Summer is nearly over, and Labor Day weekend typically means baseball is back. 

I wish this update from Santa Monica Little League was just a normal fall update, but we are still in a world a little upside down and sideways. Nearly 170 days ago (not that we are counting), we closed down our spring season with a plan to return soon.

In keeping with that pledge, we have worked with our district, Little League International, and the city of Santa Monica to carve out a plan to return top baseball.  We have hit many roadblocks, scrapped several plans, and redrawn them again. With some success, we have recently hosted small clinics at JAMS the past month- with the intent that we could prove to the city we can safely play baseball in this time of Covid, and our volunteers have spent countless hours figuring out how this baseball works. In this, there is some hope.

However, the bad news first. It is our regret to announce that we will not be setting up teams or competition schedules this fall. Restrictions on field permitting and social distancing requirements have made a ten-week season impossible to guarantee, as there are still many unknowns about the future path of the virus or county guidelines. The chances of ten weeks of permitted fields at Memorial are just too uncertain, and our Board has decided that ending another season before it really began would be too great a risk.  

But there is some good news! Despite it all, Santa Monica Little League believes we are in a position to offer some form of baseball this fall.  The Board and a team of dedicated volunteers are planning an exciting series of three-week camps, tailored for each age division, the minute fields become available. These skill clinics- led by trained league volunteers and subject to strict safety guidelines- are intended to be low cost options to get kids much needed outdoor, social interaction while at the same time building baseball skills and camaraderie. As the fall progresses, we will vary these camps, include professional coaching opportunities, and fill as much of our field space as possible.

By holding sessions in three-week chunks, September through November, we will better be able to guarantee permit availability and consistency during a time of shifting unknowns. Schedules will follow as we clarify availability with the city, but in the meantime we are mobilizing this plan to bring baseball back. Please look for further information in the week to come on the smll.com website and on our Facebook page as we finalize our schedules and plans.

Of course, these plans are subject to change, but this update is long overdue.

So if your child is itching to get out- or you are itching to get them out of your hair- Santa Monica Little League is on your team!
We hope you will join us when the time comes, and for those waiting to cheer a real baseball team on to victory, we are ever-optimistic that the spring will bring new hope and another shot at our favorite game. 

Till next week,