'It's irresponsible': Youth sports teams travel to metro Phoenix as COVID-19 surges

Hundreds of youth athletic teams are descending on the Phoenix area for tournaments over the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend as Arizona's COVID-19 cases climb.

Thousands of young soccer, baseball, hockey, and basketball players are using outdoor and indoor athletic spaces in Valley. Fall is a peak time for youth sports tournaments in Arizona, and competitions typically ramp up over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Many of the teams are from out of state — bringing dollars to Arizona businesses and tax revenue to governments. But the events have raised concerns from public health officials and other medical professionals.

The sports events are happening at the same time Arizona is discouraging people from attending large gatherings and when hospitals in the state are on the precipice of a crisis because of soaring COVID-19 cases.

While families and tournament officials say they are adhering to safe practices, typically set by the host cities and towns, they could aggravate the spread of COVID-19.

"At this time, with the hospitals getting extremely full — and we're not even at what I think is going to be the worst of it yet — to be doing things that involve gathering in large numbers of people, I think it's irresponsible," said Dr. Andrew Carroll, a family physician in Chandler.

"We don't want to look back and regret. We want to look back and admire that we lived through it. We won't get there if the hospitals run out of beds."

Maricopa County Department of Public Health director Marcy Flanagan said nearly 800 teams competed in the Phoenix metro area this past weekend alone, and that several COVID-19 outbreaks in the county have been associated with club sports and club sporting events.

"We’ve seen that increase over the past month," she said during a Nov. 18 news briefing.

Given levels of COVID-19 community transmission, Arizona will exceed hospital capacity in December, according to a report released Nov. 19 by Arizona State University researchers.

Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Gallardo on Monday called on tournaments using public venues to take a 30-day pause in light of rising COVID-19 numbers.

"We can continue to have activities if we work together to protect others, but we shouldn’t allow sports to be an excuse for putting the entire community in danger," he said in a written statement. "This past weekend I witnessed several of these sporting events that included both adults and youth in attendance with very few of them complying with our mask mandate."

Maricopa County's seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases as of last week was 1,500 per day. Just one month ago it was fewer than 500 cases per day.

"As our COVID-19 positive case numbers continue to rise rapidly and our hospital and ICU capacity shrinks, I am asking that we all do our part. Let’s take a time out and pause these activities for 30 days," Gallardo said.

"We need to protect our community and not overwhelm our health care facilities and hospitals, especially during the holiday season."

Contact tracers are seeing "a lot of cases" coming from children's sporting events, Joshua LaBaer, director of the ASU Biodesign Institute and leader of the university's COVID-19 research, said at a Nov. 18 briefing.

"I’ve seen them myself: You see a lot of families getting together along the sidelines of the field, chatting with each other. When I look at them, I see a lot of people that are not wearing masks," he said. "And not surprisingly, we’re seeing a lot of cases emerging from those sorts of gatherings.”

Under an executive order from Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, events with more than 50 people need approval from the municipality and local authorities can enforce the requirement if there isn't approval, Steve Elliott, Arizona Department of Health Services spokesman, told The Arizona Republic.

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"There is a safe way for that to happen," Flanagan said. "Is that happening at all of these tournaments? From reports we’re hearing, it’s not happening at all of these tournaments. So that’s when individual responsibility and decisions are really important for parents and athletes that are participating in these events.”

Phoenix will soon review policies that have allowed the tournaments.

On Tuesday afternoon, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego issued a statement that says the Phoenix City Council will discuss and act on "urgent needs" about COVID-19 at its next meeting on Dec. 2, including policies regarding the use of sports fields.

“I am gravely concerned about COVID-19 in our community," she said. "With infections now at the second highest daily number ever, it is clear the status quo is not working. We all need to be aware that the public health situation has changed dramatically in the last few weeks."

Event organizers and parents say that sporting competitions are keeping kids healthy and happy with exercise and socializing at a time when COVID-19 protocols are preventing them from so many regular activities. They point out that sports such as sand volleyball, soccer and baseball are played outside, where there is lower risk for spreading the SARS-CoV-2 virus, or new coronavirus, which causes COVID-19.

COVID-19 spreads more easily between people who are within 6 feet of each other and indoor spaces with less ventilation where it might be harder to keep people apart are considered more risky. Outdoor activity is lower risk for transmission than being indoors, public health officials say.

Most people who become ill with COVID-19 do not get extremely ill and children are far less likely to get sick with the virus than adults. The concern is that if children contract the virus, they could spread it to other more vulnerable individuals.

Five hundred soccer teams entered in Desert Super Cup

Phoenix officials were expecting 200 soccer teams last weekend and 500 teams this coming weekend for a major youth soccer tournament called the Desert Super Cup, which is scheduled for fields in Phoenix, Mesa and Scottsdale.

A city memo dated Monday says 460 of the teams in the Desert Cup are from out of state and no international teams will be playing. City officials say they will be taking enhanced protocols during the upcoming tournament, including modified schedules, to allow time for any necessary cleaning between use and to reduce the potential for crowding.

