For immediate release to all league members

 

Effective Immediately the South Jersey Youth Lacrosse League will be suspending the 2020 Boys and Girls Lacrosse seasons for an undetermined period of time.  This action is being taken in an abundance of caution to help protect not only our players but the families of our lacrosse communities during this tumultuous time.  To be clear, this is NOT a cancellation of the entire season.  The Executive Committee will be monitoring the situation and following the guidance of our Local, State, and Federal governments.  It is our hope and intention to attempt to reinstate the season if conditions permit us to resume league contests safely.  We will reassess at the end of March and then periodically after that.  Each club is free to hold practices and scrimmages as they see fit in accordance with their internal guidelines but all league contests are Suspended.  

 

We encourage all SJYLL members to follow proper sanitary procedures and take appropriate measures should they feel sick.  

General guidelines from the CDC to help individuals prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses include:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.

As it relates specifically to lacrosse, here are some additional recommended preventative measures:

• Encourage anyone who is sick (players, coaches, officials, fans) to stay away from activities. Consider encouraging fans with medical conditions (i.e. heart or pulmonary conditions, diabetes) that may make them more at risk for COVID-19 to avoid mass gatherings.
• Avoid handshakes in postgame handshake lines.
• Use good hygiene practices with water bottles.
• Properly clean and sanitize lacrosse equipment.
• Bring hand sanitizer to events.

We encourage individuals to contact their local healthcare providers and public health authorities if they have questions or concerns regarding individual medical advice. Given the fluid nature of this situation, we will continue to monitor information from the CDC, and state and local public health authorities.

Resources

Prevention and treatment from CDC

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention-treatment.html

FAQ from CDC:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html

Cleaning and disinfection recommendations from the CDC:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/home/cleaning-disinfection.html

Advice for the public from World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public

Q&A on COVID-19 from World Health Organization:

https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses