Attempting to restart youth sports programs amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Rich Ekman has received calls and emails from parents with a wide array of opinions and concerns.

Many pulled their children out of the soccer and flag football leagues because they did not want them to have to wear masks while playing.

But most of the feedback has been positive, said Ekman, sports program coordinator for the Bend Park & Recreation District.

“I’ve had even more emails saying, ‘Man, I’m so happy you guys are doing this,’” Ekman said. “’My kid needs to get out and exercise.’ They’re begging us to run these programs. So it’s one spectrum to the other.”

Bend park district soccer and flag football for boys and girls in first through eighth grades are scheduled to start practices on Sept. 8, and games will start Sept. 19-20 and run through Nov. 1. (Practices typically start in late August.)

Numbers are down for youth soccer, one of the most popular programs that the park district offers. Ekman says the program has about 1,500 participants this fall, down from 2,300 in 2019. Numbers for flag football have remained steady, with 550 players this year, down from 580 last year. (The tackle football program for grades four through six has been canceled for this fall.)

The Bend park district is also offering middle school tennis and adult softball this fall.

But like most everything else during the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be modifications for these programs. Face masks will be required for players and coaches when social distancing is not possible.

“At practices, we’re coming up with drills to help coaches maintain social distancing,” Ekman said of soccer and flag football. “If that can’t happen, they will be wearing masks. That will be challenging for everyone to get used to.”

Masks are required for players during games as well, Ekman added.

“Those are things we’ll talk to coaches about,” he said.

“If the goalkeeper is on one end and can slip their mask down when players aren’t around, that’s OK. We’ll have to communicate that with kids.”

Teams will set up on separate sides of the field, rather than the same side as has been typical, and parents and spectators will be encouraged to social distance and wear masks.

Perhaps the most drastic difference for soccer and flag football will be where the games are held. In past years, all youth soccer games were staged at Big Sky Park or Pine Nursery Park, both in northeast Bend. Flag football was held at Skyline Sports Complex in southwest Bend.

This fall, in order to accommodate social distancing, games will be staged at fields all across Bend, and there will be a half-hour to an hour break between games.

“We have some limits on how many people you can have on the field, so we’re going to spread games out all around town, rather than just having a lot of games at two sites,” Ekman said. “We’ll be all over town, and that will enable us to spread people out more, and spread out the time between games, so people can clear out after a game before a new group comes in.”

Ekman noted how that will create challenges for parents with multiple kids playing at different venues across town, and for scheduling officials at so many different locations.

Matt Mercer, director of recreation for the Bend park district, said he believes the district can run these fall sports programs in a quality way, albeit with modifications. The district canceled its youth spring sports when the pandemic began in March.

“Fortunately both soccer and flag football fall into the minimal- to moderate-contact sports,” Mercer said. “Tackle football we couldn’t do. We’re fortunate that fall sports are all outdoors, and fortunate we have the capacity to spread stuff around during game days and not allow a big interchange between different groups.”

Mercer said the goal is to limit high-risk exposure.

“That is defined as people being within 6 feet of each other without masks on for 15 minutes or more,” Mercer said. “The level of close contact that people have, even in game situations, is typically a lot less than that. And when you bring masks into that, you can really mitigate the risk.”

He added that it is the responsibility of everyone in these programs — kids, coaches, parents and officials — to do their part to make it safe.

“It’s even more than a normal privilege to be able to play,” Mercer said. “Everyone needs to accept that and be responsible for their actions, and if they are we should be able to have a fun, safe season.”

Ekman has worked at the Bend Park & Recreation District for 28 years, and he said the pandemic has created challenges that he has never faced when trying to run youth and adult sports. But he is well aware how crucial sports are to the physical and mental growth of a child, and he is committed to continuing to offer those opportunities.

“I feel as though there are endless benefits to a child playing sports,” Ekman said. “In my opinion, kids need activities like youth sports now more than ever to help them recover mentally and physically from this unique situation that has interrupted their normal routine. I feel that we owe it to them to give them the opportunity to get outside and play again soon.”

Registration remains open for Bend Park & Recreation District youth soccer and flag football. Those interested in registering their child for a fall sport can visit www.bendparksandrec.org or call 541-389-7275. Practices begin Sept. 8.

Volunteer coaches are still needed for several teams. Anyone interested in coaching can contact Rich Ekman at 541-706-6126 or rich@bendparksandrec.org.