NYC Footy: Managing Meeting Gender Requirements for Free Agent Teams
At NYC Footy, we have very intentionally focused on fostering and building a vibrant and inclusive soccer community by offering leagues that are and always have been mixed gender.
A meaningful part of our community, season in and season out, is made up of individuals and small groups that go on to join teams of total strangers for the joy of the beautiful game. Our mixed gender format is designed to create an environment where everyone can play, compete, and build connections.
At NYC Footy, we have very intentionally focused on fostering and building a vibrant and inclusive soccer community by offering leagues that are and always have been mixed gender.
A meaningful part of our community, season in and season out, is made up of individuals and small groups that go on to join teams of total strangers for the joy of the beautiful game. Our mixed gender format is designed to create an environment where everyone can play, compete, and build connections.
As we continue to grow, we are committed to maintaining the integrity of our league while addressing challenges related to gender balance within teams. As organizers and players, we know that ensuring a balanced gender composition is crucial to providing a positive and enjoyable experience for all participants whilst fulfilling our vision of a competitive but not ridiculous soccer experience for New Yorkers. That is why we have established certain gender minimums for each team, such as having a specified number of female players on the pitch at all times.
However, we recognize that, despite our concerted efforts, assembling teams with sufficient female players can sometimes be a challenge. We want to be transparent about the options available to free agent teams that find themselves in this situation, ensuring that they can navigate the situation with clarity and collaboration.
If registered players made up of individuals and small groups do not, collectively, create appropriately gender balanced free agent teams, and NYC Footy’s additional outreach efforts do not fulfill this need, we have provided the following options for Free Agent Teams without sufficient female players:
[Ongoing] Female Player Referral Program: NYC Footy has a standing referral program that provides a 50% off discount for any new female player introduced to our community by an existing member. That member, agnostic of gender, will receive $50 in NYC Footy credits per new female player introduced to our community (up to $1,500 in credits).
Reduced Female Minimum Grace Period: When registering as an individual or part of a small group, NYC Footy groups you with others to form a free agent team. If your team doesn't meet the required gender minimums before the season begins, we will add an "FAx" qualifier to your team name for the first two weeks. This qualifier temporarily reduces the female minimum by one (1) female for games in divisions where two (2) or more female players are required. After the initial two weeks, “FAx” teams will be expected to meet the standard female minimum by leveraging the following resources:
FootyHQ Player Forum: Each free agent team will have an assigned captain who can access our FootyHQ community forum. In this forum, captains can actively recruit female players for the entire season or for individual games.
Captain's WhatsApp Chat: Captains also have access to the "captain's chat" for their division. This feature allows them to collaborate with other captains and explore the possibility of borrowing female players from other teams..
Female Recruitment Discount Code: NYC Footy provides a discount code to FAx teams, enabling existing roster players to invite female players to join the league at a reduced rate (usually $20 for a full season).
Beyond these tools, we are heavily motivated to explore partnerships and support from female-focused organizations, student bodies, and other communities to encourage female player participation, which strengthens the diversity of our Footy family and ensures our free agent teams are experiencing NYC Footy as it was intended.
At NYC Footy, we value the passion and enthusiasm our participants bring to the field. We understand that challenges can arise, and we appreciate your cooperation and understanding as we collectively work towards strengthening our community and the player experience as a whole.
COVID-19 UPDATE: An important message about NYC Footy leagues
TO SEE OUR MOST UP-TO-DATE LIST OF NYC FOOTY’S COVID PROTOCOLS, CLICK HERE.
January 2022
NYC Footy’s 2022 COVID-19 Protocol
Effective January 1, 2022 thru TBD
Our goal, ever and always, is to create soccer experiences that are fun, safe and memorable. COVID-19 has been a formidable adversary in such efforts, but by planning ahead and staying consistent with our policies, your life will be easier and we can keep the Footy show running.
NYC Footy will operate in compliance with state and city guidelines. As guidelines from the CDC and local authorities shift, so will NYC Footy's. It goes without saying, but we deeply appreciate your patience and flexibility. In the end, we hope we’re all stronger for it.
