Youth Sports May Restart Practices In Chester County, With Rules

CHESTER COUNTY, PA — Chester County will allow youth sports teams to restart this summer, so long as they follow specific health guidelines. The move comes shortly after neighboring Montgomery County determined that they would allow baseball and softball teams to practice in the yellow phase, with certain restrictiosn.

Chester County said they considered both health concerns and the mental and physical health benefits of organized sports in reaching their decision.

“The move to permitting organized sport practices is reliant on the diligence of organized sports leaders to protect the safety of coaches, players and families,” Jeanne Casner, Director of the Chester County Health Department, said in a statement. “But so too is the cooperation of coaches, parents and players in keeping the whole community safe.”

This is despite guidance issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Health regarding practices, which states that "formal practice and competition" is only allowed in the green phase. But because no competitions are taking place, Montgomery County is considering their restricted practices as "summer programming."

No competitions are permitted in Chester County in the yellow phase, similar to Montgomery County. Competitions must wait until the green phase. It's not yet clear when southeastern Pennsylvania counties will reach that mark.

Lawmakers and community leaders in many parts of the state, including Bucks County, have been pressuring the state to allow youth sports to resume. Together with legislators, youth sports organizations have put together detailed proposals on how they want to move forward.

Regulations in place in Chester County, based on CDC guidelines, include:

• No spitting or chewing gum
• Practices must be limited to 25 players and coaches or less
• Spectators, parents, and volunteers must remain distanced from practice area
• Temperature screenings of all players and coaches must take place before practice
• Modify practices so players can work on individual skills, and if groups are required, keep groups small and do not mix groups
• Do not share equipment
• Coaches should wear face coverings
• No sharing of water bottles
• Prepackaged or box food instead of buffet or self-serve
• Staggered use of restrooms and locker rooms
• Include signage to remind all of healthy behaviors
• Carpool only with members of the same household

Chester County has seen 3,198 cases of coronavirus and 301 deaths as of Thursday morning.