We are seeking your endorsement of the letter below that will be sent to Governor Newsom to advocate for clear pathway and timeline for return to play for youth sports. We will send similar letters to local officials.

Dear Governor Newsom,

Together our organizations collectively serve over 150,000 children and families throughout Southern California. We provide recreational, athletic, and youth development programming that ensures the physical health, mental health, and social-emotional wellbeing of this region’s young people, children who represent every neighborhood, and all socioeconomic backgrounds. In addition to helping young children maintain healthy lifestyles and learn important life skills, our programs also keep teens off the streets and engaged in positive activities with coaches, mentors, and positive role models. Amid a global pandemic, an economic depression, and a reported increase in cases of anxiety, depression, and even attempted suicides, it has never been more important to make available to families those programs that support the health and well-being of our youth, families and communities.

We certainly understand what a difficult time this has been and commend you for everything you are doing to keep Californians safe during a worldwide pandemic. We realize that you have the best science and those to interpret that science at your disposal, and we trust that you use that to best promote public health. That being said, there are many studies and anecdotal information that show outdoor activity in a controlled environment presents little risk to our children. Our group represents a wide array of political ideologies but this communication is not about politics but rather a common mission to do our very best for the children under our purview and the small business that provide this programming to those children and many that are now on the brink of bankruptcy. We believe the broader focus of the experts may have allowed for the value of youth sports to the wellbeing of kids, families, and communities to be overlooked.

Most youth sports clubs, leagues and recreational programs are not for profit (501c3) community service organizations who are trying to balance public safety and the safety of their kids and families with the pressure of keeping their organizations alive through this difficult time. Many did not qualify or could not get PPP assistance and face a year of reduced or no income. Despite these hurdles they are diligently adhering to the regulations even though there are many rogue groups out there going back to normal activity, generally taking no social/physical distancing or recommended precautions to keep everyone safe. The result is the people that are doing things the right way are effectively punished while those that disregard the regulations and public safety are not monitored. Your orders are not being enforced by law enforcement, parks and rec, or departments of public health. Cal South has attempted to monitor activities with limited resources, they have educated, developed guidelines for return to play, and even sanctioned clubs and coaches as appropriate.  

The failure to offer specific guidelines for the safe return of youth sports has left a massive gap in the lives of many families and an opportunity to support the well being of kids, families and communities across the state. There was no direct plan for reopening of youth sports until the August 3rd CDPH order on Youth Sports. This specific order was one page and we assume purposely very vague in nature. We understand the need to allow county and local officials to interpret the order and make determinations based on their own circumstances. However, what has happened instead is mass confusion and parks and schools laying vacant or filled with well-meaning people who have become trespassers or rogue groups engaged in activities despite the regulations. Many areas are still not permitting fields for our organizations to even engage in activities that the state has approved which would allow organizations to offer a meaningful step towards delivering an important community service. This void was further highlighted when you released the county color coding system without any specific reference to youth sports

Our communication with counties, municipalities and school districts through all of this, end when they point out that they are waiting for you to determine what is going to be allowed and when. Yet, while park fields are  open to the public—most with little or no enforcement of social distancing, masks, or crowds— our programs provide the best way to ensure that young people can make safe, supervised use of the fields in a way that adheres to city, county, state, and CDC guidelines and crowd restrictions. 

However, for our programs to exist, they rely on fields and facilities operated by County and City Department of  Parks & Recreation and school districts. Without permits to these fields, our organizations will be unable to offer programming leaving a devastating hole in the lives of tens of thousands of children and young people. With permits, our organizations and other permitted youth organizations can ensure the safe use of parks’ fields in a fashion that can be operated, monitored, and restricted to adhere to guidelines from the state of California. Our organizations and others can support effective contact tracings if cases do arise from within the population, something that is not as easy with unorganized groups using the fields.

Additionally, this pandemic is affecting our underserved, underprivileged communities the hardest. Many of the kids that rely on the programs we provide will just go to parks and to the streets and play on their own. Most crucially, our organizations and others will provide this state's children and young people with vital opportunities for safe recreation, fitness, and play. The parents of these children will thank you for offering the opportunity to choose to return to play if they feel comfortable. Currently, families have no choice. By withholding field permits and a pathway to reopening from our programs, the state is forcing its children, youth, and parents to choose between having no access to recreation or sports or playing on their own in situations that may be crowded, unregulated and less safe.

We urge you to provide a clear pathway and a timeline for return to play that would allow youth sports to provide this vital service. Encourage local authorities to permit their fields for the level of training that is currently allowed by state guidelines. Consider allowing scrimmages and games to take place, under strict guidelines, in the coming months. With many of our programs slated to begin in October, and children and families desperate for opportunities to safely return to play, time is of the essence. 

By providing a pathway and timeline, organizations can once again offer families the essential programming that has been largely absent for the last seven months. If you or someone from your office wishes to discuss this further, we are ready to offer any and all support.

Sincerely,

Anthony Pisicoli, District 4 Commissioner - California State Soccer Association