SEATTLE — Sounders FC players received approval from the state and public health authorities to begin voluntary individual workouts starting Monday at Starfire Sports in Tukwila, according to a release.
The workouts will be conducted on the club’s outdoor training fields, but due to safety, all activities are closed to both the public and media.
“This is a positive development for our players, and I know they are excited to get back to training on our fields, even if only individually at the moment,” said Sounders FC Head Coach Brian Schmetzer. “This has been a trying time for everyone at our club, as it has for our entire community, and we’ll take the opportunity to appreciate this small step forward tomorrow.”
Prior to initiating any individual player workouts, Sounders FC submitted to MLS a club-specific plan that outlines how the team is implementing health and safety protocols, including:
• Restricting training facility access to essential staff only, with specific staff listed in the plan.
• Sanitization and disinfection plans for all training equipment and spaces, including disinfection of any equipment used by players (balls, cones, goals) between every session.
• Completion of a Standard Screening Assessment survey by each player prior to every arrival at the training site, and temperature checks upon arrival at the facility. Staggered player and staff arrivals and departures, with designated parking spaces to maintain maximum distance between vehicles.
• Player use of personal protective equipment from the parking lot to the field, and again on return to the parking lot.
• Staff use of the appropriate personal protective equipment throughout training, while also maintaining a minimum distance of 10 feet from players at all times.
• Hand washing and disinfectant stations for required use before and after individual workouts.
• Clubs will have the use of the outdoor fields at their training facility, divided into a maximum of four quadrants per field. A maximum of one player per quadrant may participate per training session with no equipment sharing or playing (passing, shooting) between players.
• An Emergency Action Plan for all COVID-19 related issues.
The moratorium for small group and team training sessions was extended until June 1 by Major League Soccer.
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