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For Participants of Minority Age (Under 18 at the time of Registration and/or Participation)

Must be initialed and signed by both legal guardian and player prior to participation in practice or play.
Athletic Fields COVID-19 Return-to-Play Guidelines and Procedures


The purpose of these guidelines and procedures for the City of Cookeville baseball and softball fields located at Park View Park and Cane Creek Park, are to allow for the resumption of organized league and tournament play in the safest, most protective manner possible, following the recent closure and shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

These guidelines and procedures have been developed to comply with and be consistent with the CDC guidelines, the State of Tennessee Health Department, Tennessee Pledge plan and Governor Bill Lee?s executive orders. These guidelines and procedures are subject to modification and/or change as the responses to COVID-19 change and new orders are issued and/or guidelines are established.

All athletes, parents/legal guardians of minor athletes, coaches, volunteers, tournament directors, officials, league administrators and board members must review and adhere to these guidelines, procedures and policies and must sign and return the appropriate release forms to the City of Cookeville Department of Leisure Services prior to use of the facilities.

League administrators and/or tournament directors must provide complete rosters of all participants, volunteers, coaches, and board members to City of Cookeville to verify that everyone has signed the proper release forms and is aware of the assumption of risk.

Definitions: For the purposes of this set of guidelines and procedures the terminology is defined as follows:

Facility(ies) - Any and all of the athletic fields ? singularly and collectively, and the surrounding support buildings, structures and observation areas owned and maintained by the City of Cookeville, specifically those located at Cane Creek Park, Cane Creek Sportsplex and Youth Sportsplex located on West Jackson Street and Park View fields located on Scott Avenue in Cookeville.

Practice(s) - A scheduled, planned and organized activity of an athletic team at one of the fields located at the Facility.

Game(s) - A scheduled, planned and organized competition between two teams on one of the fields located at the Facility.

Tournament - A series of games with multiple (three or more) teams planned, organized, scheduled and coordinated by a tournament director.

League(s) - An organization planning, scheduling and supporting a group of sports teams that hold practices and play a series of games against one another over an extended period of time at the Facility.

Participant - players, coaches, umpires, volunteers and all other persons that occupy the facility for a practice, game or tournament.

Team(s) - a group of players and their coaches who practice and/or play together on the same side (or team).

Social Distancing - maintaining six feet (6?) of separation between participants utilizing the facility.

General Guidelines and Procedures for Practices and Games
1. All practices and games must be scheduled in advance and approved by the Leisure Services Director.

2. Teams and/or players/legal guardians who have not signed and submitted a release form will not be permitted to participate.

3. Practices and games MUST be scheduled with 30 minutes of time between activities. There shall be 30 minutes between the end of the previous use before ?taking the field? for the next scheduled use.

4. Incoming team members must clean and sanitize the dugouts and shared touch surfaces prior to team member occupying the dugout and field.

5. For practices, only one team at a time per field may occupy the field and dugout areas.

6. Social distancing must be observed at all times. League administrators and/or tournament directors shall be responsible for enforcing social distancing of players and observers. Social distancing is defined as six (6') feet of separation between individuals unless there are multiple individuals of the same family.

7. Masks should be worn by all persons not actively participating in practices and/or games, including volunteers, spectators, and coaches not in the field of play

8. Coaches, players, league administrators and tournament directors must employ measures to reduce shared equipment use. If players are to share equipment, each piece of equipment, with the exception of game balls, must be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized prior to the subsequent player's use. (helmets, bats, gloves, catching equipment, etc.)

9. Each participant, including players, coaches, umpires, spectators, league administrators, should be screened for COVID -19 symptoms at arrival each day of facility use. (See screening questions below). If the participant answers yes to any of the questions, that participant should leave the premises immediately and not return until they demonstrate a negative test result for COVID-19. If a participant becomes sick during an activity at the facility, that participant must leave the premises immediately. No person may enter or otherwise participate with a body temperature of 100.4 or greater.

10. Leagues and Tournament directors must collect and maintain a list of participants for each day of use - including contact information for contact tracing.

11. Report confirmed cases of COVID-19 of any player, coach, or member of a player or coach household to the league president and the respective facility owner (city or county) within 24 hours of confirmation.

COVID-19 Screening Questions
1. Have you been in close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the past 14 days? (Note: This does not apply to medical personnel, first responders, or other individuals who encounter COVID-19 as part of their professional or caregiving duties while wearing appropriate PPE.

2. Are you experiencing a cough, shortness of breath or sore throat?

3. Have you had a fever in the last 48 hours?

4. Have you had new loss of taste or smell?

Guidelines and Procedures on Field, During Games and Practices
1. No team water coolers or shared drinking stations permitted on the field or in the dugouts.

2. Spitting is strictly prohibited. Sunflower seeds are prohibited.

3. No physical contact ? no high fives, fist bumps, or hand-shakes including congratulatory line-ups after games.

4. Teams, leagues must allow team members not in the field of play to be outside of dugouts and off the field of play during a game to allow space for social distancing.

5. During baseball and fast-pitch softball games, the home plate umpire must be positioned behind the pitcher and maintain at least six feet of separation.

6. During games, game balls must be replaced with a NEW ball every two innings.

7. Coaches, players, league administrators and tournament directors must employ measures to reduce shared equipment use. If players are to share equipment, each piece of equipment, with the exception of game balls, must be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized prior to the subsequent player's use. (helmets, bats, gloves, catching equipment, etc.)

8. Do not congregate or linger after practice or games. Leave the premises as soon as possible.

9. Teams are responsible for providing and using disinfectant on touchable surfaces in their assigned dugout prior to occupying the dugout.

10. Teams shall provide and dispense hand sanitizer liberally amongst their respective participants. One adult individual provided by the team shall employ a rule of "Every Player and Every Coach - Every Inning" for dispensing and using hand sanitizer.

11. Scheduling - For practices and games schedule at least 30 minutes between the practice/game end time and the next practice/game start time. No team player, coach or equipment is allowed to occupy the team dugout until the previous team has fully exited and the surfaces have been cleaned and disinfected.
Failure to comply with field use guidelines may result in loss of field use privileges.
Waiver and Release of Liability
In consideration of being allowed to participate in athletic program utilizing City of Cookeville facilities, related events and activities, the undersigned acknowledges, appreciates, and agrees that:
1. The risks of injury and illness (ex: communicable diseases such as MRSA, influenza, and COVID-19) from the activities involved in this program are significant, potentially life-threatening, and while particular rules, equipment, and personal discipline may reduce these risks, the risks of serious injury, illness and death do exist; and,
2. I knowingly and freely assume all such risks, both known and unknown, even if arising from the negligence of the releases or others, and assume full responsibility for my, or my minor child?s participation; and,
3. I willingly agree to comply with the stated and customary terms and conditions for participation. If, however, I observe any unusual significant hazard during my presence or participation, I will remove myself from participation and bring such to the attention of the facility administrator immediately; and,
4. I acknowledge that I am aware that there are risks to me and/or my minor child of exposure directly or indirectly arising out of, contributed to, by, or resulting from: An outbreak of any and all communicable disease, including but not limited to the virus ?severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)?, which is responsible for Coronavirus Disease (COVID 19) and/or any mutation or variation thereof; and,
5. In consideration of having the opportunity to participate as either a director, league administrator, player, coach, team volunteer or team affiliate, I am aware of and willing to assume the risks associated with this activity, I hereby voluntarily agree to waive, hold harmless and indemnify the City of Cookeville and its trustees, agents, volunteers, and employees from any and all claims, demands, damages and causes of action of any nature whatsoever arising out of ordinary negligence which I, my heirs, my assigns or successors may have against them for, on account of, or by reason of my participation in the activities on City of Cookeville owned fields and properties. I indicate my agreement to this hold harmless elective noted below.
I HAVE READ THIS RELEASE OF LIABILITY AND ASSUMPTION OF RISK AGREEMENT, FULLY UNDERSTAND ITS TERMS, UNDERSTAND THAT I HAVE GIVEN UP SUBSTANTIAL RIGHTS BY SIGNING IT, AND SIGN IT FREELY AND VOLUNTARILY WITHOUT ANY INDUCEMENT.
This is to certify that I, as parent/guardian with legal responsibility for the participant named below, have read, understand, and have explained the provisions of this waiver/release to my child/ward including the risks of the activity and his/her responsibilities for adhering to the rules, regulations, guidelines and procedures. Furthermore, my child/ward understands and accepts these risks and responsibilities. I agree to indemnify and hold harmless the City of Cookeville and its trustees, agents, volunteers, and employees from any and all liabilities incident to my minor child?s/ward?s involvement or participation in these activities as provided above, EVEN IF ARISING FROM THEIR NEGLIGENCE, to the fullest extent permitted by law.
 

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