August 17, 2020

Dear ECYSA Members,

As promised, I want to give you an update on the results of tonight's ECYSA Board Meeting. 

At tonight's meeting we discussed the 11 towns that had already opted out of fall travel season, additional towns still in consideration, and the impact of the 10 towns rated Red and Yellow in the Commonwealth's new ranking system.   In addition, we reviewed feedback from some medical professionals, the trend of Covid-19 cases in Essex County, and the modifications to the game mandated by MA Youth Soccer.

All of these factors have led the board to the very difficult decision of not continuing with the planning and scheduling of the Fall 2020 ECYSA League Season. 

We made this decision for a number of reasons:

• The increasing cases of covid 19 in Essex county
• The increasing number of ECYSA member towns rated Yellow and Red
• The decreased value of playing with the significant modifications to the game turning soccer into what one member described as "a game of keep away."
• The overall complexity of implementing and enforcing all of the mitigation and changes throughout the league.

Despite the reality of no ECYSA Fall Season there are still a number of options for you as an organization to provide a soccer experience for your players.

1. Play all of your age groups as an in-town intramural program.
2. Form a mini-league with towns close to you and play games against each other.
3. Operate a series of Grade Group Soccer Clinics throughout the fall or weekly. 

In any case or with any program you decide to run you will need to do the following:

1. Complete the Adult Registration with Mass Youth Soccer for all adults in your program including all board members. This maintains your affiliation, Director and Officer, Cyber and Liability coverage.
2. Register all players who will participate in programs this fall with Mass Youth Soccer.
3. Incorporate all Mass Youth Soccer modifications into your games and scrimmages.
4. Follow all other guidelines for practices and games contained within the Return to Play website of Mass Youth Soccer (https://www.mayouthsoccer.org/return-to-soccer-activities/). 

In addition, if you wish to have certified referees at your games, one of the many referee assignors in ECYSA would be willing to assist you in assigning referees.  (Ben Reed at benrefereed@gmail.com, Jeff Chambers at jsc_soccer@hotmail.com, and Janet Gargan at jlgsoccer@hotmail.com)

We will also be holding an open Zoom meeting for town organization administrators on Monday August 24 at 7:00 PM.  Invite and RSVP will follow. 

These last few months have been unprecedented for all of us and the Covid pandemic has impacted so many areas of our lives including this game we all love.  It is disappointing that we will not be able to play out a normal league schedule this Fall, but our hope is that the limitations and mitigation we practice now will help make it possible to be back on the pitch in the Spring. 

Thank you for all that you do to serve the players in your towns and organizations.  Thank you for your support of ECYSA throughout this time.

I look forward to seeing many of you on Monday.  Please know ECYSA is here to support you even as you finalize what you will do this Fall.

Take Care and Stay Safe,

Dean Sidell

President, ECYSA 

  The link below is a video recording of the ECYSA Town Hall Meeting from August 12, 2020: