NEW SAFETY MEASURES IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19 As the First Tee of Greater El Paso prepares to resume programming in the summer, the safety of our participants, families, coaches, and volunteers is paramount. We highly encourage vulnerable coaches, participants who are ill, and participants who live with a person who has contracted or showing symptoms of COVID-19 to stay home. From the check-in to the wrap-up, each facet of our programming experience will be analyzed to increase safety. It will be adapted to promote the prevention of spreading any illnesses. Safety begins with being responsible and accountable for one's actions during a First Tee programming activity. Dismissive behavior of safety measures may result in dismissal from our program. Parents should monitor their children's health and not send them to the program if they exhibit any symptoms of COVID-19. HERE IS WHAT HAS CHANGED:
  1. Participants are required to remain at least 6 feet from one another and must refrain from any physical contact with fellow participants, coaches, or volunteers.
  1. Coaches and participants will wear face masks for the entirety of the class.
  2. Participant to coach ratio will be reduced to 3 to1 from 6 to 1.
  3. Our classes will be at 25% capacity which is greatly reduced from 40 to 12-15 participants.
  4. Classes will be 1 ½ hours long.  There will be 3 classes per day Monday-Thursday and 2 classes on Saturday.
  5. The ages of our participants are 6 to 18 (our starting age previously was 3.5)
  6. We will disinfect any borrowed clubs by using a disinfectant.
  7. All activities have undergone revision and have been adapted to adhere to physical distancing protocol yet will uphold the quality of instruction according to CDC, State, and local guidelines.
  8. Participants will not handle driving range balls. They will be shown how to use their club to move a ball before hitting it. When using drivers, coaches will tee up a ball for each participant using gloves.
  9. Participants are to bring their own water bottles.
  10. Coaches will have gloves, hand sanitizer, and wipes with them for each class.
  11. When registering, the parents will be required to sign a special COVID-19 waiver.
  12. All classes will be held outdoors. The participants will be allowed in the Learning Center to use the restroom.
  13. Staff will fill out the Wellness Check form and will have their temperature taken upon arrival. If a coach has a fever, they will be asked to go home.
  14. Our team understands that if they don't feel well, they should stay home.
  15. Our staff is trained in the appropriate cleaning and disinfection, hand hygiene, and respiratory etiquette and COVID-19.
  16. We will provide notice to all parents and guardians of the enhanced risks of participants being in direct contact with anyone age 65 or older for 14 days after the end of the camp session.
  17. We will have an individual dedicated to ensuring the health protocols and social distancing are adopted by the camp are being successfully implemented and followed.
  18. There will be a designated area set up by the Ascarate Golf Course for First Tee programming and activities only.
  19. If any member of the staff or a participant contracts COVID-19 the First Tee of Greater El Paso will close for 14 days to quarantine.
  CLEANING AND DISINFECTING POLICIES
  • Hand sanitizer with a minimum of 60% alcohol should be available at each program station or individual participants should carry their own.
  • All program equipment will be cleaned and disinfected before AND after each class.
  • Clean and disinfect all frequently used surfaces and areas (e.g., doors, restrooms, equipment, water stations, etc.) every hour.
  • Participants will use hand sanitizer before and after each activity.
   CHECK-IN PROCEDURE
  • Participants will pre-register for all programs
  • The Check-in area will be in the parking lot.
  • We ask that families arrive 10 minutes before class begins. Please do not come sooner.
  • Parents will form a car line and will fill out a Wellness Check Form, and the participant's temperature will be taken.
  • Masks will be distributed at check-in on the first day of class.
  • Each participant will be assigned a colored hula hoop for the day and will be escorted by a coach to their designated hula hoop where they will adequately be distanced from other participants.
  AFTER CHECK-IN PROCEDURE
  • Their hula hoop will also be where their clubs, class materials (yardage book, scorecard, etc.), and water bottles will remain throughout the class.
  • If participants borrow clubs, a coach will provide clubs that have been disinfected.
  • AT NO POINT DURING A CLASS WILL A PARTICIPANT SHARE CLUBS WITH ANOTHER PARTICIPANT.
  ACTIVITIES
  • Activity setups will be designed to include at least 6 feet between hitting stations (driving range, putting, chipping) in designated First Tee areas.
  • Warm-up and wrap-up will take place in smaller groups.
  • One participant will be in a hitting station, while another participant will be waiting at least 6 feet behind and the next person will be 6 feet behind them.
  • Each participant will be given three golf balls for them to use during activities. They must mark them in a distinctive manner (able to identify without touching) and bring them to every class.
  • Each participant will collect their golf balls after their turn (chipping, putting). After picking up their balls, participants will be asked to use the "exit lane" to return their hitting station to wait for their turn again.
  • Participants will use social distancing in a single file line when transitioning from one activity to another.
  • Hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, soap & water, or similar disinfectant will be distributed after each station or activity.
  • Each participant will have the same Coach for the entire Camp session.
  WRAP-UP
  • Healthy snacks will be disinfected, packaged, and distributed by a coach using gloves.
  • The conclusion of each class will be in their hula hoop. Each participant will be asked to take out their yardage book, pencil, and follow along with their coach's lesson.
  • Parents will drive up and will meet a coach where they will radio another coach to escort the participant to their car.
  • Participants will not be allowed to go to the parking lot by themselves.
  • Coaches will walk their participants out to the parking lot where a parent(s) must sign
them out.  If you have any questions or concerns about any of our guidelines please do not hesitate to contact us:  The First Tee of Greater El Paso (915) 252-6511 [email protected] Program Director- Brianna Aguilar  [email protected] (915) 494-2994 Executive Director-Kristi Albers [email protected] (915) 373-4564