In preparation for what may be a rapidly changing environment at the beginning of 2022, below is a framework that we have built to best manage the turbulence:
Indoor Activity Protocol
We are committed to you playing soccer during the winter. Our protocol is in alignment with city rules, and in compliance with our venue’s rules.
Plan A: We will move forward, as planned, with all of our indoor and outdoor winter leagues.
Plan B: In lieu of canceling games whenever a facility is temporarily closed due to precautionary reasons, we have paired our indoor facilities with a “sister” outdoor field/facility. This will allow us to keep our community active and leagues running on time. Sister leagues are paired as follows:
Current Indoor Field <> Sister Outdoor Field
Brooklyn Heights (St. Francis College) <> Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 5
Crown Heights (Bedford Armory) <> Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 5
Williamsburg (The Post) <> Sternberg Park
Astoria (Upper 90) <> Astoria Park
Sunset Park (Socceroof) <> Bush Terminal Field
West Village (Greenwich House) <> Pier 40
East Village (Settlement House) <> Pier 40
COVID-19 Safety Guidelines for Active Players
At the Facility/Field:
Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination at Indoor Facilities Only: According to city mandates, all indoor league participants will be required to show a proof of vaccination in order to participate in indoor league play. Some facilities will require that you fill out a form in advance of arrival. Others will need you to present your proof to the front desk at the facility.
Masks: All indoor facilities as of now, require masks be worn upon arrival and while not on the active field of play.
Social distancing: NYC Footy asks that all players keep proper social distance upon arriving at the facility and as much as possible throughout the game whilst not on the field of play. NYC Footy supports teams that decide to avoid post-game handshakes.
Hand Cleaning and Sanitization: NYC Footy encourages all players to clean their hands prior to and after participating in league play (both indoor and outdoor).
We encourage players to not share anyone else’s equipment or belongings, including food or drink.
Post-game: Players must exit the indoor facility immediately after their game concludes.
COVID-19 Exposure Protocol:
We believe in the agency of our players and in a system that relies upon the honor of our members. Thus, participants/staff are responsible for notifying others, self-quarantining and thus not attending their game.
Health Screening Form: Every participant, staff member and player will need to fill out the health screening form that is automatically sent to you hours before your scheduled game(s).
Players or staff that do not pass the health screen will not be able to participate in said game/class.
If someone tests positive for COVID-19: Players and/or staff must stay at home if they have tested positive for COVID-19, show COVID-19 related symptoms or had contact with someone infected with COVID-19.
Those having tested positive, who have shown COVID-related symptoms or were exposed to an individual that tested positive are required to produce a negative test a minimum of 3 full days after exposure (or when a positive test was received) or return after 5 days of quarantine if asymptomatic, 10 days if with symptoms.
Fully vaccinated players that have not tested positive and/or are not exhibiting symptoms need not provide a negative COVID test.
If a participant exhibits symptoms during an NYC Footy event: they will immediately be separated and sent home or to a healthcare facility depending on the severity of the symptoms.
We ask that players follow up NYC Footy on their health status so we can follow proper contact tracing protocol. We will require the participant to provide a negative COVID-19 test and present no symptoms to return to play. Alternatively, the player must sit out for 5 days if asymptomatic, 10 days if with symptoms, in order to return to play.
Contact Tracing: If a player tests positive, shows COVID-related symptoms or was exposed to an individual (player or otherwise) during their gametime, and later tests positive, said player must notify NYC Footy immediately at [email protected].
NYC Footy will notify all players that were in contact with said player.
In accordance with privacy laws, said player’s name and identity will be kept confidential.
If you suspect a player or staff member is not following NYC Footy COVID Protocol, please email [email protected] with details.
NYC Footy Credit Policy
We very much pride ourselves on being a fair operation. We know that paying for soccer requires you to receive soccer. This is why we are working so hard to make sure you do not miss games this season.
Our policy will be as follows:
If guidelines allow us to play at the primary facility or the sister facility, then we will proceed as normal and not process refunds or issue credits to league players.
If we are unable to use a sister field and guidelines do not allow us to play, then players will receive 110% of their prorated value in credits.
As always - Thanks for reading til the end.
Here’s to a safe, fun, and memorable winter season ahead.
