RENO, Nev. – Through a new partnership, The Reno Aces, Greater Nevada Credit Union (GNCU) and Greater Nevada Field are helping local youth sports hit the fields and the courts once again. Return to Play is an awareness program and safety curriculum for parents, coaches and young athletes. The program leverages knowledge gained from the successful return of professional sports to create a culture of personal responsibility for the safe return of youth sports.
“As youth sports in Northern Nevada prepare to return, the Reno Aces in combination with Greater Nevada Credit Union have teamed up to make the return to play as safe as possible,” said Aces president Eric Edelstein. “We know you can’t wait to get back to sports, and we want to be your one stop for all your questions.”
Youth sports are proven to positively impact children’s lives both on and off the field. Children who participate in sports exhibit better mental and physical health and show greater confidence and sportsmanship. The Return to Play program offers guidance for how to safely manage youth sports during COVID-19 and minimize risk of transmission so that children may experience these benefits again. The initiative focuses on preventing viral spread during all aspects of youth sports, from safety preparations to training to game days and everything in between.
“Young people belong at play to give them the best opportunity to develop into positive, productive and happy adults,” said Greater Nevada Credit Union president and CEO Wally Murray. “GNCU is proud to partner with the Reno Aces in support of the Return to Play initiative because we sincerely believe our community can foster an environment that encourages our children to resume healthy physical activities while also remaining diligent in our efforts to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19.”
A live webinar will be hosted Thursday, March 11 to discuss best practices for local youth sports to safely return to play. The goal is to inform the local community about how to safely return to youth sports and put on safe gatherings, by distributing resources the organization has put together after hosting USL Championship soccer games last summer, and from preparing for the 2021 Triple-A baseball season.
The Zoom event will be hosted by Aces radio broadcaster Zack Bayrouty, and feature Edelstein, Aces chief operating officer Doug Raftery and Lance Ferrato, the business relations program manager for the city of Reno.
People interested in joining the webinar can register here, and more information, guidelines and recommendations can be found here.