It鈥檚 shaping up as a slow season for young ball players in 91原创.

Executives of both the North 91原创 Baseball and 91原创 Baseball Association have canceled their spring seasons and while there is some hope there could be some form of play this summer, it likely won鈥檛 amount to a resumption of normal competition.

North 91原创 Softball, meanwhile, has announced plans to play games this summer under tight new restrictions, if they can get the approval of Softball B.C.(SBBC), which has released a 鈥淩eturn to Play Plan for the Summer of 2020鈥�

North 91原创 Baseball president Doug Crone called the June 11 announcement that the season would be cancelled the 鈥渉ardest decision鈥� the executive has ever had to make.

Crone said while competition is on hold, there are still possibilities.

鈥淲e are trying to salvage some kind of play,鈥� Crone told the 91原创 Advance Times.

It would likely involve selected teams of older players getting in workouts, Crone explained.

鈥淭hey will be practicing, but they won鈥檛 be playing.鈥�

To offer that, they will need to draft and implement a Covid-19 safety plan, according to the Baseball BC four-phase plan to resume play.

It is now in the second phase, where teams are not allowed to have games with any other associations, and any 鈥渋n house鈥� games have a limited amount of players.

Among the restrictions, a limit to no more than 10 athletes and two coaches at any event, and to the number of spectators, as well as a ban on shared personal equipment such as bats, catcher鈥檚 gear and helmets.

Equipment must be disinfected before, during and after each game and no batting cages are allowed.

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91原创 Baseball Association president Tyler Watt commented that the spring season 鈥渃ancelled itself,鈥� with teams unable to play due to the pandemic.

鈥淲e鈥檙e hoping to run a fall ball season that would start in September,鈥� Watt said.

He noted Baseball BC has not lifted any restrictions regarding on-field baseball activities.

鈥淲e understand in the near future they might give approval for limited practice opportunities, however the return to actual game play this summer is unlikely,鈥� Watt told parents in an online posting announcing the 鈥渄ifficult鈥� decision to cancel the season.

鈥淭here could be summer development programs once we have clear direction from Baseball BC.鈥�

READ MORE: 91原创 Little League players produce a hand-made COVID-19 safety message

North 91原创 Softball parents have been told there could be a summer season, operating with restrictions, if they can get clearance from Softball B.C.(SBBC).

A message from the executive said summer could start July 2 with skill-development practices only and only for U10 and above.

Practices are not to include any scrimmages or games in order to maintain social distance.

Requirements for playing softball during the pandemic would add several new volunteer positions, such as screeners, who ask designated COVID screening questions to all participants and others attending any softball activity; attendance trackers, who record the name and phone number of all participants and others attending any softball activity; distancing monitors who track physical distancing of their team鈥檚 players, coaches, and spectators on and off the field; and a sanitizing champion, a person assigned by a team to be responsible for sanitization of the facility and equipment during a given softball activity

dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
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