February 2021
In anticipation for a full spring season, head on over to our registartion page to see which leagues are available.
November 2020
After a successful fall 2020 season, winter league registration is open. Most of our leagues will be outdoors and all leagues follow strict COVID guidelines.
August 25, 2020
Hi,
We have some very important updates to share about Fall soccer.
Registration for Fall will begin very shortly (details below), but we will not have nearly as many available leagues as we previously thought.
Why Less Fall Leagues?
In short, we've received recent news from Parks that is, to keep with the theme, "against the run of play".
After the Parks Department opened up registration for permit renewals, private facilities began opening up to league play. In reduced capacity, bowling alleys are open, museums are open, schools are opening and many offices are welcoming people back to the office.
However, we received news from parks that, in a decision made alongside city officials, they were going to hold the release of permits for Fall, for the time being.
This suggests that they may approve permits at a later date in September, allowing for a shorter Fall season. But we honestly do not know. There has just been very little information for us to plan accordingly.
In alignment with the Parks decision, Brooklyn Bridge Park, our primary location, will be shutting down their fields this Fall to anyone (not just league play). The good news, however, is that their team has already initiated plans to completely renovate the field. This renovation was otherwise planned for next Spring or Summer, which would arguably have been more disruptive to league play.
The good news: Spring 2021 will see a brand new Brooklyn Bridge Park Field.
What Are Next Steps?
We have already joined a large number of organizations (in the hundreds) petitioning Mayor De Blasio and other city officials to reverse their decision and immediately issue permit renewals for youth and adult leagues to resume play. A move that we all believe is in the best interest of safety and control (currently NYC parks are packed in a disorganized and, presumably, less safe fashion).
There is a lot of momentum behind this right now, with a number of council members supporting the cause.
We have joined their petition, which now has over 7,000 signatures. Please add to that with yours by clicking here (this is different than our petition).
In addition, we have begun a coalition that currently has 7 adult leagues representing tens of thousands of players, all working to get us back on the pitch as soon as possible.
Registering for Available Fall Leagues:
We will be running a handful of leagues this fall at private facilities, although demand will far surpass availability.
This week, we are going to open registration for two facilities:
Thursday nights at Upper 90 Soccer Center in Astoria/LIC.
Sunday afternoons at Upper 90 Soccer Center in Astoria/LIC
Friday nights Hudson River Park, Pier 40
Soon, you may be receiving an invite to register at one of these two facilities. We are going to handle registration in as fair a manner as possible, knowing we are going to leave far too many players without league play this Fall.
Who Is Eligible to Register for Fall Leagues?
The order of invites will go out to people in the order in which they reserved a spot for Fall on our Fall reservation form. Only players and captains who were originally registered for Spring will be eligible.
If there are still spots available after we have invited this group, we will begin inviting non-Spring players that have reserved a Fall spot on our reservation form (in the order in which they reserved).
Each team that is invited will have 48 hours to reserve their space with a deposit. After that 48 hours, a new wave of invites will go out.
What Happens to My Credits?
If you received credits, they will never expire. So, come winter (outdoor, likely) and Spring, you can roll right on into a season.
In addition, you may transfer your credits to another NYC Footy member at any time.
What's Next:
If the Parks Department does issue Fall renewals, you will know immediately of our availability. At that point, if you already registered for one of the 3 leagues above, we will consider transfers.
In addition to fighting for new fields and permits, we are going to use this time to strengthen our programming and hopefully find ways to offer value outside of our leagues. We welcome any and all ideas.
In the meantime, we will expand our weekly soccer fitness & skills program, Footy Fitness. Sign on up for 4 or 10 classes, if interested (you can apply your credits, if you'd like).
Thank you for listening,
Tarek, Gerardo & Joe
_________
July 11, 2020
Hi there,
I can only hope that you are safe, sound and doing everything you can to make the most of the unique time we find ourselves in.
Today, we have some very important updates to share and I'll do my best to be brief about it.
Here we go:
All Credits Have Been Applied!
It took me all week, but I finally got through every single credit applied to captains and free agents.
If you are a team captain or a free agent player, you will now have a credit applied to your account.
