4/15/2020
As you all are aware, COVID-19 continues to present a real and lasting threat to our community. The Owasso Soccer Club board has elected to continue to follow guidelines from the City of Owasso, State Governor Stitt, the CDC, and guidance from the federal government. As a result, our facility will remain closed through at least April 30th. We will review this date on April 21st and then again on April 28th.
On April 14th the OSC board held its monthly board meeting. The topics of this meeting included:
- What constitutes a safe environment after this the pandemic (speculation and subject to governing bodies recommendations)
- What could our season look like if we get the approval to start May 1
- What if we don’t get an approval to start May 1
- What should/can we do about the Annual Small Sided Benefit Tournament
Within each of these broad questions exists a number of variables and talking points that could point us in any direction. The primary concern of OSC and this board remains to be the safety and health of our membership. If you must venture into the community for essential items, please continue to practice social distancing, wear a mask if possible, and wash your hands often.
We understand that this situation is impacting our members and their households. For those in need and specifically for those whose entire household may not be working at this time, we are now compiling our expenses to date in order to assess our ability to issue refunds, even if on a limited basis.
Despite the stoppage of play at this time, the Owasso Soccer Club continues to incur operating expenses. Our objective is to ensure both compliance with City of Owasso agreements and the preparedness of playing fields when shelter in place orders are lifted. In doing this OSC incurs ongoing overhead expenses. These expenses include:
- Insurance
- Utilities
- Mowing and Basic Maintenance
- Other vendor costs
The OSC board is exploring our financial options to continue operations through this unprecedented event. It is our belief that youth sports is critical to the development of children by providing an enjoyable outlet for athletic accomplishment and by providing a safe space with positive influences for children at risk.
The OSC board is committed to continuing to provide our community with a safe space to develop and will be doing all we can to ensure the viability of the Owasso Soccer Club through this unprecedented event. Through April 30th, the OSC board will be holding weekly virtual meetings to review developments in the pandemic response and how those developments may impact our ability to play as we move forward. These meetings may or may not result in public announcement and/or changes to our status.
Owasso Soccer Club is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization. As a reminder the OSC board of directors is 100% volunteer. Our annual budget is derived from Spring and Fall season registrations and the Annual Small Sided Benefit Tournament. These three events alone fund scholarships, equipment replacement and upgrades, field maintenance and repair, park improvement, and special programs. If you are a household, company, or organization that is in a position to make donations to help an organization like OSC, please reach out to us. Charitable donations to 501(c)3 organizations are 100% tax deductible and would go a long way to helping OSC refund our members in need while still maintaining and continuing to improve the facility we all enjoy.
For continued information related to COVID-19 impacts on Owasso Soccer Club, please like and follow our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/OSCSoccer/
