Use of Masks for Youth Sports Participation During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross Sectional Survey

Background: The use of cloth and surgical face masks has been shown to decrease the rate of COVID-19 transmission. As COVID-19 cases increased in the United States, many youth sports organizations implemented masking requirements with the goal of limiting the spread of the virus. However, the use of masks during athletic activity remains controversial. We surveyed young athletes between the ages of 12 and 18 in order to understand their attitudes towards mask wear during youth sports and to determine patterns of mask wear and sports participation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: We recruited participants from pediatric outpatient sports medicine clinics and invited them to complete an online survey administered via REDCap. The survey included 9 items that used a Likert-type scale to determine agreement with statements about masking during sports. An additional 5 multiple choice items asked about sports participation and assessed patterns of mask use during athletics.

Results: We collected 82 responses between February and June of 2021. All athletes reported that masks were required for some part of their sports participation. The majority of respondents (59%) reported that masks were mandatory for all sports activities, while 15% reported compulsory mask use only when athletes were close to each other. An additional 19% of athletes were required to wear masks when congregating but not exercising (e.g. on the sidelines or in the locker rooms). Most athletes (51%) strongly or somewhat agreed that mask use during sports would make other athletes or coaches less likely to get infected with COVID. However, only 36% of respondents agreed that masks offered self-protection against infection. Thirty-eight percent of athletes somewhat or strongly agreed that masks are comfortable to wear during sports, while 48% disagreed. Forty-four percent of participants felt that mask use interfered with their sports performance. Thirty-four percent of respondents agreed with the statement that mask use during sports is dangerous with 43% in disagreement. When asked to rate concurrence with the statement “I am willing to wear a mask if it allows me to participate in sports and physical activities”, 62% of participants somewhat or strongly agreed while 30% disagreed. Forty-four percent of young athletes reported their sports participation time decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, while 28% reported increased participation.

Conclusion: Mask use is an important strategy in preventing the spread of COVID-19. Most young athletes recognize that mask use reduces transmission of infection to others. The majority of participants were willing to comply with mask requirements in order to be allowed to participate in sports. Survey responses indicate that many adolescents have concerns about how masks influence sports safety and performance. For most statements about masking, there was not a strong consensus among young athletes.