EDP Soccer announced Thursday that it has delayed the start of its league season until at least May 15.

Here is the letter the organization sent out to administrators, coaches and team managers:

 

EDP Soccer: 2020 League & Tournament Updates and Protocol

April 23, 2020

Dear Club Leadership, Coaches and Team Managers,

As we noted last week in our 2020 Tournament Schedule Update, our return to competitive youth soccer will depend on multiple approvals by health, local and state officials. The same rings true for our return to EDP League play.

As always, our first and highest priority is the health and safety of players, referees, spectators, club officials and event staff. We share your eagerness to return to the field and will be ready to do so when the time comes.

In accordance with US Youth Soccer’s programming and advisory notice, issued on April 15, 2020, EDP Soccer is delaying the start of the league season until at least May 15. With that date in mind, you can CLICK HERE to view a few scheduling options, which are being considered based on when it is safe to resume League play.

You can also see our current tournament schedule by CLICKING HERE.

As part of our Register with Confidence initiative, EDP Soccer is undertaking a comprehensive review of best new health and safety practices, all of which are designed to put safety first and set a new standard of event management. Below is an initial list of protocols we will implement at our upcoming events:

  1. Maintain “social distancing” throughout the venue.
  2. Anyone with symptoms is asked not to attend activities.
  3. All individuals are urged to sanitize their hands before, during and after activities.
  4. Prohibit avoidable contact (i.e. handshakes, “high fives”, etc.).
  5. Remind players and spectators to avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth with hands.
  6. Players are not advised to share water bottles, drinks or food.

In the coming days and weeks, EDP Soccer will be working with various health officials to establish additional health and safety protocols for both League and Tournament play.

Your feedback is extremely important and will play a significant role in shaping our leagues and tournaments now more than ever. As we get closer to the return-to-play date, we will distribute a survey to collect your feedback to help us deliver solutions that best fit your needs.

Like most of you, we will be monitoring governmental guidance on a daily basis and look forward to getting onto the fields as soon as we can. In the meantime, please stay safe and healthy.

Sincerely,
Jen Marcella, Executive Director of Leagues, EDP Soccer
Don Rawson, Executive Director of Tournaments and Facilities, EDP Soccer

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.