I have written posts in the past about a great program called Soccer Shots. We took a break from this for a while because of Cornoanvirus. We have now started again in a revamped program that could best be described as Soccer Shots Coronavirus.
So what is different about Soccer Shots Coronavirus? At its core, the program remains unchanged. Soccer Shots was always an activity that occurred outdoors with a fair amount of social distancing built-in. In this new version, everyone wears a mask all the time, there is a more detailed check-in program, enhanced sanitation, and a renewed emphasis on social distancing between all the participants.
Soccer Shots is a franchise so every franchise operates by the same basic rules. The devil is most likely in the details. That has never been more true than now with every location having to adhere to different rules regarding Coronavirus.
Where I live in Portland, OR, we are still in a pretty strict quasi-lockdown mode. The general rule is if you go inside or are near people outside you need to wear a mask. If not you don’t need to.
Soccer Shots Coronavirus seems to fall somewhere in-between. It would seem that out of an abundance of safety they are practicing pretty strict safety guidelines.
It could also be that they are doing this to increase business at a time when people may be hesitant to partake in group activities especially when their children are involved.
What is New With Soccer Shots Cornoanvirus
The first thing I noticed was the “mask zone”. The staff had set up signs all around the soccer area which stated that masks needed to be worn before entering that area. The next thing I noticed was all the kids that were there for Soccer Shots coronavirus!
This could be a result of having so few activities to choose from over the last few months or it could be the normal number of kids that would be here without the virus.
In any event, it certainly seemed that the model of Soccer Shots Coronavirus was working quite well given the turnout. From this point, the proof is definitely going to be in the pudding. I was curious to see how the classes would actually play out with new restrictions in place.
Another big difference I noticed is that they split the class into two groups. There were two different instructors there to make sure that each class had the same experience.
There’s no way for me to know if this would’ve happened anyway just because of the size of the class that was there but it certainly seemed that it was not an overwhelming number of kids and one coach could’ve handled it on their own. Another nice touch by Soccer Shots Coronavirus if you ask me.
The “New” Soccer Shots Experience
We now live in a world where everything that was at one time “normal” is now off-limits or simply not available. What I was impressed by with this new Soccer Shots coronavirus was the fact that it seemed little had changed.
Sure everyone was wearing a mask but if you did not take that into account, you would not know anything had changed. There were some subtle differences but certainly nothing the kids were noticing and nothing that was in some way lessening their experience.
One example was that there was no more sitting in a circle in a shoulder-to-shoulder fashion. Each child had their own colored ring on the ground that was their area to stand while the coach was instructing and they were not involved in the play. The next change was there was not a group huddle and chant that normally marks the end of a session. They had a variation on this, but it was much more socially distanced (and no high fives!)
What About The Gameplay
Once they were done with solo drills and instruction, the kids did eventually play soccer. It was usually in a two-versus-two or three-versus-three format just to limit the number of kids. Yes, they were getting pretty close to each other and yes they were breathing hard and yelling a great deal (as kids are want to do). So this would seem to be the most “dangerous” part of the class in Soccer Shots coronavirus.
You ultimately have to decide for yourself if this is worth the risk. For me, since they are all outdoors, they are all in masks, and there are not that many kids involved, the risk is acceptable.
Is Soccer Shots Coronavirus a Good Idea?
This is probably a bigger question than just about this soccer class. In a perfect world, we all would stay six feet apart from each other every minute of the day. That is the safest thing to do. It does not make for a very fulfilling life, especially for kids.
So if you are going to let kids engage in “kid-like” activities” you must assess the risk versus reward of the activity. For me, Soccer Shots Coronavirus is one of the few things I find on the acceptable side of this scale. It lets kids interact with other kids, have some fun outdoors, and teaches them valuable skills all while maintaining a relatively safe environment.