Rec leagues under spotlight amid covid-19 surge

Rec leagues under spotlight amid covid-19 surge

To play -- or not to play?

That seems to be one of the main questions for athletes, parents and coaches... as cases continue to rise across lane county.

Kezi 9 news reporter jillian smukler joins us live from civic park -- to explain why many are worried about*increased transmission -- as sports get ready to move indoors.

Chynna -- for over a month now -- kids have been able to escape to civic park -- to get some fresh air -- and return to some sense of normalcy -- after being cooped up in their homes for*months due to this pandemic.

But -- as you can see from our sky nine drone the field is -- empty right now.

And some are saying it should*stay that way -- considering lane county's covid-19 case numbers are worse than*ever before.

Lane county public health is especially worried about rec leagues -- since a lot of sports will be played*indoors in the coming months.

Not only does this increase the risk of transmission -- but it forces health officials to take a hard look at whether playing sports is worth the risk -- or not.

I sat down with bev smith who is the director of kidsports to see why*they're choosing to continue playing despite the increase in cases.

She tells me a lot of planning has gone into making sure they're able to hold these sporting events*safely.

And she*believes kids need it especially right now.

It's not about scoring or winning in this environment it's really about getting outside and getting those 60 minutes a day that is and has been proven to be a health advantage for them in all aspects of life although lane county public health is urging all rec leagues to*stop holding large or indoor events right now -- smith says until she's given new guidance directly -- kidsports will continue as planned.

Lane county has been under phase two for months now -- and that means full contact sports are still*not allowed.

But -- non- contact and medium contact sports*are -- with strict guidelines in place.

Currently -- kids have been playing soccer and flag football here at civic park -- which both fall under medium-contact sports.

You also*have to keep at least six feet apart between players -- spectators and staff.

During phase two -- sports tournaments*are allowed -- and event operators are required to limit the gathering capacity.

So -- unless the guidance*changes -- smith plans to continue doing what they have