Having returned from the recent showcase in Phoenix, I must say that overall I was pleased with how everything went. By and large, most everyone socially distanced on the sideline and were wearing masks. Not everyone but most. I was never uncomfortable finding a place to watch the game safely. The complex had sanitizer stations at each field and the watching crowds were very small. In my opinion, having the live stream option to view games remotely, reduced the crowd size.
The matches were fun, competitive and the girls got after it, however, it was clear (at least to me) that most teams were taking results with a grain of salt. No one really looked to be in top form, which is to be expected, and by and large the better teams won.
The downside of the trip was self-imposed. Spent most of the time in the hotel room, no eating in restaurants, and skipped out on typical trips to explore the area. Kinda boring outside of watching the games. Once we landed back home, got our covid tests the following morning.
Certainly felt a bit hypocritical taking the trip but happy it worked out. Ideally, local in-county play should be made available so this types of trips can be avoided. Still, props to ECNL for making this work and having guidelines in place. Every club at the showcase followed the guidelines that I could see.
The matches were fun, competitive and the girls got after it, however, it was clear (at least to me) that most teams were taking results with a grain of salt. No one really looked to be in top form, which is to be expected, and by and large the better teams won.
The downside of the trip was self-imposed. Spent most of the time in the hotel room, no eating in restaurants, and skipped out on typical trips to explore the area. Kinda boring outside of watching the games. Once we landed back home, got our covid tests the following morning.
Certainly felt a bit hypocritical taking the trip but happy it worked out. Ideally, local in-county play should be made available so this types of trips can be avoided. Still, props to ECNL for making this work and having guidelines in place. Every club at the showcase followed the guidelines that I could see.