May 1, 2020: NTH sent members the following e-mail:
MEMBER UPDATE: Letter from Dave Smith, Executive Director regarding COVID-19 and evaluation of return to play
May 1, 2020
Dear members,
As Georgia and a number of other states and local jurisdictions begin a phased return to normalcy, NASA Tophat (NTH) has been doing extensive research and planning for our return to play. We continue to take the lead and guidance from Federal, State and Local authorities.
In addition, NTH has established a Healthcare Advisory to our Board of Directors that is in place to provide updates, guidance and feedback on the current evolving situation. These individuals are dedicated healthcare professionals and members of our Club and we appreciate them volunteering their time and expertise.
US Club Soccer has targeted May 18th as the date they hope to return decision-making authority to their local leagues. This is subject to change, of course, but it is the hope that we can begin to sensibly return to the fields after that, subject to some requirements and recommendations. US Youth Soccer has extended their time guidance to continue through May 15th when it will be reassessed.
The return to play decision is a difficult one. We understand how important it is for players, coaches, and parents to get back on the fields again. However, we need to exercise caution and continue to abide by public health experts’ guidelines hygiene, physical distancing, facemasks, etc.
NTH is proud to have been able to take care of our club staff and coaches as we have continued to pay them during this difficult time. Additionally, we have been able to maintain our facilities and fields in order to be ready when we can again return to play. We have been meeting extensively to plan for the return to soccer this spring. Those plans included a condensed recreational season as well as tryouts, depending on the return to play date. If we get pushed into the summer, we will have free recreational camps for all our recreational players. We thank all of our members for their continued support.
We are currently drafting our plan which will incorporate a phased in approach to returning safely to the fields for our players and parents. When play does resume at our club, NTH will require compliance with safety measures that adhere to the CDC and federal and local governments. We will share a comprehensive list before returning to play.
We will continue to monitor the situation and follow up soon with our return-to-play decision and guidance.
Sincerely,
Dave Smith
Executive Director