Greendale’s Rec Sports Running in COVID era

Following a successful indoor fall season, Greendale decided to offer its coed recreational indoor volleyball league for the winter/spring season as well.  There are 58 participants registered dispersed among 12 teams competing every Monday from Feb. 1 to March 29.

Yet it looks different than in years past.

COVID-19 protocols minimize close contact between those participating in the volleyball matches each day.  Games start at 6:30, 7:40 and 8:50 p.m. with built-in time between games to allow for teams to enter and exit without coming into contact with each other.  The Greendale Park and Recreation Department requests teams do not arrive more than five minutes before a scheduled match.  This allows players from an earlier match to leave the building.

All players and onsite personnel are required to wear masks, sanitizer stations are set up in the gym, the ball is disinfected between games and teams do not switch sides between games, which is normal practice during a volleyball match.

“Teams do not interact with each other before and after matches while in prior years teams would really interact and socialize more,” said Greendale resident and league veteran Mark Bender.  The social aspect of this league has been minimized but Bender believes that players are willing to accept that for the chance to play.

There have been no positive COVID-19 tests among volleyball participants but if there is, contact tracing will be implemented to backtrack and find anyone who may have been exposed. 

“I record attendance for the league, keep score, and handle any on-site issues if they were to occur,” said site supervisor Dominic Graziano. “All were part of this position before COVID-19 except for taking attendance.”

According to Graziano the attendance is recorded so if anyone on a team were to test positive for COVID-19, attendance could be used to backtrack and find anyone who may have been exposed to the infected player. 

“If we were to receive a call, we would gather basic information and then forward the information to our Greendale Health Department for follow up. They would provide tracing, if necessary, to see if any of the other teams/players might have been exposed,” said Greendale Recreation Director Jackie Schweitzer.

Since the shutdown on March 17, 2020; Schweitzer, the Greendale Park and Recreation Department and the Greendale Health Department have worked together in an attempt to get a good understanding of personal protective equipment and safety issues that needed addressing for continued Greendale rec programs.  On March 23 the department opened for childcare.

“That went very well, and we continued to learn more and more, and realized it all could apply to any of the programs we would offer,” said Schweitzer. “A summer schedule of classes including adult softball leagues was put together and operated positively with no positive COVID-19 cases, so when it came time to put the fall programs together, we had learned so much by then that we were very comfortable in putting the Co-Rec Adult Volleyball program together.”  

The concern that Schweitzer had was whether teams were ready to come together and play.

Every participant needed to sign an assumption of risk and waiver-release of liability form relating to participation in the Greendale Park and Recreation Adult Volleyball League before being registered.  All but one team agreed to come back by signing such a waiver.

“I look at it as them covering their butt.  They’re going to let you do something you want to do, that you are fully willing to participate in, providing you sign a waiver,” said Lisa Abbrederis, a Greendale resident and member of this league for 35 years, who said she was fine with signing the release form.

“I signed it, but it comes down to each person and if they’re willing to take the risk.  They don’t have to sign it if they don’t want to participate,” said Bender, indicating like Abbrederis that it really comes down to personal choice. 

Both Bender and Abbrederis after weeks of participation agree that they feel safe and are happy to be back with Greendale’s recreational volleyball league.

Volunteer volleyball official and recreation supervisor for the Milwaukee Recreation Department Joel Symons applauds Greendale and their efforts to maintain their programs. 

“People are so eager to get back out there and participate that they are willing to follow guidelines, wear masks and not really hang out before and after to be able to play,” said Symons.

Symons faces some frustration setting up programs with limited options such as; no high-intensity programs, no team sport activities, and no youth programming.  Symons worries that by not offering programs, this will push people to find them in other communities.

“One might think, oh I can’t play here so I will go play in a neighboring suburb.  Milwaukee recreation may struggle to get those people back to join their programs if they did venture to a suburb in search of a rec program.” Symons said.

In this instance of the 58 registered participants in the Greendale volleyball league, 16 are Greendale residents and 42 are non-residents.  Abbrederis participates in multiple leagues, attending a West Allis volleyball league as well.

“If teams are willing to play and they’re comfortable doing that, I think they should be given the option,” said Abbrederis.

For participants like Bender, Abbrederis and others, this league is a community.  Though not the same as it once was, it is a good start and for now high fives can be replaced by just a wave of good job.