**Soccer Club of Newington Platform Change**

An Important Message from U.S. Soccer Federation

With the increasing number of cases of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) being reported across the world, U.S. Soccer's leadership has reviewed and will continue to monitor all domestic programming and competitions. As part of this review, we are working closely in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and international agencies including the State Department, United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), International Olympic Committee (IOC) and FIFA in real time to guide decisions on travel and participation. Our main priority is the safety and well-being of our players, coaches and referees and we will continue to update you as the situation requires.

Best Practices for Health:
There is currently no vaccine to prevent the Coronavirus. The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed. Everyday preventive actions should be taken:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
• Follow the CDC's recommendations for using a facemask.
• CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including Coronavirus.
• Facemasks should be used by people who show symptoms to help prevent the spread of the disease.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.

Additionally, there are a number of different resources and communications from the CDC regarding the Coronavirus that you can watch HERE.

Our primary commitment and focus at all times is the health and safety of our U.S. Soccer family.

Over that past several years, awareness has developed concerning the impact concussions can have on long term and developmental health, especially in youth athletes.  In partnership with the CDC, the U.S. Soccer Federation implemented a program of concussion awareness inline with the CDC's HeadsUp program.

Soccer Club of Newington, and CJSA, strongly support this program and have all spent time ensuring awareness for our staff.  All coaches are mandated to complete training on policy and procedures in case of a suspected concussion. 

For info on the HeadsUp program, and what you can do as a parent, head to the HeadsUp Program website.

The Soccer Club of Newington takes the health of our players very seriously, and not just the physical health.  The SCN believes in the complete physical, mental, and emotional health of our players as well.

While we can't consider ourselves trained counselors, the SCN has endeavored to prepare the coaches to notice signs of abuse, neglect, or endangerment, and have trained on how to act in such suspected cases.  SCN has joined the US Center for SafeSport, an organization committed to enabling everyone to understand the impact of such endangering behaviors and providing resources for reporting. 

Recently, the State of Connecticut change state statutes to include coaches and volunteers in the list of who is considered a mandated reporter.  As the SCN had already joined with SafeSport, we as an organization were prepared and committed to providing a safe environment for our players, and had embraced the State changes.

For more information and what you can do to help prevent physical, mental, and emotional abuse, head over to SafeSport.