Hello Everyone, We have made the hard decision to not have a Fall 2020 season. We take the health and safety of our players, volunteers, and spectators very seriously. With the new guidelines from the Governor's office and IDPH released on July 29th, and in accordance with our AYSO National guidelines, we are unable to have a fall season. If possible and within state guidelines, we are looking to plan and hold some age specific camps this fall. Please watch our Facebook page for more information. If you received a coupon code from our Spring cancellation, we will be sending you a separateemail with more detailson that. For the few folks that did pay already for our fall season, we will issue you a full refund right away. Everyoneelse that only registered for the waitlist, you have not been charged a fall fee so we will simply just cancel your registration. Just like everyone else, 2020 has been a very difficult and challenging year for us as a board. We exhausted all possible options and have waited until the last possible date to make any decision for both spring and fall seasons. Please be safe and we look forward to seeing you on the fields next year! Sycamore AYSO

The Region 718 board is working on ways to safely have our Fall 2020 program!

As of 7-6-2020, we have made some changes so please read through this page. 

  -  We are looking to begin practices on 8-17-2020 for one week.
  -  We are looking to start games on 8-24-2020 and end by 10-1-2020.  
  -  We will only start play once given the OK by state and local agencies.

Notable Changes:

  -  Changing the normal during week practice and Saturday game schedule.  We will NOT have games on Saturdays.  ALL games will be during the week on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.  We will have a week of practices and have games in place of practices thereafter.  We are doing this to reduce the amount of people at the fields at any given time so that we can meet the guidelines set by IDPH.  We will attempt to have every team play 2 days during the week and those days will change on a weekly basis.
  -  There will be NO picture day
  -  There will be NO end of the season tournament.  
  -  Face masks or shields for coaches and AYSO volunteers during games and practices are mandatory.
  -  Traditional uniforms will not be issued for the fall.  With the reduced timetable, only T-Shirts will be provided.  Parents must provide socks and shorts for their player.  
  -  Every parent or legal guardian must fill out the Return to Play Waiver form on behalf of their child and all volunteers.  This form must be signed and can be found under our Covid-19 Page: Return to Play Waiver
  -  If IDPH or the Governor's Office move us back to Phase 3, the fall season is canceled.  We will NOT suspend play and wait the 28 days to return to phase 4.  
  -  If the Sycamore School District 427 suspends in-person classes or IHSA or IESA suspends youth sport activity, our season is canceled.  
  -  After we order uniforms for the players and if the season gets canceled due to Covid-19, a prorated refund will be issued.  Please refer to the Fall 2020 Registration Procedure for refund information.  
  -  No refunds will be given if your player gets Covid-19 and is unable to play or finish out the season.

What we are doing as a region:

  -  Being very open with communication. If we have a participant who tests positive for COVID, that information will be communicated while maintaining confidentiality regarding health status and the player name. 
   -  Schedule practices and games with social distancing in mind. Staggered start and end times.  It may require shortening practice times as well as games.
  -  Being sensitive and accommodating to parents who may be uncomfortable with returning to play at this time.
  -  Create a communication plan for region to members.  Create a communication pathway for parents to communicate their
concerns or questions with region leadership.  Open communication and understanding is key. 
  -  Send reminders to families ensuring that only healthy participants attend and reiterating expectations and guidelines.
  -  Gloves will be provided for field set up and take down. 

What happens in the event of a player or household member tests positive for Covid-19:

  -  When ANY member of the household has tested positive for Covid-19, that player must get a physician's clearance for them to return to play.  That player must also follow ALL CDC and IDPH guidelines including isolating for the required amount of time according to CDC and IDPH guidelines.  Proof needs to be submitted for a return to play and please submit that to Kevin Toedter
  -  Kevin Toedter (Regional Commissioner) must report to city, county and AYSO board officials when a player or their family tests positive for COVID.

Coach Responsibilities: 

  -  Coaches should maintain social distancing requirements from players and family members.
  -  Wearing your own face mask or shield for the duration of the practice and games is mandatory.
  -  Ensure all players have and handle their own labeled equipment (ball, water bottle, training disks, etc.).
  -  Coach should be the only person to handle coaching equipment (e.g.: cones, disks, etc.); do not let parents or attendees assist.
  -  Hand sanitizer or hand-washing on arrival, mid-way, and end of training session.  Region will provide hand sanitizer to each team. 
  -  No shared equipment in use. 
  -  No physical greeting of players (verbal acknowledgement is expected).
  -  Parent/Guardian must complete health questionnaire form prior to each practice and game.  
  -  Collect ALL forms prior to each scheduled practice or game.  If the player does NOT give you the required form, that player is not allowed to participate for that day's events.  
  -  Stay positive and create a fun environment in this new normal.
  -  Report to board Regional Commissioner if parent states player or family member tested positive for COVID. 

Parents/Spectators Responsibilities:

  -  Ensure your child is healthy. Check for COVID symptoms and test child’s temperature before departing for soccer practice (if               above 100.4, do not attend).
  -  Parent will have a health questionnaire form to complete and give to the coaches when they arrive for every practice or game.  If the parent does NOT bring the form, the player is NOT allow to participate in the practice or game.  These forms will be held by the coach unless we get notified of a positive Covid-19 test.  Attendance tracking is required to help with IDPH trace protocols if needed.  All forms are kept in confidence and will be turned in weekly and kept by the board.  ALL forms will be destroyed by Kevin Toedter (Regional Commissioner) on 12-1-2020.  This will allow plenty of time from the end of the season incase anyone develop s symptoms.  
   -  Face masks or shields are recommended at all practices and games.  Abide by social distancing guidelines while at games.  Designated areas will be marked on the field and must be followed.    
  -  Recommended that all equipment (ball, cleats, shin guards, etc.) are sanitized before and after every practice.
  -  Each player must have their own hand sanitizing products with them at every session.
  -  Notify your Coach or Regional Commissioner immediately when your child/player or family member test positive for COVID. 
  -  Do not assist coach with equipment before or after training.
  -  Check Region and Coach communication regularly.
  -  Abide by social distancing and new spectator layout.  
  -  Immediate family ONLY can attend the games and must ALL sit together.  There must be at least 6ft of distance between you and the next family.   
  -  We are ONLY allowed 50 spectators at each field per game or practice.  There also has to be at least 30ft between each group of 50 people so please limit the amount of people at each game that comes.  Please do NOT allow your children to run around.  

Players Responsibilities:

  -  Inform parent or coach if they feel sick.  
  -  Wash hands or use hand sanitizer before and after training.
  -  Bring and use your own labeled hand sanitizer at every session.
  -  Do not touch or share anyone else’s equipment.
  -  Practice social distancing, place bags and equipment at least 6 feet apart.
  -  No sharing drinks or use of water fountains at facility (players should mark their own water bottles).
  -  No physical greetings with their teammates (verbal acknowledgement is expected). We are physical distancing not social.
  -  No handshake before or after the game is allowed.  
  -  When the player is NOT playing, they must wear their face mask.  

Here is our typically procedure for our registration process:

• Open early registration for at least 5 weeks at a discounted rate
• After the discounted rate has expired, we allow an additional 2-3 weeks for registration
• Close registration to allow us to make teams.  This process typically take approx 1-2 weeks to complete.  
• Order uniforms.  We typically have a 4-6 week lead time to receive uniforms for our season.  
• During this time, we find all of our coaches that we need for our teams.  In the fall we typically need at least 120+ coaches and that would give each team a Head and Asst Coach.  
• Have our coaches meeting, pass out roster and uniforms.
• Have a few nights for equipment pickup
• Start practices 2 weeks before our first game.  

Fall 2020 registration procedure:

• Open wait-list registration ONLY for 2 weeks on July 6th.  No payment will be taken at that time. If you want to play fall soccer, you will ONLY have 2 weeks to register for the wait-list.   
• Once we have enough coaches to create a team, we will activate the first people that registered for the wait-list plus the coaches child to make a full team.  Typically we put 5 players on each 5U and 6U team, 7 players on 8U, 10 players on 10U, 12 players on 12U, 18 players on 14U/15U and 18 players on 19U.  
• After we activate the required number of players to make a team, you will receive an email stating that your child has been activated to play fall soccer.  Once you receive that message, you will only have until 7-31-2020 to pay for fall soccer.  If you do not pay by 7-31-2020, we will cancel your child's fall registration and activate the next child on the wait list.  That player will only have until 8-7-2020 to pay for fall soccer. 
• Make teams from 7-21-2020 through 7-31-2020.  
• Order T-Shirts on 8-1-2020.  You will be responsible for black shorts and soccer socks.  
• Get coaches to take their online training courses.
• Have a coaches meeting to go over all new policies and procedures on or about 8-12 or 8-13 and hand out the player shirts, rosters and equipment needed.    
• Start practice the week of 8-17-2020
• First game the week of 8-24-2020

As you can see, this time table is very condensed to start the fall season and there is a ton of work to do from when we open registration.  We also have a deadline as well to order uniforms.  If we do not have all our coaches by July 21st, we will be forced to cancel our season.  Remember, we will need to order shirts by 8-1-2020 to get them in our hands by 8-10-2020.  If you can coach, remember to register at the same time as you register your child for the waitlist.  

Our fee for the fall 2020 season is $50.00 per player (plus a $2.75 website convenience fee) for 5U-8U and $65.00 per player (plus a $2.75 website convenience fee) for 10U-19U.  This fee breakdown is as follows: $12.00 per player for the Park District, $20.00 per player for our National dues, $18.00 per player for Uniforms and the $2.75 convenience fee.  The region received a sizable donation which is allowing us to reduce our fall fee which is making up the $25.00 per player reduction in fee.  The $25.00 per player reduction typically covers equipment needed, players awards, vision 20/20 payment, coaches background screening, training and other region misc. expenses. 

Our refunds will be as follows:  Prior to 8-1-2020, a full refund minus the $2.75 convenience fee charged by our website.  From 8-2-2020 to 8-22-2020, full refund minus the convenience fee of $2.75 and the uniform expense.  The uniform cost will be made public once we have our final invoice.  After 8-23-2020 or after we start our first game, no refund will be issued.  No refund can be issued because once we have our first game, we cant get our $20.00 National Fee back, the uniform expense or the Park District fee.  If a refund has to be issued, they will ONLY be issued towards the original credit card used to pay the fee.     

We understand that this time table is very condensed and not ideal but we just received the return to play and IDPH guidelines when we entered Phase 4.  

Player Covid-19 Tracking Form
Return to Play Waiver
AYSO National Updates
What to do when not on the field
IDPH Guidelines for Phase 4 Return To Play
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released guidelines for returning to youth sports.
Covid-19 Information From The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention