1 in 4 Parents Give Youth Sports Low Rankings for Enforcement of COVID-19 Guidelines

The majority of parents feel informed and confident about pandemic protocols when children return to exercise, but some are cautious.

For young athletes, the new normal on football and basketball courts means pre-training temperature checks, wearing masks during matches and a scarce personal fan base.

But that didn’t stop kids and teens from playing. Nearly a quarter of parents say their child participated in school, travel, or community sports during the fall or winter months, according to the CS Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health at the University of Michigan.

And while the majority of parents give their child’s sports organization high marks for safety protocol communication, one in four rate their sports competition as fair or poor for consistent enforcement of COVID-19 precautions.

“As children return to sports, it is critical that teams and facilities enforce COVID guidelines to keep players, coaches and families as safe as possible and reduce the spread of the community,” said co-director Sarah Clark, MPH .

“This is especially important as we’ve seen recent COVID-19 outbreaks among youth sports teams. While most families seem to have confidence in their local organization’s security measures, our report suggests that ensuring compliance with COVID-19 protocols was also challenging. “

The nationally representative report comes just as health experts say that team sports can be a big driver for COVID-19 cases in young people. Anthony Fauci, MD, the top infectious disease expert, said this month that recent school cases can often be traced back to sports.

Parent ratings for school, travel or community sports organizations. Credit: CS Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health at the University of Michigan

Local health departments in several states, including Florida and Minnesota, have also traced outbreaks to youth sports. In Michigan, where COVID-19 cases are on the rise, experts attribute recent outbreaks among youth to extracurricular activities where children spend a lot of time together, rather than exposure to the classroom. Socialization before and after sporting events, including indoor, mask-free gatherings, can also contribute to the spike in youth cases.

The trends have led many schools to pause sports seasons again and return to virtual learning.

Playing in a pandemic

The Mott Poll report is based on responses from 1,630 parents of children aged 6-18 who were surveyed about youth sports participation between August 2020 and January 2021.

Sports participation was slightly higher for older children aged 12-18 compared to younger children aged 6-11 (25% versus 21%), the Mott Poll report finds. Of the parents whose child did not participate in a sport, one in three parents said their child’s sport was canceled, while one in four did not allow their child to participate due to COVID-related safety concerns.

Overall, three in four parents felt that their child’s sports team was usually right when it came to resuming exercise during COVID. About the same number of parents considered the officials too strict versus too mild (13% versus 14%).

The majority of parents also gave excellent or good ratings to their child’s school or sports league for clear communication, fair treatment of children, and listening to their parents’ concerns about COVID-19.

Of the parents whose child participated in one or more sports, more than 90% of the school or sports federation say they have received information about masks and guidelines for social distance for players and spectators.

Four out of five parents also received information about when players should sit outside of training or games after being exposed to the virus, and the same percentage also felt informed about when a child would be able to play again after a COVID-19 diagnosis.

However, testing guidelines rules were sometimes less clear: only 59% of parents saw communication about when players should get tested for COVID-19.

“Parents were largely of the opinion that sports officials have successfully communicated about most of their new COVID-19 policies,” said Clark.

“Communication around COVID-19 tests was significantly lower. It is unclear whether the lack of information was a mistake or if schools and leagues did not have clear guidelines from public health officials. “

“As more youth sports resume, our poll suggests that parents need more guidance on whether, when, and where their child should get tested. This is especially important as the number of cases is increasing among younger people. “

When a child can return to sports activities after a case of COVID-19 is another important decision faced by parents. When asked what they would likely do if their own child had COVID-19 during a sports season, 40% of parents waited the number of days specified in the team or league guidelines, while half would consent to their child to play by a doctor. Five percent would make the decision based on when the child felt good enough to play.

More parents of older than younger children would wait the specified number of days (46% versus 33%), and fewer parents of teenagers would have their child examined by a doctor (44% versus 57%).

Experts say resuming play should be based on the severity of the infection, whether there is a pre-existing medical condition, and whether the child is experiencing persistent fatigue, fever, dizziness, or chest pain.

“If parents rely solely on competition guidelines to determine when it is safe for their child to return to exercise, they may overlook signs that the child has not fully recovered. It is important that parents involve their child’s doctor for specific guidance on resuming sports activities, ”says Clark.

In addition to school or league policies, parents should also strengthen common sense, such as not sharing water bottles or food, and using hand sanitizer during breaks in activity, Clark says. They should also consider their own actions, such as keeping social distance and wearing masks while attending games.

Players and families should also avoid indoor gatherings before and after sporting events, especially with unvaccinated groups.

“We know that sport provides physical and social health benefits for children and teens and is a valuable part of the school experience of many students,” said Clark.

“Unlike many youth activities that have switched to a remote format to meet social distance guidelines, sport cannot become virtual. It is important that both sports officials and families adhere strictly to guidelines that minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission during training and games. “