A batting cage on a field at the Donnie Small Athletic Complex in Bath is getting some touch-up work last month. Submitted photo
With the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping Maine and the country, local little leagues are getting together and discussing the ability for each group to put on a season.
The Richmond recreation department canceled all activities this summer, while Freeport has canceled its 2020 season.
Many restrictions have been put on sports in the wake of the coronavirus; for example, there can be no groups larger than 50 people in one place. This creates dilemmas for leagues as coordinating players, coaches and spectators at each field becomes a math equation.
Little League in Bath is having a season, and vice president Leslie Gallant is excited to get the kids outside.
“We received a list of requirements from Bath and we fulfilled them and the rec department opened up registration,” Gallant said. “We are pretty excited… We highlighted the requirements to parents and we wanted to make sure the parents had all the information we had so they could make a decision.”
Gallant said all players are responsible for their own helmet, but one would be provided if a player doesn’t own one. There will be no sharing of equipment, something that is pretty universal in leagues as groups try to limit the spread of germs.
Bath also plans to utilize its two fields.
“We have two fields and they are considered separate entities,” Gallant said. “The minors will all be at one field and majors at the other. We are thinking each person will be at each post on the fence, which are eight feet away. Players keep their equipment separate from each other. Every player will be assigned a pole, eight feet apart. We are trying to keep social distance.”
Games will also be separated by 30 minutes to give staff a chance to disinfect equipment, dugouts and anything else that was used.
In Lisbon, a season was deliberated over before the Lisbon Junior Athletic League decided the hurdles needed to be jumped were too high.
“The LJAL Board has proceeded with optimism of holding on to the potential of the 2020 season, knowing that the health and safety of our players and families is the most important,” the LJAL said in a statement. “After thorough discussion, the Board has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 season, as there is far too much uncertainty surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic.”
“The restrictions and limitations set forth by Babe Ruth and with the restrictions announced by Governor Mills, it would not allow us to safely and effectively execute our season based on gathering size and social distancing requirements. While this may be extremely disappointing, we ask that you stand behind the decision of the Board.”
In Brunswick, some sort of baseball will be played.
“We met as a board this week and have made the decision to move forward with the intention to have some type of summer program that will follow these guidelines,” Brunswick Cal Ripken said in a statement. “This decision was not made lightly as we want to ensure we are balancing the reality of what COVID-19 is and the desire to have the kids play ball.”
Brunswick Cal Ripken might not have games, but it does plan to have some semblance of a summer baseball program.
“Playing baseball and softball will not be what we have been used to in the past,” the statement read. “Our goal is as always to teach players the fundamentals of baseball and softball in a positive, fun, supportive and instructional manner. That will prove challenging this year as we have guidelines we need to follow regarding physical distancing and sanitization.”
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