Stonington Bears Youth Lacrosse board members are parents, business owners, past lacrosse players and coaches. We are members of the US Lacrosse Organization. Our mission statement is to provide all of our players and members with the opportunity to discover and ultimately embrace the shared passion of the lacrosse experience. Stonington Bears Youth Lacrosse offers our players the opportunity for personal growth and development by teaching the value of respect, fairness, teamwork, communication, responsibility, truthfulness, non-discrimination, honesty and integrity at all times. 

The organization is open to the youth of Stonington, North Stonington, Pawcatuck, Ledyard and surrounding areas that do not have a youth lacrosse organization.

Stonington Bears Youth Lacrosse filed under South Eastern Area Lacrosse is a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation.

Stonington Bears Youth Lacrosse is a member of New England Coastal Lacrosse (http://www.neclax.org)  

Stonington Bears Youth Lacrosse follows these principles:

• HONOR - our game and tradition
• RESPECT - our coaches, teammates, opponents, referees, spectators
• INTEGRITY - work hard and play fair
• PRIDE - in what we accomplish and who we are

COVID Statement and Action Plan

Dear Parents,

First and foremost, we hope that you and your loved ones are safe and healthy. As required by our local towns and US Lacrosse, we have put together a COVID Action Plan. This plan takes into consideration following CDC, CT DPH and CIAC guidance and regulations to protect players, families, and our community.

The health and safety of our athletes, officials, and volunteers remain our highest priority. Below, you will find a summary of actions we are taking to help ensure we are lowering COVID-19 risk as much as possible while also allowing our athletes to play. We are:

• Requiring all parents to sign a waiver acknowledging the risks associated with playing lacrosse and COVID-19.
• Providing additional hand hygiene stations with hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes at our fields for any equipment sharing that may occur.
• Reducing physical closeness or contact between players when possible during practices by allowing players to focus on building individual skills, encouraging safe distancing when not actively in drills, and discouraging unnecessary physical contact such as high-fives, handshakes, fist bumps, and hugs.
• Coaches may help players with equipment only while wearing appropriate PPE. Coaches will stay at least six feet from any individual when using a whistle.
• Requiring that coaches, youth sports staff, officials, parents, and spectators wear a face covering during practices and games.  As a reminder, face coverings should not be placed on children younger than 2 years of age, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the cover without assistance.
• Requiring all players to wear a face covering when not activley playing. For those players who cannot don a mask while on sidelines, we will enforce a 6 foot space rule. Mask wearing will be continuously reviewed with DPH and is subject to change.
• Potentially limiting spectators. Spectators must observe social distancing. Spectators from different households must remain separated.
• Requesting that players do not arrive at the field more than 10 minutes ahead of the scheduled activity and depart promptly upon completion of the activity.
• Requesting that players arrive at practice and games prepared to participate without the need to use a locker room or bathroom to the extent possible.
• Hydration/Food - All students must bring their own, clearly marked water bottle. Water bottles must not be shared. Food must not be shared.
• Limiting the sharing of equipment except when necessary, such as goalie equipment, that will be wiped with disinfectant before and after use.
• Adjusting the rules of the game in accordance with CT DPH, CDC, and CIAC guidance.
• In order to ensure cohorting, “playing up” will not occur.  Our teams will not scrimmage each other and younger players will not be asked to temporarily join another team for a game. For this year, the team a player is assigned to is the team the player will play with exclusively.

Anyone who is sick or has been in contact with someone who has COVID-19— including players, family members, coaches, staff and spectators — should not attend practices or games. Be on the lookout for symptoms of COVID-19, which include fever, cough, or shortness of breath. Call your doctor if you think you or a family member is sick.

If a player does get sick during practice or at a game, that player will be isolated and a parent or family member must transport that player off of the field ASAP.

No player may participate in practices or games while they are awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test.

If a player tests positive for COVID-19, the league president/COVID point person must be notified by email, with the estimated date of the infection. The league will then be able to conduct some level of contact tracing.

Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 will not be allowed to return to practices or games for the full 10 day quarantine period as well as a note from a physician clearing the player to resume participation. This note must be provided to the league president/COVID point person.

If a player needs to quarantine for any reason, the league president/COVID point person must be notified by email with the quarantine dates and whether or not it was a sports exposure.

Anyone who is required to quarantine due to contact tracing of a non-sports exposure, will not be allowed to return to practices or games for the full 10 day quarantine period.

Anyone who is required to quarantine due to contact tracing for a sports exposure will not be allowed to return to practices or games for the full 14 day quarantine period unless they have a negative PCR COVID test no sooner than day 8 of quarantine and have exhibited no symptoms for the duration of the quarantine. If a negative PCR test result on day 8 or later is sent to the league president/COVID point person, the player may return to practices and games by day 11.

If you have a specific question about this plan or feel as though you may not feel comfortable complying with this plan, please contact the me for more information.  We appreciate your cooperation and compliance with these steps as we work to provide the best spring season we can for our players and their families. We are looking forward to seeing you all on the field! Go Bears!!!

Take care,

Stephanie Mastroianni

President