NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. – Although Nassau County gave youth sports the green light to restart games and practices on county fields, many leagues say the county is standing in their way from doing that.
The county drafted a waiver that protects county and elected officials from any COVID-19 liability and puts it all back on the leagues, which say they don’t have the manpower and resources to accept that.
News4Jax spoke with the president of Callahan Little League, who said he’s struggling with how to reopen practices without being personally liable for policing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. Bill Cantrell has been the president for a few years but has been involved with Nassau County youth sports since the 1980s. According to Cantrell, before the COVID-19 liability waiver, leagues had a good, working relationship with Nassau County. Now, he feels the county has left them high and dry.
"The waiver basically just protected the county and kind of just put everything on us," Cantrell said.
The waiver said that league presidents have to sign on behalf of board members and all youth participants before anyone can play on county-operated fields.
READ: Nassau County letter to leagues | Youth sports waiver | League sports program guidance
According to Cantrell, each parent should have to sign for that -- not the leagues on behalf of them. Signing the waiver also exempts Nassau County from losses, claims, liabilities, causes of action, damages, judgments, costs and expenses that “arise from, or are in any way incident to, connected with, or related to COVID-19 issues.”
"I don't know of any lawyer that would say I could legally waive parents' rights to sue the county if something goes wrong," Cantrell said. "And that's what they're asking us to do with the waiver currently."
The county said league volunteers will have to follow the best they can CDC recommendations, which include coaches monitoring symptoms, conducting temperature screenings and providing adequate hygiene supplies.
As nonprofits, Cantrell said leagues have very limited funds, and the county has not provided them training to safely reopen. He said he has unanswered questions.
“Which of these guidelines are recommended? Suggested? Mandatory? And, you know, what are the penalties if someone is found not following all of these guidelines?” Cantrell questioned. “Is it a fine? A misdemeanor charge for me as the president or the coach? Just some answers that probably should’ve been worked out before we even said, ‘Hey, we are open for business.’”
The county has asked each league president to send in a list of safety items that they would like provided by the county at the fields such as proper signage and hand sanitizer dispensers.
There’s still not a clear answer as to when each league will start back up practice and games. It’ll be up to each individual league when children return to county fields.
League presidents refusing to sign the current waiver said the waiver is preventing them from starting up practices. They also want the county to first step in with the help in getting signs and cleaning supplies.
County Manager Mike Mullin held a group conference call last month with county leaders and youth sports league officials to discuss who’s going to enforce safety on the field.
Mullin made a clear case during the meeting that leagues should be responsible for the enforcement of their own sanitation and safety.
The county said it doesn’t have the manpower to enforce those, and the leagues will have to follow, as best they can, the CDC recommendations.
Mullin was not available Thursday for comment.