As more professional sports organizations are moving to reopen, it remains tough to see the impact on COVID-19 on youth sports. Recent CDC guidelines will make it very difficult for sports organizations to reopen in the fall, especially for younger kids - the question becomes how these organizations can pivot, and keep young players engaged (and off their devices) during this time, so those valuable lessons of team sports and competition aren't lost for a generation of kids.
Can youth sports reopen in the the COVID-19 world?
If organizations are not able to keep in place safety measures during competition (for example, maintaining social distancing by keeping children six feet apart at all times), they may consider dropping down a level and limiting participation to within-team competition only (for example, scrimmages between members of the same team) or team-based practices only. Similarly, if organizations are unable to put in place safety measures during team-based activities, they may choose individual or at-home activities, especially if any members of the team are at high-risk for severe illness.