I hope this message finds you and your family healthy and adapting to new ways of doing things amidst COVID-19. At Wilton Youth Field Hockey, we are working diligently to work within all current recommendations on returning to field hockey responsibly, while also creating a positive learning experience for your child. As such, our fall 2020 program will look a little different than it has in recent years. We are very excited about the offerings we have been able to put together and hope you can be a positive messenger as you outline these adaptations to your child(ren).
WYFH Return to Play Protocol
The following outlines our current plans for each grade level for WYFH Fall 2020. As the science is rapidly evolving and COVID-19 trends around us can change very quickly, we ask that you remain flexible as we adapt with the changing landscape.
Fall 2020 WYFH Program of Play:
Grades 1&2: At this age level, engagement and focus on the players enjoying their time while learning basic field hockey skills is our objective. Given the need for social distancing during much of practice, at this young age we think it most responsible to allow our youngest players to adapt to school before stepping onto the playing field. Depending on current trends locally and the adaptations our older players make to the new protocols, we plan to offer a limited number of clinics for 1st and 2nd graders as the season progresses. Please stay tuned for additional details on these clinics as we cannot wait to get your kids on the field and learning field hockey!
Grades 3&4: For the safety of players and coaches alike, we will break 3rd and 4th grade players into small teams at the start of the season. These teams will not be adjusted once the season has begun. We will keep players in these small groups only. We will offer one practice a week, where teams will share a field but be kept in their small groups of 7-12 players. We will not travel to playdays with other towns as the season starts, but rather use our Saturday turf time for a combination of clinics and in-house playdays. These playdays will be structured in much the same way as they were in years past, simply moving to playing wilton teams rather than opposing towns. We are confident that the players can develop a solid field hockey foundation and have a wonderful fall experience in this format. During water breaks and as players enter the playing field, they will be directed to their team and remain in their small groups throughout.
Grades 5&6: For the safety of players and coaches alike, we will break out 5th and 6th grade players into small teams of 7-12 at the start of the season. No players will change teams once the season has begun. Rather than transition to a full field playing experience as we have done with our 5th graders in years past, we will continue in-house games on a modified field. On a smaller field and with fewer players, each participant will get a greater number of touches in practice and at games and will also have a low player:coach ratio for excellent practice instruction and skill development to take their play to the next level. We will begin the season with two practices during the week and 1-2 games against another Wilton team on the weekend. Depending on current trends locally as the school year gets underway, we will consider 7v7 games against other towns mid-season. During water breaks and as players enter the playing field, they will be directed to their team and remain in their small groups throughout. Please note that we will be giving all players reversible pinnies this year. As a result of our decision to play games in-house, there is not a reason to purchase a uniform this year.
Grades 7&8: With the health and safety of our players and coaches at the forefront of our mind, while allowing the girls excellent coaching and opportunity for growth we will be combining 7th and 8th grade players into teams that are as equitable as we are able. These small teams of 7-12 players will not be adjusted once the season has begun. We will not hold tryouts this year. We are very excited by the level of coaching and player:coach ratio each player will receive in this new format. Players will continue to practice twice weekly with 1-2 games each weekend. As the season begins, all games will be against other Wilton 7th and 8th grade teams. Depending on current trends locally as the school year gets underway, we will consider 7v7 games against other towns mid-season. During water breaks and as players enter the playing field, they will be directed to their team and remain in their small groups throughout. As a result of our decision to play games in-house, there is not a reason to purchase a uniform this year.
Pre-Season Camp: Unfortunately the pre-season camp we typically offer will not run this year as we are unable to offer this while maintaining the cohort groups of small teams once the season begins.
As a WYFH Board, we are thrilled to have found a balance of offering field hockey in a responsible way, while remaining true to our player development mission of growing the game. We are awaiting confirmation of all field availability and will follow up as soon as we can with start dates and times by team. We expect to align start dates with the first full week of school. We recognize that some of these changes will be disappointing for players. We hope you can help these players understand that this wasn’t our initial plan for the fall and we understand their sadness, but equally that we think this new format has many positives for their player development and that we cannot wait to see them out on the field again! We recognize there are a lot of changes from years past, but feel these offer an excellent combination of attention to all health and safety protocols keeping the health and safety of our players and coaches as our primary focus, while also offering excellent opportunities for all players to have a high-quality learning and playing experience. Attached is the WYFH Return to Play Protocol approved by Wilton’s Emergency Operations Committee. As the season gets underway, we will update you should any changes take place. While our coaches will give an age-appropriate overview of these regulations at the first practice, we ask that you also take the time to review these rules with your child ahead of their first practice. Field hockey will look a little different in Wilton this fall, but we are confident that we have prioritized health and safety of players and coaches while also continuing to offer high level training to all players. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions at