Individual players who joined a team paid in full by a captain will not receive a credit from NYC Footy. Your captain will have received the full team credit for all players on that team.
You may use this credit whenever you darn well feel like it. We are not going to put a time limit on them.
To see your credit, you must login to your account.
BBP P1-P5 are the only leagues that had already begun. We have applied a pro-rated credit that only reflects the cost of jerseys to those teams that received them. Week 1 games are not deducted (we'll eat the permit & staff costs for that). Any team that did not receive jerseys will see a full refund applied to their account. If you register for Fall and bring your jerseys, we'll waive the registration balance.
Fall registration will have a two-week window exclusively for Spring teams/players to reserve a spot before the open public.
Please note, we have completed special request refunds for folks severely impacted by COVID (e.g. permanent job loss or permanent relocation). As we look and move forward, in preparation for Fall, we will no longer process Spring refunds. However, we will honor a transfer of credits to a friend through August 15th, for those severely impacted by COVID (e.g. job loss or permanent relocation).
If you are a captain or a free agent player and do NOT see a credit that you feel you are entitled to, please send us a note.
If you are a captain or a free agent and you noticed that I accidentally added a zero to your credit (e.g. 1500 instead of 150), I only ask that you let me know!
Saturday Outdoor Footy Fitness is Back Next Saturday!
In compliance with Phase III restrictions, and after waiting for the completion of a successful week in Phase III, outdoor Footy Fitness will officially restart NEXT Saturday, July 18th at 9:00 am at Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Starting July 18th and for 7 weeks thereafter, we will be hosting outdoor Footy Fitness on Saturday mornings. If you have a COVID CREDIT in your account or your are a registered player whose captain has a team credit on their account, you are also entitled to one (1) Footy Fitness class which we ask you to use during this 7 week window.
If you purchased Footy Fitness classes for Spring, you may start using your class credits immediately. We will honor any balance through Spring 2021. You will also get one additional class for free, but it must be used within the same 7 week period mentioned above.
Each class will have limited capacity will have a sign up form shared prior to each week's class.
All players will be at least 6 feet apart from the nearest player. We ask that you bring your own water bottle, hand sanitizer and a mask (which will be optional during drills).
Fall Registration Starts This Week!
We are going to open Fall Registration "reservations" next week. Because the City Parks, BBP and others are waiting for the final go-ahead from the city before giving out official permits, we will not be accepting payment in the form of credits or credit card during this initial reservation window.
The reservation system will allow us to be prepared to convert all reservations once we get the go-ahead. If, for unfortunate reasons, we do not get the go ahead, then there will not be a need to refund or reissue credits (which would probably send me to the graveyard, after spending all week doing just that!).
Once again, Spring registered players who have a credit will have a two-week window where they can reserve spots prior to any new players or teams.
Stay tuned for the official announcement next week.
The Governors Cup is September 19th!
We have been working with Governors Island and have successfully reserved Saturday, September 19th for the annual Governors Cup. As of now, we are a go. Stay tuned for any possible changes.
Thank you all so, so, so much for bearing with us throughout all of this. We promise to give it our all when we get back out there.
I'm sure I'm missing something in the above. But in the meantime, get out and about and we'll see you soon!
Best.
Tarek, Joe, G
_________
APRIL 28, 2020
Hi Footy Family,
TLDR: Suspension extended, NYC Footy financial situation, future credits being applied to Spring registrations, additional discounts, free Footy Fitness classes, possible FIFA tournament.
I hope that you and your loved ones are quarantining as safely and soundly as possible.
It's been a month since we checked in. Many of you may be grateful for that, after the inbox invasion you received during the ever-changing landscape last month.
Deep down we hoped that we'd be able to pick up again come May. That thought now seems absurd to have ever entered our minds. It's been made clear that the earliest we might see the field is in a month's time. We speculate it will be later...
As such, we are going to suspend the league indefinitely, returning only when we get word from local and state authorities that we are okay to take the field again.
From what we know now, that's an easy decision. What follows is less so.
It's probably stating the obvious that organizations and businesses like NYC Footy have been hit particularly hard during the crisis. Read: the business has been at a complete standstill. No play, no registrations, no income, no outlook. We have also paid in full for our Spring & Summer jerseys & permits.
