Baseball is BACK in 2020!
We are pleased to finally announce some opportunities to get back out on the diamond in 2020! The SLL Board has been hard at work planning for several different options for various age levels, and we have the following programs to offer at this time (Regrettably, we are not yet able to conduct a Summer program for tee ball-aged players, 5-6YO, but we are looking at options for running something at this level in September and into early October – please stay tuned).
We really need your cooperation in registering quickly for any of these programs, as we do not have a lot of time to get things organized. Please visit https://www.scituatelittleleague.org/registration/ as soon as possible to sign up!
2020 Summer Sandlot Baseball
This informal program is low on structure and high on pure enjoyment! We invite all participants Little-League-Age 7-12 (your child’s age on August 31st 2020) to come out to the field with their age group (exact groupings to be determined based on registration numbers), up to two weeknights per week starting the week of August 3rd and running for 5 weeks, with a maximum 20 players per game. RSVP, show up, pick teams, and play some ball – simple as that!
The fee for this program will be $35 to cover the cost of field permitting, insurance, baseballs and other supplies. Please note that all players MUST have their own personal equipment including batting helmet in order to participate! Some bats will be provided by SLL, and will be disinfected between uses by different players, but personal bats are strongly encouraged. No sharing of personal equipment will be allowed due to Covid restrictions. If you are unable to obtain a personal batting helmet for your child, please reach out to president@scituatelittleleague.org for assistance.
Volunteers are CRITICAL for this program. With the older groups, the idea is to let the kids run the show and the parents to step back and watch, but at all levels we will need help to maintain social distancing and execute on other Covid-19 precautions. We are asking anyone with time available to volunteer and be CORI-checked (we only need your DOB and the last 6 of your SSN, which you enter on your child’s registration form). No baseball coaching skill is required, as volunteers in most cases are simply needed to be “Team Parents” and enforce our Covid management plan. Some volunteers with coaching skill will be needed for the younger groups, so please indicate on the registration form which type of volunteer you are. If we do not receive at least 1 adult volunteer for every 4 children for any game, that game cannot be played. In addition, at least one parent or guardian for each player MUST remain at the field for the duration of the game, no drop-offs allowed.
Time is of the essence to get this going, but there is no deadline to sign up and play. New players can register at any time, and RSVPs for each game will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis. If the response is significant, we will try to expand the schedule to incorporate more game nights – the goal is to offer each child the chance to play in up to two games per week if they so desire.
2020 Condensed Summer Travel
For the more serious ballplayer, we are venturing to organize with other Little League towns in our district for a 3-week compressed travel season including a playoff round, with practices leading up to this. Following the lead of other towns in the district, this program is open to all who registered to play Summer ball in 2019, and priority will be given to those players. Additional registrations will be allowed to fill vacant slots on any team that needs a few more players to round out the roster, and selections will be made based on a tryout with independent evaluators. Players are asked to wear a Summer Travel uniform from a prior season rather than SLL including a uniform cost in the registration fee. If a player does require a new uniform jersey or hat, they may be purchased through SLL, but orders must be placed immediately so your prompt reply is appreciated.
If all goes as planned, this season will begin on or around August 15th (though practices may start sooner) and include 2 weeks of “pool play” followed by an elimination round for those teams advancing, and a potential consolation round for those that don’t. We expect as many as 9 games with a minimum of 6, plus practice time as determined by each team’s coach.
As with Summer Sandlot, each player, including catchers, must supply entirely their own personal equipment, and no sharing of personal equipment will be allowed. Bats will be provided by the team and may be shared, and will be disinfected between uses by different players, but personal bats are encouraged (and cannot be shared). If you are unable to supply your own equipment, please email president@scituatelittleleague.org.
Due to the uncertainty of the opportunities that will be available at each age group and skill level, we are charging an initial $35 non-refundable deposit to begin practices and possible in-town scrimmages, and once district play is confirmed for each team, there would be an additional $65 fee collected on or around August 24th.
2020 Junior League Summer Ball
For our 13-15YO players, we want to offer a chance to get out on the new Community Turf Baseball Field at the high school twice per week (one weeknight and a Saturday morning) for practices, in-town scrimmages, and inter-town games with Cohasset or other teams from the district as opportunities present. This is a very fluid situation and details are murky at this point, but we are working with our surrounding towns to put something together and are hopeful we can provide some meaningful competition that could extend into September or even October. As with the other Summer programs, much of what we will be able to do will depend on the number of players that register, so we ask for your cooperation in completing the registration at your earliest convenience. The fee for this program is $75, and once again personal equipment is mandatory and use of a prior year’s Summer Travel uniform is encouraged.
If you have any questions, please reach out to president@scituatelittleleague.org. This is a very unique situation and we regret that we cannot provide as much certainty as in past years but we ask for your understanding and to work with us as we try to offer as much opportunity to play ball as possible. Our primary focus is getting the kids back out on the field as quickly as we can. Thanks, and we’ll see you on the diamond!