Each team or organization must have an on-site compliance person who will work with on-site city staff, the memo says. Also, it says the city's parks department will be:

• Placing digital display boards at each entrance into the facilities promoting mask and physical distancing requirements.
• Creating designated spectator areas to promote physical distancing between those not from the same household.
• Conducting regular park ranger patrols to assist with educating guests on COVID-19 protocols.
• Increasing staffing levels to assist with monitoring and oversight.

Phoenix parks and recreation spokesman James Ritter said the city’s allowance for field reservations by private leagues “is fluid and could be modified if deemed necessary.”

At a local level, sports leagues have been trying to get back into the parks and the city has seen a lot of interest from residents about bringing back sports, he said. Reservations for large fields and facilities through spring 2021 booked up quickly once reservations reopened.

While the health and safety of the community is the city’s top priority, the city also has to balance public health concerns with bringing in tourism dollars and meeting residents’ needs, he said.

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“The council is very, very aware of that if the (COVID-19) numbers and trends go in a certain direction that we may have to take a step back,” he said.

City manager Ed Zuercher said the impact of sports on children's health was the consideration, not economic balance, when opening the Phoenix parks fields to competition in September.

Other competitions are expected over the Thanksgiving weekend, among them a USSSA baseball event with 10 age divisions set for Mesa, Gilbert and Glendale. The tournament website includes a list of 26 suggested hotels for traveling teams and five of them as of Monday included "sold out" notices.

A youth baseball tournament at Cactus Yards in Gilbert this weekend is expected to have 42 youth baseball teams and an estimated 504 participants, Gilbert officials said.

The Arizona Hockey Clubs' Thanksgiving Shootout hockey tournament is scheduled this weekend at various ice rinks around the region, and each rink has posted its own COVID-19 protocols for players and their families.

The hockey tournament website lists 12 divisions and teams from Arizona, Nevada, California and Washington state. Tournament officials did not immediately respond to questions.

The "Real Turkey Shootout" youth basketball tournament is scheduled for this weekend at the American Sports Center, an indoor venue in Avondale. Organizer Justin Peterson said he's expecting approximately 24 teams of about eight players each. Two parents per player are allowed in as spectators and must wear masks.

"I'm following all the guidelines that I have to follow for us to continue to have events," Peterson said. "The parents who feel uncomfortable or whatnot, at the American Sports Center they have livestreaming where they can watch the games from outside as well."

Spectators who don't follow the rules 'put the rest of us at risk'

Kids do not attend sports tournaments by themselves, said Carroll, the Chandler physician. Adults, parents and sometimes grandparents are attending who share space with one another, he said.

Sports such as soccer and baseball are outdoors, but there are people who don't wear masks, don't recognize social distancing, and don't want to follow the rules, for whatever reason, he said.

"Those are the folks who put the rest of us at risk," he said.

"So it may not be just little kids with young, healthy parents who are going to be in danger if these tournaments continue. We need to consider the second line, third line contacts of those people, who would get sick and end up dying from COVID."

Carroll's niece plays on a soccer team in San Diego that was supposed to travel to Arizona over the weekend for a tournament and had hotel rooms booked, but canceled their trip because of the COVID-19 surges in both California and Arizona.

Not all teams canceled their trips, however.

Youth soccer players from 275 teams in more than 10 age divisions from across Arizona and California spent this past weekend competing on fields in the East Valley for the annual Arizona Soccer Club Heritage Cup.

The tournament posted COVID-19 rules, among them that no more than 50 people are allowed per event. An event would be considered a full-size soccer field, the Arizona Soccer Association Guidelines say.

About 500 baseball players from 40 teams competed at the USSSA American Classic in Mesa and Chandler while more than 1,000 youths from 96 baseball teams assembled for the USSSA Gilbert Grand Slam.

At the Gilbert Grand Slam at Cactus Yards on Saturday, three fields were in use. Spectators at one appeared socially distanced while others were not and several people sat next to one other without masks.

"It is important to note that these teams and participants are not all at the facilities at the same time," Gilbert spokesperson Jennifer Harrison wrote in an email.

"All youth sports tournaments are required to follow a COVID-19 Safety Plan and they are enforced by the tournament promoters."

Gilbert officials limit capacity to 125 spectators per field and have painted social distancing circles around the perimeters of the fields to maintain six feet of spacing between spectators.

"Safety is always the biggest concern for youth athletics, that is number one. ... And it's outdoors. I think indoors is a different thing," said Kevin Reynolds vice president of business development for the Florida-based USSSA. "From a national office perspective, we have a task force and we meet every week and we rely on everyone around the country. There's no federal response and even on the state level there's no consistency. It's really on the local level."

Typically cities and towns are setting the COVID-19 protocols and working closely with tournament leaders, Reynolds said. There have been instances around the country where protocols were so strict that the tournament was cancelled, he said.

"In the youth space, East Coast to West Coast, everyone is taking this seriously. We want to make sure that it's a safe environment and it's spread out," he said.

Grandmother traveled from Nevada for baseball tournament

McKenzie Hess of Buckeye watched his 14-year-old son compete for Rijo Athletics in the USSSA American Classic baseball tournament at Gene Autry Park in Mesa on Saturday. He said his son was excited to play.