Collectively, we find ourselves in a very vulnerable financial situation.
I'm sure many of you are asking yourselves if it's appropriate to ask a business like ours for a refund. Of course it is. You've parted with your money and have not received what you've paid for.
When we started NYC Footy, we never expected it would turn into what it is today. That's not an exaggeration or some "look where we are now" sob story. One of the benefits of this outcome is that we've done our best to treat it as a community and not a business. When players got a season ending injury, we'd refund them the balance. If someone had to move unexpectedly, we'd refund their balance. If there were reasonable reasons to request a refund, we'd process the refund (hating your teammates was not one of them).
In light of current circumstances, not actually being allowed to play qualifies as reasonable when requesting a refund. Unfortunately, the situation is far more complicated than any one of us could have predicted. A situation where every single player can feasibly request a refund at the same time and there's no new revenue coming in to support the refunds.
And to top it off, in the middle of writing this email our largest cash sponsor just withdrew their support citing similar financial issues (we have yet to receive any 2020 sponsor dollars).
THE BRASS TACKS
Our truth, unfortunately, is we can't afford to refund everyone for Spring. And having one policy for some players/leagues and a different one for others is not equitable.
As a result, we are going to provide all registered players with a credit for a future league. We know this is the second choice for many of you and thus it's only fair that we provide extra value as a result.
In addition, our original plan was to offer 10% off any additional future league (on top of the one you are credited for), but managing the comms for everyone would be a large administrative undertaking. Instead:
we are going to reduce our league fees for the next two seasons by 10% across the board. This will be in addition to any loyalty discount you've earned as part of our recently released discount program.
we will also provide every player with one free Footy Fitness class when classes return (single classes are $40).
we are going to book our Footy Fitness instructor, ex semi-pro soccer player and certified personal trainer, Josh Osborne, for 10 online Footy Fitness classes, accessible for free by anyone via instagram. Details to follow.
a possible FIFA tournament, if folks want us to organize one. Just click here to say "Yes" or "No". There's also an open-ended question encouraging you to share other COVID-inspired ideas with us.
We've already received so many thoughtful emails about understanding this situation. These notes are beyond encouraging.
We know everyone (well nearly everyone) wants to see NYC Footy kicking about in the future. By keeping your money invested in the league until we can confidently deliver on your investment goes beyond helping us out. It means so much more and we are ever grateful for it.
That said, NYC Footy's survival is not nearly as important as the survival of any one particular member. If your welfare is at stake and a refund is critical, please reach out immediately.
Thank you all so much for being part of NYC Footy. If you feel we could handle any of this in a better way, I hope you know we welcome this feedback (so long as you're nice in your delivery).
We'll all be back on the pitch together again soon.
All the best,
Tarek, Joe, G
_________
MARCH 25, 2020 | 8:30pm
Dear NYC Footy Community,
The uncertainty and anxiety that has riddled my home (and the homes of my friends and family) has most likely found itself living rent-free in your own home as well. The phrase "we are all in this together," has never found a more appropriate setting than this world over the past 2 weeks or so.
I hope you are finding some semblance of peace in this new normal, despite the uncertainty of not knowing how long it will last. For us, an organization that literally brings folks together, we're a bit stir crazy being benched for the foreseeable future. But we are making moves.
On the TMI side of things, we have already paid the majority of our expenses to operate the Spring season, so we will continue to work diligently with our vendors, partners, and parks for flexibility to ensure we are 100% fit & ready to serve our members with the same experience you've come to expect (hopefully it's been a great one) as soon as we are allowed.
Luckily, most of our permits run through the end of August, giving us time to complete delayed Spring leagues.
A few key updates:
Suspension Extended: We are going to extend the suspension of operations at least until the end of April, understanding that, should little change, the suspension may be extended again.
Spring Seasons Will be Completed Before Summer Starts: As was decided with the Premier League, the current season is more important to us than future seasons. Spring leagues will see their completion before starting Summer, even if Spring carries into Summer.
Gov Cup Moved Out: To be extra safe, we are moving The Governors Cup, currently scheduled for May 16th out 8 weeks, to July 11th.
