ANNOUNCEMENT
Dear London Softballers,
We are incredibly sad to announce that, due to the ongoing coronavirus situation, London Softball League will not be able to run a competitive season this year and that all softball is suspended until the beginning of July, when we will look to review the situation once again. We’re sure you’ll all have some questions, and we’ve tried to anticipate those here, but please feel free to email us with any more.
Why has it taken so long to announce this?
We would like to apologise for how long it has taken for us to make a formal announcement and thank you all for your ongoing patience. This is an unprecedented situation and there have been many things we have had to consider before reaching this conclusion.
What options did you consider?
The committee has been working hard behind the scenes by meeting regularly throughout the winter and spring to look hard and optimistically at the government’s timeline for the lifting of lockdown. When we realised that a regular season would not be able to take place from the end of April, we looked at whether it was possible to have half of a regular season, meaning that teams would play each other just once instead of twice. For this to have been feasible, the half-season would have had to have started no later than 22 June in order to get the last of the light summer evenings. We had planned on bringing this option to the teams to vote on at a virtual EGM, along with the alternative option of scheduled non-competitive friendlies. Last weekend’s government announcements made it impossible for any kind of season to start any earlier than the beginning of July, which does not leave enough evenings with late enough sunset times.
There are many other factors that would have to fall into place in order for even a half a season to work. For example, we recognise the challenges of teams being able to field a full squad due to the virus and concerns around travel arrangements, booking pitches, etc. We are also aware that there is no certainty that the government will allow gatherings of 20+ people in July that would enable a game to take place. It also highlighted that insurance would not be valid while social distancing remained in place.
What about tournaments?
The above means that Firstball (slated for 6 June) is officially cancelled. Lastball is tentatively still on the calendar, but the likelihood of being able to host 400+ softballers in a park all together is looking pretty slim. We will look to make a formal announcement regarding Lastball around the beginning of July.
Will we be able to play any softball at all?
We still remain hopeful that *some* kind of softball will be allowed from July through to September and maybe even October. Our insurance would cover play if it is in line with government regulations on social distancing. We might be able to run small weekend events or evening pickup games by division or location. Rest assured we will organise as much softball as we are legally able to, so please keep checking here (or facebook/website/twitter/insta/emails) for updates. Any softball organised this year will be informal and will not affect your team’s standings.
What’s the formal cancellation process?
Our Constitution and Standing Orders and Regulations require the league to hold an EGM if significant changes are going to be made that affect the current season. However, since there will only be a single vote, rather than trying to convene an actual (virtual) EGM, the committee is proposing an eEGM where all captains will be emailed and asked to vote on the single issue of postponing the 2020 season. This should be taken seriously and all responses must be submitted by the date stated on the email.
What will happen to our 2020 fees?
First, we would like to thank all teams for paying subs for the 2020 season. With the season not being able to go ahead, we are proposing that we defer your subs paid to the 2021 season. You can rest assured that your subs will be ring-fenced and will be there for your teams when you register next season. Likewise the sliding scale with subs will not be affected by this season (e.g., if 2020 would have been your team’s second season, next year would be considered your second season).
The Committee is committed to continue engaging with our softball community throughout the summer months. This will likely require a small amount of running costs that will be funded from our reserves. If we do get the green light to return to playing later in summer, the league will cover its share of the insurance that has already been paid by BSF. This would cover any safe and legally permitted activities in line with Government guidelines such as team trainings, friendlies or LSL-arranged pick-up games.
If your team requires your deferred subs to be refunded, either due to hardship (we understand!) or because you won’t be playing next year, please contact [email protected] and refunds can be arranged.
Lastly, for avoidance of doubt, BSF is not requesting payment for membership fees for the cancelled season. They reserve the right to reassess their financial situation going into 2021 and potentially increase membership fees for all members next season.
What will happen next year?
Next year, 2021, we hope to be able to return to a full, regular, competitive season as if 2020 never happened.
What can I do this summer to get my softball fix?
We’ll be stepping up the virtual community stuff – we’ve got some quizzes, challenges, softball workouts, team profiles, and maybe (if we’re feeling brave) even some debates to keep you busy.
Please check out Softball 101 indoor training videos on our brand new YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC24VsYlGZ9TxaoEM8dCLW6A
If you are looking to do some training outside please see BSUK’s handy guide to training during COVID-19. https://www.baseballsoftballuk.com/news/view/guidance-on-playing-baseball-and-softball-in-england-during-covid-19
If there’s anything else you think we could do to keep our little tribe happy, or if you’d like to help to organise any of this social stuff, let us know at [email protected].