“I think it’s important that the kids stay involved with activities, especially during this time. I think exercise and sunlight and all that stuff is good," he said. “Exercise and camaraderie is better for him than sitting at home and not doing anything.”

Arlene Fox of Las Vegas was in Arizona for a week and staying with her daughter's family in Surprise. She watched her 14-year-old grandson compete Saturday at Gene Autry Park for the Swarm Baseball team.

“I think it’s about the only time he gets out. I just want to do this, I love the game and I don’t mind the travel," Fox said.

Fox watched her grandson compete Saturday and her daughter was going to support him on Sunday because only one spectator per player was allowed at Gene Autry Park. At the other park where the tournament was played, Snedigar in Chandler, two legal guardians per player were allowed, and siblings were allowed, too.

Fox has been traveling a lot and doesn’t think traveling has really put her at risk because she wears a mask and distances when possible. Her daughter is an emergency room nurse and while it's been getting busier, it's not necessarily with COVID patients, Fox said.

“I’ve not known anyone that died (of COVID)," she said. “The governor of Nevada came down with the COVID-19 and he didn’t have any symptoms, you know. He had a headache, so he’s over it."

USSSA American Classic tournament director Eric Bell said his competition included about 500 kids on approximately 40 teams at two different parks. Spectators must wear masks, he said.

"I think we have good precautions. It's been really limited as far as issues we've had with COVID," he said. "The thing about baseball is it's outdoors for the most part. Not everyone is together. The players for the most part are spread out. It's not like basketball or football where they are running into each other."

Bell said in an interview Monday he had stopped conducting tournaments in June and only resumed in September.

Since then, he said he has had teams drop out of events in advance because COVID-19 had affected their plans. But he said he did not know of any case where a player had COVID-19 and transmitted it to other players or parents or coaches.

Chandler hosting sports events through mid-December

Chandler hosted eight leagues or tournaments last weekend in sports ranging from cricket to soccer and will host eight more through mid-December at multiple parks, city spokesperson Matt Burdick said.

The Chandler Soccer Academy held a tournament last weekend with about 150 teams, the largest of any tournaments scheduled in Chandler he said.

Organizations must apply to reserve a field and as part of the application they must submit a COVID-19 plan with policies or protocols. It is up to the tournament organizer or league to enforce the protocols and ensure teams are complying with league protocols and local and state health guidelines.

Burdick said the city would only deny a field rental permit if fields aren’t available, or the group fails to meet conditions of the rental application, which could include not providing a COVID-19 plan. Other reasons for denial are abuse of the facility, failure to obey park rules or city laws or ordinances, he said.

Chandler park staff will not be conducting spot checks or any oversight during tournaments to ensure guidelines are being followed.

“Sports organizations and leagues are private or nonprofit organizations, and they are responsible for adhering to the ADHS guidelines," Burdick said.

Tournaments at private facilities, such as Ice Den Chandler, are required to follow state health guidelines like any other business, with violations reportable to the agency, he said.

Could cities take action on this week's tournaments?

Some are wondering why cities’ elected officials aren’t stepping in to cancel the tournaments, when they otherwise have been outspoken about calling for Ducey to do more to stop the spread of the virus.

During a Friday call with reporters, Flagstaff Mayor Coral Evans, Gallego, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero and Tolleson Mayor Anna Tovar were asked whether they knew about the tournaments and whether they would take any action.

There was a 15-second pause before anyone spoke.

Gallego then spoke only about the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recent guidelines not to travel for Thanksgiving.

“I would encourage everyone to follow Centers for Disease Control guidelines,” she said.

Romero followed by saying that groups need to be responsible if they travel. She said she was working with Pima County’s health department “to connect with the organizers of these tournaments to see if they need to be canceled.”

On Monday, a Gallego spokesperson said that “the mayor’s office and city staff are working very hard right now to determine the right resolution.”

In her Tuesday written statement, Gallego said at its next meeting the council plans to discuss "more funds for testing, increased cleaning of city facilities, seeking continued advice from medical and public health experts, as well as policies regarding the use of sports fields."

Actions the city could take on youth sports tournaments include refusing to issue permits, closing city facilities or not allowing events over a certain size.

"In the meantime, it is critically important that teams participating in this weekend’s tournaments follow the extensive restrictions the city has put in place," Gallego's statement said.

Phoenix City Councilman Sal DiCiccio, who has supported keeping city amenities open during COVID-19, criticized Gallego in a post on Twitter for allowing the tournaments at the same time she called for Ducey to act.

“Attacking Governor Ducey while refusing to take any actions herself and refusing to order stringent enforcement of existing restrictions is grandstanding,” Samuel Stone, DiCiccio’s chief of staff said Monday. “Nothing more.”

Stone clarified that DiCiccio does not want to stop these tournaments or “go backwards towards implementing additional restrictions in any way.”

Arizona Republic reporters Alison Steinbach and Lily Altavena contributed to this article.

Reach health care reporter Stephanie Innes at Stephanie.Innes@gannett.com or at 602-444-8369. Follow her on Twitter @stephanieinnes

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