Relive Pleasant Memories: We will begin posting fond memories of BBP Week 1 on our Instagram feed.
Footy Fitness At-Home: If you would like soccer activities to practice on your own, Josh Osbourne, our Footy Fitness instructor, has created a 4-week, 5-days-per-week, written program + a suite of videos for purchase ($200 total). He is also conducting one-on-one ($75) and group ($25) fitness sessions online. As a professional trainer, his career has traditional practice is on hold. So, during this period, NYC Footy will contribute 100% of all revenue earned through Footy Fitness Online (newly coined) to Josh. Hit reply if interested.
Future Tournaments: We are going to prepare more ways to engage the soccer-hungry community once we get the go-ahead to resume activities. This includes a potential charity tournament with our partner, South Bronx United, as well as a coed tournament in Scotland (in partnership with Celtic).
Thank you all and keep stretching (now more than ever)!
Tarek, Gerardo, Joe
_________
MARCH 15, 2020 | 10:00am
Hi everyone,
TLDR: NYC Footy league games are suspended for a minimum of two weeks effective today, Sunday, March 15th (not tomorrow, March 16th).
As expected, more information has come our way. I've been overseas since the start of last week and had I known then what I know now, I would never have traveled (for those who may be wondering, should I get back this week, as scheduled, I will be in quarantine, as advised).
The distance has made it even more difficult to get the sentiment on the ground in NYC, but luckily we've had wonderful players emailing me with excellent intel and strong suggestions. This, coupled with the expectation that the constant changes coming out of our government bodies will continue to happen, has informed an immediate suspension of all scheduled league play, effective immediately.
Our initial decision to begin the suspension effective Monday was to prevent mass confusion across leagues that had only Friday received communication that the games were scheduled (which was based off of the information we had at the time w/r/t government guidelines of no gatherings over 500).
The new news arrived and our notification went out at midnight last night. We know from experience that most folks would simply not get this email and show up. Knowing it meant people would be relatively close to one-another, we still felt that the best decision was to begin the suspension on Monday. We knew this would split opinion. But we felt it would create the least confusion in an already confusion and anxiety-ridden time.
In addition, it appears from the mayor's directive that DoE restrictions will take effect Monday (there was no mention of a date or time or use of the word "immediately"). The next school day however, would be Monday.
Please note, because we expect numerous players to show up at their scheduled times, we will have staff there to facilitate an informal scrimmage for any members of our community that would like to.
Thank you for your understanding. I only ask that if you disagree with our decisions and/or our choice to respond to government directives the way we have, knowing many believe they are too slow to react, that you share those disagreements with us in a polite way.
I don't think disagreements should inform a loss of humanity, especially during a time of incredible anxiety and confusion.
Thank you all,
Tarek, Gerardo, Joe
_________
MARCH 14, 2020: 11:59PM
Hi everyone,
Well, this has felt like the longest week of my life. On Monday of last week, I traveled overseas to attend a close friend's wedding in Ireland, where I am at this moment. If I know then what I know now, I would never have traveled. Information changes at an astonishing rate and we’re all trying to get our heads around it.
Unfortunately, all of my headspace completely consumed on any new information coming out of the U.S., and NYC in particular, that may inform changes to NYC Footy as well as changes to my own ability to get home.
Just this morning, we notified players registered for Spring leagues that we will be postponing the start date for all upcoming leagues to the first (1st) and second (2nd) weeks of April.
However, with news this morning that the city is expanding their guidelines to include any Department of Education extracurricular activities, "such as athletic games and practices, school-wide assemblies, school plays, and recitals until further notice," we've concluded that this new restriction translates to leagues like NYC Footy as well. Thus, we've decided to suspend all active indoor & outdoor leagues for a minimum of two (2) weeks, beginning Monday, March 16th.
Note: Any league play for tomorrow (Sunday, March 15th) will be played as scheduled.
We are beginning effective Monday for two primary reasons.
First, everyone already received communication on Friday that weekend games were on as scheduled in accordance city and state guidelines. We quickly received feedback from a number of teams, sharing whether or not they could make it. Plans were made and sending a midnight email Sunday morning changing all that was just communicated felt like a recipe for mass confusion. I am intimately aware that many players do not check email on Sunday.
