Little League is postponed until at least May 11. Here’s how local leagues are adjusting, planning
Little League International announced earlier this week it was suspending the season until at least May 11 amid concerns surrounding the coronavirus, meaning about 6,500 leagues around the world — including several in Centre County — are still planning, adjusting and hoping to play at some point.
League presidents for Bellefonte, Nittany Valley and State College — who represent more than 1,000 combined baseball and softball players — told the Centre Daily Times on Thursday that their organizations have been in numerous discussions with their respective boards, and they’re hoping for the best while planning for the worst.
“We’re just trying to make it the best we can for as many kids as possible,” Nittany Valley Little League President Ronnie Carlson said. “And I’m sure other leagues around the area are doing the same.”
At this early point, Little League International is not sure how COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, might alter the date or setup of the Little League World Series, which was originally slated for Aug. 20-30 in Williamsport. The problem with keeping that date is local leagues might not have enough time to condense their regular season before all-stars are voted on in early June.
Bellefonte President Bill Carey, whose season was set to start March 30, said his board held an emergency session Tuesday night to discuss that possibility. If the Little League World Series would still be held on that date, Carey said his league might choose not to participate in all-stars — meaning no district or regional tournaments. That way, he said, his league could extend its regular season through June, when all-stars usually starts up.
That plan would still allow all the kids who registered for Little League to play games, meaning it would help a greater number of children than if his league simply focused on all-stars.
“Unfortunately, from our perspective, district all-stars or the world series tournament is taking a backburner,” Carey said. “And what’s important for us is that we first find some way to host a regular season because you have to remember that district all-stars is a very small percentage of our overall league.”
Carlson said Nittany Valley Little League discussed that very issue at his last meeting and, although no formal decisions were made, he said the league’s mindset wasn’t all that different from Bellefonte’s. State College President Corey Dillon said he anticipated discussing that topic during a scheduled (online) meeting this weekend.
“To be honest with you, we have emails going back and forth on a daily basis,” Dillon said. “We’re taking our guidance from Little League International and, beyond that, we’re following what the State College Area School District’s athletics are doing.”
Most Little League seasons around Centre County were expected to start up in the next week or two. But Little League International initially suspended play until April 6, before extending the suspension Monday to May 11.
April 6 would’ve caused a serious time crunch, but it still would’ve been possible to hold regular seasons and all-stars. Now with the May 11 date, unless the Little League World Series is delayed until September, league presidents say that balancing act is virtually impossible as the postseason timetable currently stands — especially considering most leagues would prefer to give their kids a two-week practice period before games start up.
But with news surrounding the coronavirus changing daily and, with so much time before May 11, there’s no telling what might come next. In the meantime, Little League presidents around the county are simply hoping they’ll be able to salvage this season in some way.
“People don’t understand how important this is to the development of kids,” Carey said. “It’s not just the game itself; it’s the fact they’re around their friends or around teammates who are fast becoming friends. It’s the dynamic between coach and player, and how life lessons are being learned every practice.
“And I can tell you from my own personal experience, having coached for a really long time, how vital those interactions are. This isn’t just about baseball; that’s the mistake people make when they talk about Little League.”
This story was originally published March 19, 2020 at 3:40 PM.
