ORWALL COVID Safety Guidelines

As we prepare for the Spring Season, ORWALL encourages all of its Little League managers, coaches, umpires, league officials and families to adhere to the guidelines set forth by our respective state and local government, health officials and Little League International in terms of public gatherings, organized youth sports, and sporting events when attending Little League activities at our park.

We recommend the following general guidelines and practices for all members of the Orwall family:

1. Wash your hands often with soap and water. When soap and water is not available use a hand sanitizer.
2. Cover your mouth and nose with a face covering when around others and keep a six-foot distance between yourself and others.
3. Cover coughs and sneezes and immediately wash hands or use a hand sanitizer afterwards.
4. All players, coaches, volunteers, and spectators should practice social distancing of six feet whenever possible.
5. All individuals should measure their body temperature to ensure that no fever is present. Stay home if you have a fever, cough, respiratory symptoms, or any known exposure to a person with COVID-19. Any personnel falling into this category must be cleared by a medical professional before returning to ANY team activities.
6. Any individual at risk for severe illness or with a serious underlying medical or respiratory condition should only attend Little League activities with the permission of a medical professional.

Parents are encouraged to bring personal sanitizing products such as sanitizer, Lysol spray, Clorox wipes etc.
Parents and spectators are encouraged to bring personal lawn chairs for viewing games and practices

We recommend the following on-field guidance for all players, managers, coaches, umpires, and league officials:

1. No handshakes/personal contact celebrations. Little League International suggests lining up outside the dugout and tipping caps to the opposing team as a sign of good sportsmanship after the game.
2. Players, managers, coaches, and spectators should leave the dugout and stands free of any litter or trash after each game.
3. Players and families should vacate the field/facility as soon as reasonably possible after each game and should avoid any unnecessary contact with players, managers, coaches, and spectators from the next game.
4. Players, managers, coaches, and umpires should bring their own personal drinks to all team activities. There should be no shared drinks or team water container.
5. Team snacks should be individual or pre-packaged food and should not be shared.
6. Managers, coaches and players should assign spots in the dugout or bleachers so that social distancing can be maintained.
7. No personal equipment (batter’s helmet, glove, bat, and catcher’s equipment) should be shared.
8. No sunflower seeds, gum, etc., allowed on the field or dugouts.
9. Social distancing of six feet between individuals should be implemented during all pre-game meetings between teams and umpires. No players are allowed at plate meetings.                                                                                     
10. Umpires are encouraged to keep a safe distance from players as much as possible during game play.
11. Teams should organize parents to assist the managers and coaches in helping the players follow safety guidelines and pre-game and post-game social distancing
12. Players must bring their own hand sanitizer for personal use
13. Each team will use their own game ball during play in the field. The ball should be wiped down in between innings

The following protocol will be in place for any Covid-19 related illness:

1. Coaches, parents, or staff should be watching for any of the following symptoms of Covid-19, but not limited to: Temperature greater than 100 degrees, Loss of taste or smell, cough, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, headache, chills, sore throat, shaking or shivering, body aches, diarrhea
2. Any player, coach, umpire, staff member, and spectators who either have a confirmed positive case of Covid-19, or experiencing any of the above mentioned systems must self-quarantine, and will not be allowed to attend any Orwall or team functions until they meet the return guidelines (stated below)
3. Any player, coach, umpire, staff member, and spectators who have had close contact with any individual who has been lab confirmed positive for Covid-19 as defined by our local health agency, and by CDC guidelines will not be allowed to attend any Orwall or team functions until they meet all return guidelines (stated below)
4. Per CDC guidelines: Close contact is considered to be directly exposed to infectious secretions such as being coughed on while not wearing a mask or face shield, or being within 6 feet for a cumulative duration of 15 minutes while NOT wearing a mask or face shield
5. In the event of ANY player, coach, or anyone with direct contact to the effected team has a lab confirmed positive test for Covid-19 the event must be reported to the manager, please advise when the symptoms first began. The manager must then inform the division director and safety officer via email of the situation. The manager will then contact the team and inform them of the positive result, if any close contact as described above has occurred, the team must follow the quarantine information stated above

In the event of 2 or more players, coaches, or anyone with close contact with the team having symptoms, or a lab confirmed positive case within a 7 day period, that team will not be allowed to attend any Orwall or team functions for a period of 10 days. During this time we ask that players report self-evaluation conditions to the manager

RETURNING TO PLAY:
(guidelines can be found at youth sports operators guide information: https://open.texas.gov/uploads/files/organization/opentexas/OpenTexas-Checklist-Youth-Sports-Operators.pdf)

1. Any player, coach, umpire, staff or spectators may return to Orwall and team activities at a time when all three of the following conditions are met:
   A. At least 72 hours have passed since the recovery of Covid-19 or related symptoms, fever gone without any medical reducing agents.
   B. All symptoms have cleared up
   C. 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared
2. Any player, coach, umpire, staff or spectators may return to Orwall or team related activities if they provide either of the following:
   A. Provide a medical professional’s note clearing that individual for return based on another diagnosis (NOT COVID-19)
   B. Provide documentation of at least 2 lab confirmed negative Covid-19 tests at least 24 hours apart. The acute infection tests needed can be found at https://tdem.texas.gov/covid-19/

ORWALL RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY. ALL MATERIAL IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE BASED ON NEW OR UPDATED INFORMATION RELEASED BY OUR LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS, AGENCIES, LITTLE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL, OR THE CDC.