School Partners
As your school partner, Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital is ready to help you and your kids have a healthy school year.
Back-to-Sports FAQs
How can athletes safely engage in team sports?
How and how often should my athlete’s equipment/gear/jerseys be cleaned?
What are the best water bottle practices?
Can my child carpool with their friend to a game?
How can we integrate physical activity into virtual learning days?
How can athletes safely engage in team sports?
Athletic participation, particularly for our youth, is a critical health and wellness issue. While it is not possible to eliminate all risk of infection or furthering the spread of COVID-19, the current science suggests there are many steps we can take to reduce the risk to athletes, coaches and their families.
Here are some key recommendations
- Anyone who is sick must stay home.
- Hand hygiene is essential. Ample use of hand sanitizer (at least 60% ethanol or 70% isopropanol) is key, as access to soap and water will be limited on most fields of play. Every athlete should always have a bottle of hand sanitizer easily accessible in their sports gear.
- Limit exposure to COVID-19. Tactics include frequent hand washing, coughing into your elbow, disinfecting all touched surfaces, social distancing, avoid touching eyes, nose, face and mouth, no spitting, gum chewing, etc.
- Social distance as much as possible. No team huddles should take place. No handshakes or fist bumps should take place. Stay 6 feet apart as often as possible (in the dugout, on the bench, during instruction).
- Face masks are key. Coaches, officials, referees, umpires and all staff should wear masks or face coverings. Athletes should wear masks or face coverings while not exerting themselves (in the dugout, on the bench, during instruction).
How and how often should my athlete’s equipment/gear/jerseys be cleaned?
Our current recommendation is that any and all equipment that does not absolutely need to be shared should be brought to the practice by the individual athlete, stored in an area at least 6 feet distant from others and then taken home by that individual.
Jerseys/clothing: Any jerseys or clothing used during the activity should be washed daily and shouldn’t be shared with other players during the workout. A trip through the washing machine with regular detergent will be fine to disinfect any clothing items.
Sports equipment: Any equipment used during activities should be disinfected with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certified products between each use. Equipment with smooth, or non-fabric surfaces, can be cleaned with a disinfectant wipe. And fabric, or “non-smooth” items (shoes, cleats, pads, etc.), can be cleaned with a disinfectant spray such as Lysol.
Tip: Any balls that must be shared (basketball, baseball, soccer ball, etc.) should be disinfected as much as feasible during the activity.
What are the best water bottle practices?
All individual athletes will be responsible to bring their own water bottles, which should be clearly marked with their name. DO NOT SHARE WATER BOTTLES DURING PRACTICE. As we all know, proper hydration is a critical component of healthy sports participation.
Tip: Send more water than you think. Gallon jugs marked with the athlete’s name in permanent marker can be an easy solution to make sure your athlete has access to safe water.
Can my child carpool with their friend to a game?
Carpools can be an important transportation option for families as kids head back to sport. Here are a few recommendations to optimize safety while carpooling:
- Mask up while in the car.
- Keep a consistent carpool group to minimize potential exposures.
- Seat passengers as far apart as the vehicle will allow.
- Roll the windows down (weather permitting) to keep fresh air circulating through the car.
How can we integrate physical activity into virtual learning days?
Physical activity is critical for both our mental and physical well-being. Now, more than ever, exercise is essential to help cope with the many changes and new stresses we are facing. We recommend that kids get 60 minutes or more of physical activity a day. It is critical that a time is prioritized during the day to get away from the screen, get outside and move around.
Exercise comes in many forms: a walk or bike ride around the neighborhood, a family competition or physical challenge, a hike at a local park. Borrow equipment to try out a new sport and find something fun that your child seems to engage with.
Family involvement is an important part of establishing these habits. Our children emulate what they see from us. While it may be difficult to find time for this after a long day at work, it is absolutely critical for our children’s well-being.
Tip: One great resource for different ideas about keeping kids active is the NFL Play 60 initiative with the American Heart Association. They have a great website with plenty of family activities and tips on how to get moving.