Hello GVGS Families,

Today is May 16, which was supposed to have been Opening Day.  It would have been a great day to play!  Temperatures around 60 degrees, no rain. . . far better than last season, when teams were drinking hot chocolate to stay warm, or other seasons when it has been cold and rainy.  But, unfortunately, it was not meant to be.

With regard to the 2020 season, under Governor Walz’s new Executive Order that takes effect on May 18, GVGS still cannot begin to play.  The Governor did say that his staff will be preparing guidance for youth sports, which guidance is to be provided to him by June 1.  We are anxiously awaiting that guidance!

For now, our season remains on hold.  In addition to waiting for the go-ahead from the Governor, if and when we are able to play will be guided by several factors.  At the top of the list, of course, is whether we can do so safely.  Beyond that, other factors need to be considered, including when the city opens the fields and what restrictions the city may impose.

In terms of safety, the GVGS Board has prepared an initial set of COVID-19 safety guidelines.  These initial guidelines, which will be updated once we see the guidance from the Governor, were prepared based on our review of several sources, including the United States Slowpitch Softball Association and state softball and baseball proposals.  We also are aware of guidelines issued by other states for youth sports in their states.

The GVGS guidelines are focused on keeping players, coaches, umpires and spectators safe.  Of course, nobody can guarantee 100% safety and if we are allowed to play at some point, each family will have to decide for themselves if they are comfortable playing.  After we receive guidance from the Governor and finalize our GVGS guidelines, we will share our guidelines with all of you.

For now, I can tell you that our guidelines address the following areas: sanitizing dugouts and equipment; social distancing, including limiting the number of people in the dugout at any one time; prohibiting spectators from using the bleachers (which will be used as additional space for players); prohibiting handshakes, high fives, and other types of contact; repositioning the catcher and umpire to create more space; not having post-game team snacks or handshake lines; prohibiting sunflower seeds, etc. in the dugout; and much more.  If we are able to play, and to ensure guidelines are followed, we will be asking parents to help, including sanitizing equipment, enforcing social distancing, and other needs (such as providing sanitizer and wipes).  The bottom line is that if and when we are allowed to play, we want to make sure the environment is safe for everyone.

Stay tuned for more information in the near future.  As always, thank you for your support of GVGS.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Finally, I am sending league-wide e-mails via Vertical Response from gvgssoftball@gmail.com. Please make sure we are on your safe senders list (and check your spam and junk folders just in case). Our home page also is being updated regularly. If you are not receiving e-mails, please let me know.

Lenny Segal, GVGS President