- Jun 1, 2015
- 501
- 43
When I operate my summer rec. team, I begin practices at the start of May, and players/parents fill out a registration packet (basic info., code of conduct, and health information). Last season (2021), in the beginning, vaccines were not available yet for the 12-18 group. Players were eventually getting them during the season, and I never asked who did/didn't get the vaccine nor did I require it to participate (parents ended up telling me on their own so I was aware, which I appreciated). The town where our field is had its own requirements (masks, social distancing, sanitizing property, etc.), so I defaulted to them, and all worked out well.
This year, with vaccines being readily available and the increase of the newest variant, I feel the same requirements may return (masks, etc). While I don't plan to mandate vaccines, I'm curious of a couple of things:
1.) How other coaches are handling the matter (vaccines) - Do you require knowledge, copies of vaccine cards, or nothing at all?
2.) As part of my "health information" questionnaire, would I be within reason to ask, "Has your child received have a C-19 vaccine?" with choices of "Yes, No, or Yes and a Booster" (specifying that vaccine status would not impact eligibility to play)
(My primary reason for asking - if a mandate/requirement comes down that says "vaccinated" individuals do not have to mask but unvaccinated do, I would want to know who needs to mask up. Again, it would never be held against them, it's more for "CYA" purposes.)
Additionally:
3.) If a player/parent says they "are" vaccinated but it's later discovered they lied/are not vaccinated, how would you handle this? Above all else, player safety is 100% important to me, and these parents/individuals may have endangered my entire team due to their personal choices. I would hate for my entire team to have to be quarantined for any length of time due to the actions of another.
No intention to cause any controversies here whatsoever - I know it's a delicate topic - just looking for some good banter and ideas. Thanks.
This year, with vaccines being readily available and the increase of the newest variant, I feel the same requirements may return (masks, etc). While I don't plan to mandate vaccines, I'm curious of a couple of things:
1.) How other coaches are handling the matter (vaccines) - Do you require knowledge, copies of vaccine cards, or nothing at all?
2.) As part of my "health information" questionnaire, would I be within reason to ask, "Has your child received have a C-19 vaccine?" with choices of "Yes, No, or Yes and a Booster" (specifying that vaccine status would not impact eligibility to play)
(My primary reason for asking - if a mandate/requirement comes down that says "vaccinated" individuals do not have to mask but unvaccinated do, I would want to know who needs to mask up. Again, it would never be held against them, it's more for "CYA" purposes.)
Additionally:
3.) If a player/parent says they "are" vaccinated but it's later discovered they lied/are not vaccinated, how would you handle this? Above all else, player safety is 100% important to me, and these parents/individuals may have endangered my entire team due to their personal choices. I would hate for my entire team to have to be quarantined for any length of time due to the actions of another.
No intention to cause any controversies here whatsoever - I know it's a delicate topic - just looking for some good banter and ideas. Thanks.