youthfastpitch

Update May, 20th, Thursday…NAFA is proud (and cautiously excited) to announce NAFA Summer Camps, as well as our tournament schedule. First,you can get ur team on the fields this weekend and during the next 2 weeks on weekdays as we have created NAFA Summer Camps thanks to the Chehalem Parks & Rec. The goal is to provide coaches and players with an opportunity to get back on the field in a manner that meets Phase 1 requirements for a Summer Camp. Camp sessions are 90 min. long, require the Coach to be ‘certified’, and require certain player information for every session. This is a simple, 10 minute process which can be done on the website: https://www.youthfastpitch.org/summer-camps.html. Elle Zober has put a lot of time and thought into designing and creating the new website, as well as helping us create a Summer Camp program that gets the players back on the field. Elle will be running the Summer Camp, which will run as long as we are in Phase 1, and possibly beyond. Please contact Elle directly with questions/concerns: 503-929-4314, ellezober@gmail.com. A lot of time, effort, and research has gone into the planning process. We have reviewed the operating plans of tournaments and clubs around the country and created a NAFA Back to the Fields Guideline which works to a) meet the requirements of local, state and federal guidelines, and b) provide a controlled approach to playing softball in the safest way that current circumstances allow. The NAFA Back to the Fields Guidelines is on our new website: www.youthfastpitch.org If you plan to play in a NAFA tournament or attend NAFA Summer Camp, you will need to read through “Back to the Fields”. Second, when you read the Back to the Fields Guidelines, you will notice that some things need to change to meet the current Phase 1 requirements/guidelines. We want to encourage those who do not wish to comply with social distancing measures or changes to gameplay, to continue to stay home. This is a choice we understand and support. Equally, we invite those who wish to play, to embrace these guidelines, and abide by them. We encourage you to understand that every tournament around the country has a similar guide with the same, or similar, protocols. Remember, too, that this is a fluid and living document which will CHANGE as we move through Phase 1, Phase 2, etc., where restrictions are lifted and social distancing measure are relaxed. Stay safe and play NAFA. Our tournament signup website is still active at www.youthfastpitch.com We hope to begin tournaments in phase 2 on the june 6-7 weekend. ………………………………Update on Tuesday, May 19th, Ill update the tournament schedule on Thursday, May 21st which will include new August and September Tournaments in addition to Sunday Fall League. Newberg’s Chehalem Parks and Recreation District has allowed us to provide state approved summer camps daily starting on Thursday, May 21st during the week and on weekends and continuing in phase 1 every day and night May 22 through June 5th, until we begin our regular weekend tournaments in phase 2 on June 5th(estimating events with around 100 people will be allowed but that is a guess) which starts Friday, June 6th-Sunday June 7th. People that already have credits with us for tournaments may use those for the daily Summer Camps and will be given first rights to register their team for a camp session. The summer camp guidelines ollow a square footage approach for each field.The Summer Camp details(groups of 10 on a field—for teams larger than 10 the state allows you to have another group spaced away from the main group of 10 on the same field- it could also be 6 and 6 or 10 and four but the groups must stay separated during the camp and members of the solid groups can only be switched 1 time per week) will be posted here as well tomorrow but we are planning to run them every 90 minutes(staggered so groups enter at different times using social distancing and following all other oregon state summer camp guidelines). We are working on the costs today but anticipate them being around $120 for a 90 minute camp session with your NAFA background check approved coaches as instructors after we certify them to be camp instructors. Each parent will sign a covid-19 waiver for their child to participate and agree to hold harmless NAFA and the Chehalem Park and Recreation District from being sued and acknowledge that they and their child could catch the virus or any other virus and spread it to others at home and may suffer any other injury including death. Camp staff will will masks and gloves. Players shall wear masks into the facility and are allowed but not required to wear them while on the field while participating in drills. Camp session times will be spaced so thatgroups do not enter at the same tim and kids will wait in their cars until the appropriate time to enter to maintain social distancing. When the session is over they shall immediately return to their cars in masks maintaining social distancing. The restrooms shall be open and no more than 2 people at a time in a restroom. The Concession stand(when open) shall be with ONLY prepackaged items and drinks and all staff shall follow state guidelines with masks and gloves. All staff and participants will be required to answer the state mandated health questions before entering the gate. If any staff or participant at any time answers the questions with a negative answer or begins to show signs or symptoms they will be quarantined and their parents contacted to retrieve their child. All contact tracing elements will be followed.