COVID-19 and Return to Youth Sports

As communities begin to emerge from stay-at-home orders, the question of return to sports and recreation is on the minds of many people. While professional and collegiate sports may take longer to resume play and allow spectators in the stands, youth sports organizations are hopeful that they may be able to lead the way in restoring a sense of normalcy to everyday life. Given the unprecedented circumstances posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, there is no clear prescription for success, but guidance is emerging to help shape the reopening of youth sports.

Listen to sports medicine experts discuss return to youth sports during COVID-19

In this episode, we will discuss considerations and guidance for reopening youth sports with Julie Wilson, MD, and Aubrey Armento, MD.

Dr. Wilson has previously joined us on season 1 and season 2 of the podcast to discuss the topic of concussion management. She serves as Club Outreach Medical Director of the Children’s Hospital Colorado Sports Medicine Center and is an Assistant Professor of Orthopedics and Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

Dr. Armento is a primary care sports medicine physician at Children’s Sports Medicine Center and Assistant Professor of Orthopedics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

In this episode, our experts discuss:

• What the future of team sports may look like for the next six months
• Recent guidance for organized sports from public health orders in Colorado
• Adjustments that will most likely have to made as youth start to return to sports and the importance of being flexible
• Differences in rules for individual sports activities like cross country running and swimming
• How to help kids balance the competitiveness common in high-level sports with participation in sports solely for the benefit of getting physical activity and social interaction
• Recommendations for face coverings for athletes, coaches and spectators
• Recommendations for returning to competition or practice for kids who have become deconditioned after three months of being out of sports
• Using the 10% rule for ramping up the duration and intensity of activity: each week, increase intensity and duration of activity by 10%
• Mitigating strategies for reducing transmission during soccer matches
• How collegiate-level competitions will be different this year
• Return to sports for athletes who have tested positive for COVID-19
• Guidance for return to sports for young athletes with family members at home who are considered high-risk for COVID-19

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Aspen Institute Project Play Return to Play COVID-19 Risk Assessment Tool
• NFHS Guidance for Opening up High School Athletics and Activities
• A Game Plan for the Resumption of Sport and Exercise after Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Infection
• Cardiac Considerations for Athletes with COVID-19 from the Pediatric Sports Medicine Podcast with Dr. Mark Halstead

Treatment of infectious diseases at Children’s Colorado

Our pediatric experts in the Infectious Disease Program at Children's Colorado provide a breadth of expertise ranging from laboratory-based research to the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases. Pediatricians can treat many infectious diseases, but when unique or different symptoms are present, it’s important to refer to a pediatric specialist. We are prepared and ready to treat patients with suspected or confirmed 2019 novel coronavirus. Our clinical staff has been specially trained on how to identify, isolate and treat patients with this and other contagious illnesses.