Spring Hill Little League COVID-19 Best Practices 

 As the primary local Little League Baseball organization in the City of Spring Hill, our first and only priority is the safety and well-being of all players, coaches, families, and spectators. The Board of Directors of Spring Hill Little League have diligently been monitoring the status of the COVID-19 effects on our local community. This document will highlight some of the suggested guidelines set forth by the State of Tennessee and the Governor’s Tennessee Pledge for youth sports leagues along with Little League International’s “Best Practices on Organizing Season Resumption Guide.”

We are requesting all team and league volunteers, along with each player and parent to ask the following questions:

• Have you been in close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the past 14 days? (Note: This does not apply to medical personnel, first responders, or other individuals who encounter COVID-19 as part of their professional or caregiving duties while wearing appropriate PPE.)
• Are you experiencing a cough, shortness of breath or sore throat?
• Have you had a fever in the last 48 hours?
• Have you had new loss of taste or smell?
• Have you had vomiting or diarrhea in the last 24 hours?

Practice recommended social distancing to the greatest extent possible—“Further is safer”

Coaches, players, officials, volunteers, and spectators who exhibit COVID-19 symptoms (i.e., answers “yes” to any of the screening questions or  is running a fever) will be directed to leave the premises immediately and seek medical care and/or COVID-19 testing, per Tennessee Department of Health and CDC guidelines. We will follow all  HIPAA law to maintain the confidentiality of health information

All coaches, players, officials, volunteers, and spectators should stay home if feeling ill. Report any symptoms of illness and confirmation of COVID-19 positive case in league household to league ASAP. VOLUNTEERS who are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 according to the CDC (e.g., due to age or severe underlying medical conditions) are encouraged to refrain from participating in the league this season.

Players/Coaches:

• Should maintain at least 6 feet of separation from others when not on the field of play or otherwise engaged in play/activity, where feasible
• Should refrain from high fives, handshake lines, and other physical contact with teammates, opposing teams, coaches, umpires, and fans. Coaches should regularly review social distancing rules with athletes. In place of the after-game handshake, each team will line up on the first base and third base line and tip their hats to each other. That is a well-known form of respect through the MLB.

Spectators:

• All spectators are encouraged to maintain at least 6 feet of separation from others not from the same household, including in seating areas or bleachers, and refrain from entering athlete areas. Space will be provided on each side of playing field if you would like to use your personal seating or you will have the option to utilize the bleachers provided
• Coaches, umpires, and officials are encouraged to wear face coverings if in close proximity to others or if using a projected voice within 15 feet of others
• Spectators are encouraged to wear cloth face coverings, when maintaining appropriate distance from other spectators is not possible and if using a projected voice within 15 feet of others
• Encourage all athletes, coaches, and officials to wash or sanitize their hands upon arriving and leaving each day, and encourage spectators to do the same. Athletes and coaches should regularly wash their hands
• Athletes, managers/coaches, and umpires/officials should bring their own personal beverages to all athletic activities. Drinks should be labeled with the person’s name. If a parent or coach provides beverages for the team, utilize single-person containers and label for each athlete
• Individuals should take their drink containers home each day for cleaning or use single-use bottles
• Avoid shared or team beverages
• Athletes should bring individual, pre-packaged food, if needed. Avoid unpackaged shared team food
• Avoid eating and spitting seeds, gum, other similar products
• Any personal beverage bottle left in the dugouts will be thrown away at the end of every team’s game

Around the complex:

• Staff or volunteers should conduct regular disinfecting and/or perform inspections of high-touch surfaces, equipment and common areas of the facility using disinfectant cleaning supplies according to CDC guidelines.
• Hand sanitizer and/or hand washing stations with soap and running water should be readily accessible
• Limit the number of people present in bathroom facilities at any one time to reduce potential exposure within those confined spaces, and ensure that sanitization is occurring at increased intervals

Resources

Tennessee Pledge: https://www.tn.gov/governor/covid-19/economic-recovery/noncontact-sports.html

Little League® Best Practice: https://www.littleleague.org/player-safety/coronavirus-update/season-resumption-guide/best-practices/organizing-playing-watching-games/