How summer sports camps and recreational facilities are reopening in Centre County

With the school year ending in Centre County, summer sports camps and recreational activities are gearing up to start.

But while summer camps, organized team sports and going to the pool are all allowed in the “green phase” of Gov. Tom Wolf’s reopening plan, they will look different amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Facilities and programs that reopen must do so in accordance with state and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, including masking, sanitation, hygiene and physical distancing. Some facilities, such as Nittany Valley Sports Centre located off Bernel Road in Patton Township, are also implementing their own ways to keep kids and coaches safe.

“The reality is it’s difficult to keep kids apart when they’re playing,” said Michael Lee, general manager of Nittany Valley Sports Centre.

With the facility’s first camp of the summer kicking off Monday, Lee says he’s focusing on keeping kids and their families safe while also creating a camp environment that kids can enjoy.

There will be markings on the floor to encourage kids to stay 6 feet apart from their friends, hand-washing breaks, hand-sanitizing stations and smaller group sizes, Lee said.

“It’s very constant monitoring, and smaller groups to be monitored by the counselors,” Lee said. “(We will) use our down time to enforce — ‘here’s what social distancing means, we always need to be staying this far away from our friends.’ “

Other precautions being taken include taking campers’ temperatures at drop-off, asking parents and campers about their recent health history, staggered drop-off and pick-up ad modified activities to limit physical contact, according to COVID-19 update on Nittany Valley Sports Centre’s website.

“We have multiple sections of turf that we can section off with netting so we can keep ... smaller groups of kids separated from each other to play games and learn activities that are just different than they might have been in a regular camp year,” Lee said.

Other summer recreation opportunities are also beginning to reopen.

All state park beaches, including at Poe Valley State Park, Bald Eagle State Park, and Black Moshannon, reopened for swimming on Saturday.

The lap pool at the State College YMCA is reopening on Monday. Time will be set aside for members 55 and older only from 9:30-10 a.m. Monday through Friday. The pool is open for exercise only, and the lap pool will allow no more than two swimmers per lane at a time.

In its most recent update on May 29, Centre Region Parks and Recreation said it’s in the process of working with municipalities to finalize plans for how to reopen playgrounds, pools and the Active Adult Center in the “green phase,” and that events, camps and other activities remain canceled through June 30.

But, as noted in the organization’s recently published Active Guide, summer camps, fitness events and sports leagues are set to resume in July. Activities include the summer tennis league, Welch Water Walkers and FloYo Fit at Welch Pool and the annual slow-pitch softball tournament.

For now, sports courts and fields will be open for drop-in use only, with reservations being accepted starting June 22.

This story was originally published June 8, 2020 at 8:00 AM.