send your player to practice or not, it is up to the manager as to whether they have practice or not.
• Please be extremely cautious and follow healthcare advice if you, a family member, you live with or if someone you know is in regular close contact with your player and are classified as a high risk person in determining whether to send your player to practice or not.
• We will be requesting that families limit attendees at games (we will send more information next week regarding protocol for games)
• High risk classes
• Older adults
• People who have serious chronic medical conditions like:
  • Heart disease
  • Diabetes
  • Lung disease
• If you are sick even slightly do not attend practice even with the most minor ailment and especially fever, cough or sore throat.

Current CDC Risk Guidelines:

• Self-isolation, social distancing
• Person should seek health advice to determine if medical evaluation is needed.
• If sought, medical evaluation and care should be guided by clinical presentation; diagnostic testing for COVID-19 should be guided by CDC’sPUI definition.
• Travel on commercial conveyances should be postponed until no longer symptomatic.

If any of you have any questions or concerns, please email me directly @ [email protected]

Thank you again,
Erin Peistrup
President
NSLL

First and foremost, thank you ALL for your patience and understanding while the league works out logistics with the school district and other entities.