As the start of the school year inches closer, preparations also continue for the resumption of other fall activities, including CYO sports.
Dobie Moser, CYO director for the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, and Mary Ann King, CYO administrator, have been working nonstop with CYO leaders, Catholic high school coaches and other experts to monitor and implement the best safe practices for CYO sports programs throughout the eight-county diocese.
This is the time when parishes, coaches, parents and athletes begin preparing in earnest for fall sports. Moser and King trained a group of about a dozen new parish athletic directors this week at an outdoor event where everyone was socially distanced and following other safety guidelines.
“We have continued to monitor safety guidelines, best practices and protocols from a variety of sources, including local and state health departments, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Ohio High School Athletic Association and other agencies to provide the safest possible environment for the coaches, athletes and spectators,” Moser said. OHSAA continues to release updated information, and will be introducing guidelines for high school contact sports later this week.
But one thing is for sure: “Things will be different this year,” Moser said.
CYO in the Diocese of Cleveland, which is based on its Catholic mission and values, serves more than 20,000 children each year. Another 5,000 volunteers – all screened and trained – help implement the program at the parish and diocesan levels.
“We (CYO) are beginning our 84th year and we are proud to be recognized as one of the top youth sports programs in the country. We take seriously the task of building and passing on the CYO legacy we received that has served young people and families for generations in Northeast Ohio,” Moser said.
According to its mission statement, “CYO inspires young people to know God, to love God and to serve God through athletics,” Moser said. Athletes pray before and after every competition. There are rules that guarantee that every child will play in every competition, along with required coaches training to keep the focus of CYO on developing the mind, body and spirit of every child.
This fall, students in grades 3-8 will be able to participate in CYO cross country, soccer, volleyball, football and tennis.
“We are making preparations for what those sports will look like and we will operate them as safely as possible,” Moser said, while acknowledging that despite their sincere efforts, “we can’t guarantee anything 100%. We’re dealing with a very contagious virus.”
Moser said athletes will be required to self-report any potential symptoms and to follow protocols if they are suspected of having COVID-19. Depending on the event venue, athletes might be subjected to a temperature check before the game, meet or match.
There also will be strict guidelines for spectators, including a limit on the number of people who can be at the event. Spectators will be required to observe physical distancing and to wear a mask or face covering. It is unlikely that bleachers will be available. Those watching outdoor sports like football, cross country or soccer should plan to bring their own lawn chairs or blankets and any refreshments they might want such as water, since concessions likely will not be available.
“BYO to CYO,” Moser quipped, reminding parents to have water or a sports drink available for themselves and for their children – especially on hot days.
In the past, all athletes for a cross country meet would gather at the same time and run in two groups – generally grades 3-5 and 6-8. This year that will be different. Moser said athletes from a given parish will be assigned a time to be at the venue. Athletes from each parish will run against each other by their grade levels and their times will be recorded electronically. When one parish’s athletes leave, the next parish will report for its race and then leave, and so on until all teams finish. The results will be tabulated and shared after that, Moser said.
For football and soccer, Moser said that coaches and spectators will be masked and there will be limited numbers of spectators based on the venue and the sport. Physical distancing will be followed and teams will be tightly monitored for entering and exiting the facilities with as little contact as possible with others.
Inside sports like volleyball and tennis also will limit spectators and have sport-specific guidelines according to safe practices for those sports. Specific times and places for entering and exiting the venue also may be identified to lessen the volume of individual contact.
Tennis, which was a new addition to the CYO lineup this spring, has drawn larger than expected interest, Moser said. “We hoped to get about 30 participants for the spring season, but we got 130,” he said. Unfortunately, the players only got in two sessions in March before the season was canceled by the coronavirus pandemic. CYO Tennis in the fall will utilize certified tennis instructors who know and follow the safety protocols for indoor club tennis.
Tennis will be offered in the fall, winter and spring. For safety reasons, all coaches will be trained and supervised by certified tennis teaching professionals by the United States Tennis Association.
“We will be operating in the safest environment possible while being attentive to state and local guidelines/best practices,” Moser said about CYO sports. “We are monitoring things daily. The guidelines have been coming out in pieces and we’re incorporating them into our procedures as we get them.”
The keys to having a successful and safe season are to manage the risk and take the situation seriously, Moser said.
“This pandemic is a battle of human psychology. We have to change the way we think and the way we act. There is no quick fix for this. It’s hard work and we get it that people are tired,” he said. “But we’re proceeding with a clear focus on our mission and hoping to do what CYO does best: giving young people a fun, holy and healthy sports experience while giving them memories that can last a lifetime.
“Our Catholic Church loves and cares for our young people and families. We can’t wait to have them back safely as soon as possible for another great year of CYO sports,” Moser said.