Secondly, it appears the city will begin effective Monday as well with their new DoE guidelines.. No date was given. The phrase "effective immediately" is also absent from the directive. Thus, our best guess was extracurricular activities will be suspended beginning Monday.
We will continue to report back to the community with updates, should new information coming out of local, state and federal bodies become available. Things are changing extremely fast (just hours before this most recent announcement, the statement coming from Mayor DeBlasio's office continued the previous narrative around minimizing large gatherings of 500 people or more).
We will, however, make our permitted spaces available for registered league players to use informally.
Be smart, stay safe and please keep in mind that there will be countless communities affected by this pandemic indirectly.
We are privileged to be able use extra income to pay for physical wellness activities like NYC Footy. But there are many marginalized members of our community that will not be directly affected by COVID-19, but whose lives will fall apart by loss of work and the subsequent financial duress that is so successful at tearing apart families and homes. There will be thousands of members in our community out of work, struggling to put food on their table and falling into mental and physical illness as a result.
We are all fearful of COVID-19 spreading to members of our community and it's inspiring to see so many folks come together to do their part. But please do keep in mind that fear has a way of leading towards irrational decisions that have compounding consequences. Consequences that almost always fall on poor and vulnerable communities.
Please keep these thoughts in your mind as things continue to develop.
Until next time (probably in 30 minutes from now),
Tarek, Gerardo, Joe
_________
MARCH 13, 2020
Dear NYC Footy Players,
Like all of us, we are parsing through all of the new information arriving from every outlet in on a daily basis concerning the COVID-19 virus that continues to spread throughout New York, the U.S. and the rest of the world.
We do our best to over-communicate (I know we don't always nail this), so this is a particularly long email, and we'll do our best to separate it into parts.
PART 1: THE CURRENT STATUS OF NYC FOOTY LEAGUES
As founders of NYC Footy, Gerardo, Joe and myself have a responsibility to each and every member of our community. That responsibility is keeping all of you safe, healthy and happy with your experience.
Most often, when significant league-wide decisions are required, we leverage our own expertise and domain knowledge. On extremely rare occasions, events occur whereby we must lean on external expertise to help us make informed decisions that will affect our community. The current circumstances related to COVID-19 are taking such rare occasions to the extreme, and we are leveraging the expertise of scientists, public officials and the agencies responsible for the safety and health of its constituents to make decisions pertaining to NYC Footy.
The following quote sums up NYC Footy's approach to making decisions for our members:
"Since threats like COVID-19 can lead to the circulation of misinformation, it’s important to trust information only from reputable health organizations and government sources" - Yale Medicine (3/12/20)
In getting to the big point fast, as of right now, small gatherings of people outdoors appears to be a a reasonable activity for folks that aren't at-risk or those not exhibiting symptoms. Brooklyn Bridge Park as well as the City Parks, following guidelines from the NYS Department of Health, the CDC, and the Mayor's office, will remain opened to the public. Thus, as of right this very moment, all games are to proceed as scheduled.
We are monitoring this on a day-by-day basis and will make adjustments in line with the city's guidelines. We will communicate with you regularly as new information develops.
We know that not every player in our league or every league in the city would make the same decision. We must take in and respect all opinions and arguments from experts and players* alike, and make the best-informed decision possible. This is what we have done.
*Note, to date we have received only two (2) emails from over 1,000 active players expressing immediate concern over playing.
PART 2: MORE DETAIL INFORMING OUR CURRENT DECISION
As for the dangers of getting your information from non-expert sources (e.g. where false information can spread, like like the subway system shutting down, which, until now, is not true):
"Because the situation is constantly changing, make sure you get your travel advice from credible sources, such as the CDC and World Health Organization (WHO)...There’s a lot of misinformation out there fueling unwarranted fear and anxiety." - Syra Madad, senior director of the System-wide Special Pathogens Program at New York City Health + Hospitals. - AARP (March 12, 2020)
We know that many very high-profile postponements and cancelations have recently occurred, including the temporary suspension of both the NBA and NHL as well as the cancelation of the NCAA basketball tournament. It's extremely important that we separate the impact of such news (extraordinarily large gatherings of players and fans, usually indoors, multiple days a week) from our reality as a small recreational league that brings a handful of people together to play soccer, mostly outdoors.
