With the (hopeful!) approach of the new season as we leave lockdown, we’ll be keeping members up to date with news and progress via our new “From the Dugout” news articles. They’ll provide a quick roundup of recent committee activities to keep the whole league informed.
Return to Play: As is to be expected, return to play currently takes up most of the committee’s focus as we try to secure the best possible season that ongoing restrictions will allow. As part of this we have liaised with BSUK and BSF for further guidance, published a Captains’ Survey to gather information on teams’ preferences and contacted local councils to ascertain pitch availability. This last point could be a stickler, with reduced capacity due to various factors (e.g. an extended football season and the prioritisation of public outdoor social space following lockdown), but we are working on alternatives should they be needed. Further information will be announced shortly so keep your eyes peeled on our comms channels!
Inclusivity: Growing inclusivity has been a key goal for the League in recent years and so plans are afoot for a 3-session training course dedicated to female and non-binary players. The League also celebrated International Women’s Day with posts across all our social channels and committee members are signed up to attend the next Pride Sports’ workshop on trans-inclusivity.
New Players and Umpiring: We’re delighted to see new enquiries from prospective players and new teams coming in, so please get in touch with Daniel if you need players or a team; he’ll be more than happy to connect you up (newplayers@londonsoftball.co.uk). Plans for 101 are also well underway. Focusing on umpiring, we are exploring when the training courses can safely take place and have launched a brand new Umpire Finder on the website to help teams secure Blues in advance.
Administration: Behind the scenes, the committee held its first two meetings since the AGM, welcoming new members into the fold. As has become the norm, this was via Zoom, but we hope to have a face-to-face meeting in the near future! Our Directors attended both the League Heads forum and the BSF AGM on behalf of the LSL and our work converting to a CIC (Community Interest Company) is progressing well. Further tasks include transferring the bank account and maintaining the website.
See you on a diamond soon!