I first want to wish each of you and your families all the best and I hope this finds you healthy!
The State of California has announced that effective February 26, 2021, youth sports may be reopened for play. Cal North, along with our member leagues and clubs, has been planning for this day for nearly a year, and we are excited that Return to Play has officially arrived.
The California Department of Public Health on December 14th, 2020 issued guidelines for youth sports (pdf). Based on the information contained in the guidelines, California aims to reassess the return-to-competition by January 4th, with January 25th, as the earliest possible start date for inter-team competition. In addition to these key dates, the guidelines also cover a range of topics to assist in future planning, including Sports Risk Profiles that classify different sports by their level of contact and transmission risk, and a new four-tiered system to identify sports by the level of contact and risk.
We are very happy to announce that we are now accepting rule change proposals. Based on our democratic governance model, member organizations are entitled to submit proposed changes to the Cal North Constitution, Bylaws, General Procedures, and Specific Rules. Proposals will be voted on by Cal North affiliated members next spring at the Cal North Annual General Meeting. This is your opportunity to make a direct impact on how Cal North works.
Since our inception in 1969 our mission has been to make soccer the preeminent game in California, and this includes bringing the game to all communities including those who are disabled and underrepresented. We hope to encourage you to participate in two amazing opportunities this month, (1) The Women In Soccer Summit and (2) US Disability Soccer Month. Both events are free and interactive.
This past Labor Day weekend, Cal North hosted its first State-sponsored event since the onset of COVID. Keeper Wars Ink staged one of their "City Tour" regional events at our Morgan Hill complex. We had twice the number of applicants we had hoped for. Casey Clark, former Cal North player, professional goalkeeper, and owner of Keeper Wars Ink, and his troops staged an excellent competition, meeting all required health protocols set by State and local health authorities.