We do expect that restrictions will increase and may include gatherings like recreational sports, which, according to both public officials and medical experts, remain a low-risk activity. Currently, as most of you are aware, intimate indoor gatherings and very large outdoor gatherings remain a much higher risk. We have yet to discover a reputable publication asking folks showing no-symptoms and haven't traveled to at-risk countries or been in contact with folks exhibiting flu-like symptoms to avoid outdoor activities involving less than 100 people (NY restrictions remain 500 or above).
We are aware that there is growing fear related to COVID-19. We also appreciate that fear quickly accelerates. In response, Governor Cuomo said this: "the facts do not justify the fear in this situation and the facts here should actually reduce anxiety." Whether you (or I) believe him or not, we've already made the commitment to trust our elected officials with respect to this decision.
Even with the increase in cases, and shy of a complete city-mandated lockdown, a gathering the size of our outdoor games, usually with zero or minimal spectators, remains in the spirit of activities folks should continue to enjoy. And until instructed otherwise, we are committed to delivering this service.
PART 3: WILL WE CHANGE OUR DECISION?
We are all extremely aware that this could change overnight and we will stay on top of that. For now, the current statewide mandate is that there should be no gatherings of 500 people or more. The mayor has also said that he intends to keep the subways and buses operating. Most schools will be remaining open as well. So, taking in all of the facts and factoring in the steps our city and state have taken, NYC Footy, as of right this moment, will keep all games operating as scheduled until new information suggests otherwise.
If it turns out that the suggestions coming from experts and state & local government bodies inform postponing our league for an indefinite period of time, we will react immediately to do so and provide all of you with as much information as possible regarding options.
There is uncertainty about the future that we all share. And I'm talking the immediate future. Like tomorrow. But we cannot remain frozen in uncertainty and indecision. We need to continue living, building, creating, surviving, and thriving. It's extremely important to remain active and healthy and do our part as responsible citizens to help us get past the current crisis.
Locking ourselves in our homes may ensure an accelerated decline of COVID-19's impact, but it may mean far more significant consequences elsewhere. So, until the time comes where we are instructed to take greater restrictions, we want to be here as a low-risk outlet for our members.
PART 4: WHAT CAN PLAYERS DO TO MINIMIZE RISK
By now you are fully aware of the CDC recommendations for minimizing risk. In short, please take daily precautions to prevent the spread of disease by practicing excellent hygiene and remaining at home for a number of days, should you exhibit any flu-like symptoms. All admin & staff at NYC Footy are instructed to do the same. Wash your clothes & gear regularly as well.
If you have additional concerns about your safety or those you spend time with, please reach out so that we can do our best to work with you on an individual level.
PART 5: SOME EXCERPTS FROM RECENT ARTICLES
I want to end with some useful facts I've dug out of very recent articles (I'm considering anything before March outdated when it pertains to the COVID-19 virus):
This out of Yale Medicine (3/12/20)
“First, COVID-19 does not transmit as efficiently as influenza, from the data we have so far,” he says. “With influenza, people who are infected but not yet sick are major drivers of transmission, which does not appear to be the case for COVID-19.”
The disease is believed to be most contagious when people are the most symptomatic, and there may be some spread before people with the virus exhibit symptoms, although this is thought to be minimal
Since threats like COVID-19 can lead to the circulation of misinformation, it’s important to trust information only from reputable health organizations and government source
Some useful quotes that also helped inform our decision:
Because the risk of COVID-19 spreading throughout the U.S. community is still relatively low at this time, there is no reason to fear or halt domestic travel plans, said public health expert Syra Madad, who serves as the senior director of the System-wide Special Pathogens Program at New York City Health + Hospitals. - AARP (March 12, 2020)
I think we’re humans and we need human interaction; I think that’s important for our sanity. It’s important to focus on [avoiding] large crowds and indoor activities where you have lots of people touching the same surfaces. - Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security
Thanks for listening, and by all means, feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns.
-Tarek, Gerardo, Joe