Jonathan Walsh probably never thought his duties as a soccer referee and administrator would have put him on parent patrol, at least not like this. But there he was Aug. 23 at Parker Ranch’s field with a pandemic-era reminder for families: stay off the lawn.
Mayor Harry Kim’s latest rule halving the number of people allowed at a competitive sporting event to 50 prompted the Hawaii Youth Soccer Association to restrict spectators from its contests.
“With the maximum players, coaches and referees, that gets us to about 46-47 people a game,” said Walsh, the HYSA Big Island president. “We told parents they can go to games but to stay in their cars.
“I had to chastise a few people and tell them to please stay in their car. We had people sitting on the tailgate of their truck, and they stepped down on the grass, and I said, ‘No, you can’t step down on the grass. You have to stay on the bed of your truck.” ’
“That’s just where we are right now,” Walsh said.
HYSA was perhaps the first Big Island sports organizations to hold contests once Kim’s ninth emergency rule allowed competitions to return July 20, and Walsh said the Department of Health lauded HYSA’s adherences to procedures and guidelines. However, after holding contests on five weekends, the league has shut down for at least two as COVID-19 cases continue to spike.
There were 39 new cases Saturday on the Big Island, bringing the active total to 152.
Walsh said a player was linked to the virus via contact tracing, and though a test result was still pending during a phone conversation Thursday, Walsh said, “Parents started getting nervous.”
“If cases stay the same, we’ll continue to shut down. If cases drop, we’ll consider opening up again. The last thing we want to do is be responsible for the spread of the virus.”
With high school sports on hold indefinitely statewide, HYSA was believed to be one of the few, if not only, organizations holding regular organized competitions on the Big Island. Walsh said HYSA leagues on Oahu and Maui had yet to return to play.
Kim’s latest restrictions, effective Aug. 21, also cut the number of people allowed at practices from 35 to 25, though most HYSA Big Island teams have stopped practicing anyway. A few of the larger teams will have to split practices into two groups under the new guidelines.
While his organization was up and running, Walsh said 95% of the league was following the rules – which included spraying the bathrooms with hydrogen peroxide, using hand sanitizers, temperature checks and social distancing.
In one instance, Walsh said, a representative from the county came to a club practice and took a photograph to document a break in protocol.
“We had players aggregating after a drill,” he said. “It can be hard for players that they can be in close contact and competitive, and then one minute later you have to return and stand around and be feet 6 apart.
“It can be hard to explaining that to an 8-year-old.”
