Hope Soccer Updates

Covid Safety Measures – Updated March 7, 2021

As you know, we all wear masks everywhere we go.  At this time it would appear that the CDC guidelines and the Mecklenburg County Guidelines which ALL soccer organizations have to follow would include wearing mask on the field. This includes absolutely everyone including our soccer league (which uses CMS fields and parks) and every team in it, such as the YMCA, CSA, MH, Clt Jrs, and others. We’re all in the same boat.  So please have a mask for your child when you come to practice/games. 

With CMS meeting this week, on Tuesday, March 9, to allow more students to go back to the classroom, and with CMS Sports beginning to allow spectators at soccer games, we hope that these requirements will soon change not to require a mask. We will keep you informed.

Covid Safety Measures 

Please watch our video below to learn about some of the Covid Safety Measures we’ll be doing this season.  In order to be able to do these things, we’ll need your help and your commitment to doing these things before and at every practice and game.  We can’t wait to see you on the field!

List of Covid Safety Measures

In playing with Hope Soccer Ministries, this season, we ask you to commit and promise to follow these safety measures designed for the safety of our players.  We believe these safety measures are in everyone’s best interest. 

Safety Measure 1:   PARENTS MAKE SURE YOUR CHILD HAS NO SYMPTOMS.

Parents, we’re counting on your help to make sure that your child, or anyone in your family, has no symptoms.  If you have any doubt, or exhibit any sickness like symptoms, even if they are allergy related, please don’t come.  Take the day off. Make sure you’re well before returning to practice.  This is a promise that all of our coaches, players, and parents have to commit to doing.  This promise and commitment to following it is in everyone’s best interest. 

Safety Measure 2: TEMPERATURE CHECKS.

When you arrive to practice, before you’ve left your car, one of our coaches will do a temperature check. Once you get the “green light”, you’ll walk down to the field and join your team and coach. 

Safety Measure 3:  SMALL GROUPS AT PRACTICE.

All players will stay within their team only.  Most teams, depending on age have between 7 and 15 players, which limits the number of people our players will have contact with.  

Safety Measure 4:  TEAMS PHYSICALLY SEPARATED. 

We’ve rented the field and organized it with a lot of physical distancing in mind.  This means that if more than one team practices on the filed at the same time, each team will be very much distanced from other teams so players interact only with their teammates and their coaches only.  Our teams who may be on the field on the same time will not exceed 50 people which is the current guideline for NC Phase 2.5. 

Safety Measure 5:  STRATEGIC DRILLS. 

In the beginning of our season, although soccer is a contact sport, we will focus on drills that don’t necessarily require physical contact. Drills will be designed by our coaches to focus on conditioning, possession, ball control, field awareness and strategic awareness.  These strategic drills are designed for the safety of players and also in accordance with the Park of Pineville Guidance which is also in compliance with NC Phase 2.5.  We will continue to monitor local guidance closely and adjust our strategic drills accordingly.  

Safety Measure 6:  REMINDERS. 

Our coaches will remind our players of these safety measures while we’re on the field, and remind players not to give each other high fives, or hugs, or team celebrations.  Also as a reminder, our coaches will use our team chats that everyone is familiar with to remind our players and parents to check for any symptoms before arriving for practice/games. 

Safety Measure 7:  PERSONAL WATER BOTTLES AND HAND SANITIZER. 

We will no longer have water and water cups at practice. We ask that each player bring their own water bottle and that they wouldn’t share it with other players.  Also, please bring your own hand sanitizer to prevent unnecessary sharing. 

Safety Measure 8:  ALLOWING TIME FOR TEAMS TO LEAVE AND ARRIVE

We will schedule our practices so that we have plenty of time for a team to leave before another team is scheduled to arrive.  Our U14s and U18s will start practice at 7pm once all the younger teams have finished practice and left the field. 

Safety Measure 9:  IF ANYONE DEVELOPS SYMPTOMS

With all the safety measures we’ll be following which are in everyone’s best interest, we would like to acknowledge that there is still a risk of getting Covid when you are in public places.  If any of our players test positive for Covid, we’ll inform all the players of that team and will stop practices and games for 2 weeks within that group. 

Covid Safety Measures – En Espanol!

One of our coaches talks about the Covid Safety Measures in Spanish. 

We Have Reserved The Fields For September 15, 2020

At this time, we have reserved the fields where we usually practice, starting on September 15, 2020.

We are still awaiting Gov Cooper’s announcement scheduled for September 11.  We hope that he will move NC to Phase 3 at that time.

At this time registration is OPEN for our returning players.  If you would like to reserve a spot, PLEASE REGISTER HERE. 

We are currently evaluating internal league options and awaiting to hear from leagues around town for our different age teams.

The latest update on CMS High School Sports is that they are planning to start practice for 2 sports, Cross Country and Volleyball on September 14.  You can see that article here.

We Anticipate That We WILL Have a Season – FALL 2020

Hi Hope Soccer Families,

We’ve missed you! We look forward to seeing you on the field soon! 

We wanted to give you an update about our FALL 2020 Season.  We anticipate that we WILL have a season.

Currently, it seems that many of the organizations, such as the Soccer League we play in, the YMCA, and other soccer teams are waiting for Gov. Cooper’s announcement on AUGUST 7.

We anticipate that after this announcement, decisions will be made about the safety procedures on the soccer field.

As soon as we know more about these measures, we will give you an update – likely a day or two after August 7.

We anticipate the season will start in early September, which is about a week later than usual.

FULL CREDIT REMINDER 

Just to remind you, if you played with us last season – Spring 2020, you will receive a FULL CREDIT for this FALL 2020 Season.  You would have to pay $0.00 dollars.  

One of our U14 Moms, Joyce, called me this weekend with an idea for the boys. Over the last couple of months, I’ve received similar requests from other parents as well.

Joyce would like to add a “small group” option to our teams.  We love this idea!  We think it is particularly important for the teenage boys to have a place to hang out with their soccer friends off the field.

We find this idea to be very inspiring, so we are starting a “Hope Youth Group” for the U14 and U18 teams.

This is completely voluntary.  It is also FREE. 

Joyce told me that she is very excited to become our first “Hope Group Mom”.  As such, she will serve this ministry with her whole heart and help with whatever the “Hope Youth Groups” may need.  Being a mom to a 13 year old boy, she is very passionate about this opportunity to serve!  

Obed one of our U14 dads said he will be very happy to serve also.

Full Credit For Next Season

Hi Hope Soccer Families,

We’ve missed you!

We miss our practices, our games and all the joy that soccer brings to our lives!

We’re happy to let you know that everyone will receive a FULL CREDIT towards next season!

We view it as just continuing our season that got paused because of covid19.

This way, once it is safe to play, and permissible to do so in NC, we will just pick up where we left off.

You will NOT have to pay any fees to come back and play with us next season, in the Fall of 2020.

If you are not ready to come back to play in the Fall, you can keep your credit for the Spring 2021 season.