Minor baseball won't look the same as past seasons but players will be back on the field doing modified activities. (NMBA)

By Dan Marshall

Getting On Base

Nanaimo minor sports on the verge of returning after COVID-19 cancellations, delays

Jun 18, 2020 | 7:15 PM

NANAIMO – The crack of the bat, the smell of fresh cut grass and the sounds of happy young ball players are returning to the Harbour City.

Nanaimo Minor Baseball will be back the week of June 22.

Association president Mike Holyk said the biggest changes will be the implementation of social distancing and a focus on training and drills rather than games.

“There’s hope that we’ll get to more game like play over time. We have to prove that we can safely deliver the program and get everybody up to speed on the new protocols.”

Once games do begin there could be a lot of different wrinkles like no base stealing, moving the home plate umpire behind the pitcher and using an offensive and defensive set of bases.

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Holyk notes that many baseball associations won’t be operating this summer and it’s his goal to have the NMBA be a leader in forming a responsible return to play.

“It is a lot of work and does require a lot more detail but maybe this will allow the conversations around other sports like soccer and hockey to continue and go forward.”

viaSport works with BC associations province wide to improve the safety and inclusiveness of all different sports, includes helping to facilitate return to play strategies surrounding COVID-19.

Charlene Krepiakevich, viaSport CEO, explained their main guidelines surround physical distancing, safely managing any shared equipment and maintaining focus on skill development.

“We want to remain community based,” Krepiakevich told NanaimoNewsNOW. “No travel between Nanaimo and neighbouring communities at least for now. We want to keep the bubble very small.”

Any sport looking to start back up is required to have a safety plan they can communicate to their participants.

Krepiakevich urges families to inquire into those plans before signing up to be sure they are as informed as possible.

Nanaimo United Soccer has decided not to return to play for the time being.

The spring session was cancelled for all age groups but technical lead Daragh Fitzgerald said normally programs don’t run from mid June until September.

BC Soccer has announced their own Phase 1 plan that does allow for a resumption of certain drills.

Limits would include 40 athletes on a field to work in groups of ten with each player working in their own 5′ x 7′ box.

Fitzgerald is hopeful that BC Soccer’s phase two will include modified games even though he’s not sure what those modifications might look like.

That next phase could be implemented around the province as early as July, which would leave time to incorporate any new guidelines before the next Nanaimo United season.

dan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On twitter: @danmarshall77