Dear Regan Community,
We are sending you all love and solidarity during this incredibly challenging time for our communities. While we have marked the missed baseball milestones that we typically enjoy together, we know we have all been more focused on the collective health and stability of our neighbors, families, and communities. We have also been waiting to communicate about the 2020 season until we had more information so as to provide some direction.
This is an evolving situation. We will continuously respond and adjust according to the best science and data emerging. Little League International recently issued updated guidelines for the upcoming season. After assessing these guidelines along with protocols from the State and the City, we believe that JP Regan Youth League will be able to provide some programming later this summer. However, it will look very different from a typical season, and there is still a chance that we will have to cancel the season altogether. Our thinking is outlined below.
Right now, we most need to know whether you and your child are interested in participating. This is not a commitment and requires no registration payment. Please click this link and pre-register if you are interested in participating. We know there are very few definitive decisions these days and encourage you to do whatever works for your family. And we know this is simply your best guess at the moment.
PRE-REGISTER FOR REGAN SUMMER 2020 PROGRAMS
Here is our current thinking:
- T-Ball will be cancelled for the season. The biggest concern is that mask wearing, social distancing, involvement of adults in the game, and other precautions will be very difficult at this age. This decision was not taken lightly as we had previously hoped to have a season, but at this time, we feel the best decision for this age group is to not play this summer. We will look forward to welcoming our youngest players to the field in 2021. In the meantime, check our website for some links to practice drills to get ready to play ball!
- For Farm, Juniors, Seniors, and Pony and Softball, we are looking at a possible mid-July (State Phase 3) to Labor Day season. We will likely have activities for players three times a week. This will depend on field permit availability, numbers, and modifications.
- We want to stress that “season” will be defined in a phased-in approach. We plan to split players into smaller groups for developmental 60-90 minute practice sessions for the opening weeks. A smaller number of players on the field at once and lower player-to-adult ratio will make it easier to implement the new public health guidelines. We will not be in a rush to play games and are confident we can still create fun, competition, and a sense of team.
We hope the postponement will allow us to play a season and will work very closely with the City of Boston Department of Parks & Recreation, the Boston Public Health Commission, the City of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to make sure it is safe to do so. We will work to be sensitive to families' situations and try to do what works for as many folks as possible, knowing we will support each other in working through this.
Per guidance, a few notable public health guidelines we expect to enact for players:
- Players may not share equipment including gloves, bats and helmets. We do not want to turn away anyone because they don’t own their own equipment, so we will figure out how to provide equipment for every player who does not have their own to bring.
- Players must prepare to social distance themselves on and off the field and will be required to wear masks at all times. We will have extra baseballs for greater rotation and hand sanitizer for frequent use.
Thank you to all for your understanding and patience as we navigate this challenging time together.
Stay safe and healthy! We hope to see you on the fields soon.