Athens Little League

Fall Season 2022

COVID Protocols and Guidelines

The Athens Little League (ALL) Board of Directors will use the following protocols and guidelines for  playing its 2022 Spring Ball season. 

Assumptions:

• The health and safety of all Athens Little League stakeholders is paramount.

• ALL understands the dynamic nature of the pandemic and will take all necessary steps to adjust  its plans and events as additional information about the pandemic is known.

• ALL will work with ACC Leisure Services to ensure adherence to all local, state and federal (CDC)  guidelines and protocols.

• ALL recognizes ACC Leisure Services (via ACC Unified Government) dictates availability of fields  and space.

General Guidelines and Protocols:

All players, coaches, parents, and other spectators who attend little league games at Holland Park during  the spring of 2022 will comply with the following guidelines and protocols:

• COVID-19 Symptoms: Any person who has a fever or who exhibits any other symptom  associated with COVID-19 should not enter Holland Park or attend any little league activity at  Holland Park. Symptoms of COVID-19 include but are not limited to cough, shortness of breath  or difficulty breathing, fever, chills, muscle pain, sore throat, runny nose, congestion, nausea,  vomiting, diarrhea, or new loss of taste or smell. Any Board Member of Athens Little League  (ALL) will have the absolute discretion to ask any individual associated with ALL at Holland Park  to leave the baseball fields, batting cages, and associated common areas if that individual is  exhibiting one or more symptoms associated with COVID-19. 

• Person-to-person Contact: All players, coaches, parents, and other spectators should avoid any  unnecessary person-to-person contact at all times, including, but not limited to, handshakes,  high-fives, etc. Instead of traditional hand-shaking/high-fiving after the game, players will  remain near the dugouts and participate in a hat-tipping with the other team to enforce good  sportsmanship.

• Hygiene: All players, coaches, parents, and other spectators should wash their hands with warm  water and soap for a minimum of 20 seconds, or apply hand-sanitizer that contains at least 65%  alcohol, immediately before coming to Holland Park for either a practice or a game.
  

• Equipment: All players, coaches, parents, and other spectators should clean and sanitize any  and all equipment that is brought to Holland Park immediately before coming to Holland Park  for either a practice or a game. Equipment shall include all bats, gloves, batting gloves, helmets,  chairs, coolers, or any other materials brought to Holland Park. Players will not be allowed to  borrow equipment that touches the face from another player at any time. Ideally,  each player should have  his or her own bat, glove, batting gloves, batting helmet, and hat. ALL has a limited supply of  said equipment for any player unable to provide their own.
  
  

• Social Distancing: Athens Little League encourages the practice of “social distancing” (six (6) feet  apart) when in indoor spaces in accordance with CDC local guidelines.

• Masks/Face Coverings: Athens Little League encourages the wearing of masks/face coverings  for players, coaches, umpires, and spectators when in indoor spaces in accordance with CDC local guidelines.
  

• Communications and Signage: ALL will post all guidelines and protocols on its website and social  media. 
  

• Dugouts: Players and coaches will be allowed to be in the dugouts, but anyone else should stay outside the dugout and in the spectator areas.
  

• Batting Cages: Masking and distancing in indoor spaces will follow current CDC local guidelines for Athens-Clarke County.

• First Aid: Mobile first aid kits, ice, and defibrillators will be provided at the park.

• COVID-19 Exposure and Positive Test Procedures: ALL will follow procedures outlined by the  Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH). 

o Exposure cases (close contact=less than 6 feet away from an infected person for more than 15 minutes in a 24-hour period, including 48 hours prior to symptoms starting or a positive test in the infected person)):

1) Upon being made aware of an exposure case, it is first necessary to inform the President so that a series of fact-finding questions can be asked to determine the  who, what, when, how long, etc. of the specific situation. If unvaccinated, the player or coach who has been exposed shall not attend games/practices until the situation has been evaluated fully and decisions have been made regarding isolation/quarantine based on DPH recommendations.

2) Georgia DPH guidelines will be used to determine the course of action for the  affected player, team, etc. The guidelines can be found here: 

                        https://dph.georgia.gov/contact

3) The coach then informs the team that a player (or coach) on the team has been  exposed and is following the course of action prescribed by Georgia DPH guidelines.  In the case of a player, the coach asks the parent(s) for permission (verbally or in  writing) to inform the team; and in the case of an adult, the coach asks the adult for  permission (verbally or in writing) to inform the team.

o Positive test cases or COVID-19 symptoms (a coach or other league official is notified  that a player/coach has tested positive for COVID-19):

1) Upon being made aware of a positive test OR someone exhibiting symptoms, it is  first necessary to inform the President so that a series of fact-finding questions  can be asked to determine the who, what, when, how long, etc. of the specific  situation. The player or coach with a positive test or symptoms shall not attend  games/practices until the situation has been evaluated fully and decisions have  been made regarding isolation/quarantine based on DPH recommendations.

2) Georgia DPH guidelines will be used to determine the course of action for the  affected player, team, etc. The guidelines can be found here:

                        https://dph.georgia.gov/isolation-contact

3) The coach then informs the team that a player on the team has tested positive  and is following the course of action prescribed by Georgia DPH guidelines. In the  case of a player, the coach asks the parent(s) for permission (verbally or in writing)  to inform the team; and in the case of an adult, the coach asks the adult for  permission (verbally or in writing) to inform the team.

4) The coach also determines the exposure of other players/coaches to the individual  who tested positive. (Any player/coach who was within 6 feet of the individual who tested positive for more than 15 minutes total in a 24 hour period within 48 hours of the positive test or symptom onset is an exposed case and procedures for exposure cases are applied.)