Now that it’s summer, many of us would be spending time on the soccer field or baseball diamond. Unfortunately, sports leagues have had to pause on their summer season this year. Youth and adult leagues through our city Parks and Recs departments have been cancelled for the season, as well as through organizations like the Boys and Girls Club and Whatcom County Youth Soccer Association.
The state has provided Professional Sports & Other Sporting Activities Requirements, which have sport requirements for Phases 2 and 3. While we are in Phase 2, recreational team practices may resume if:
- Players are limited to groups of five in separate parts of the field, separated by a buffer zone, and
- Practice can follow social distancing of at least six feet between players with no contact.
Sports league alternatives
Although organized sports are not operating this summer, there are other options to keep yourself and your kids active. Some organizations are offering virtual sports camps or training programs, like the Boys and Girls Club, or Challenger Sports. City of Bellingham sports facilities like tennis courts and disc golf courses are also open in Phase 2, and offer a great way to exercise and socialize while maintaining physical distance outdoors.
This is also a great summer to work on training and conditioning. There are many free online resources for conditioning in a variety of sports, like:
If you can take the time this summer to keep up your training, you’ll be in great condition to dive back in once your sports leagues start up again. It might also be a good time to explore other types of exercise, like roller skating, cycling, running, lake swimming, hiking, aerobic dance, or golf.
Staying safe during recreation
Exercising and playing sports involves some risk, and breathing heavily increases the risk because it puts more respiratory droplets into the air. Higher contact sports, like basketball or rugby, should be avoided because it’s still important to maintain distance between individuals. Low or no contact sports are safer, but as always, you should keep up healthy habits and remember to wash your hands, wear a mask when possible, avoid touching your face, and maintain physical distance.