When North Langley Softball (NLS) wrapped up their first Early Bird registration drive at the end of December, not a single player had signed up to play in the recreational program.
It was disheartening, NLS president Trevor Moreno recalled, but the club wasn’t about to give up.
NLS has extended the early bird discount for registering, allowed postponed fee payments and added free clinics – “anything to get kids and parents back into the game,” Moreno told the Langley Advance Times.
As of Friday, Feb 5, 90 players had registered, which is less than half the 225 kids who registered in the previous season, but it’s still encouraging.
“We are up-ticking, but we’ve had to be so creative,” Moreno noted.
On Saturday, Feb 13, three groups of three different age groups will be playing softball at the Yorkson community ball park to make a video, so apprehensive parents and players can see exactly how how safe a softball game actually is, especially when the people organizing it are well-acquainted with COVID-19 restrictions.
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“We actually did a season last year,” Moreno pointed out, with North Langley operating under regulations that include distance monitoring, attendance tracking, masks and sanitizing.
“I don’t think a ball field has been any cleaner,” Moreno observed.
“We’re one of the few minor sports that had a season,” he aded.
“We’ve done pretty good. It’s kind of old hat [to us].”
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While the forecast for Saturday was giving a 30 per cent chance of snow, Moreno said it will have to be pretty extreme to keep them off the field.
“Regardless, we’re going to plough through it.”
Early bird discount is still in effect until Monday, Feb 15 .
Those interested can sign up by visiting the North Langley Diamond Sports softball page at http://softball.nldiamondsports.ca/programs/registration or through their Facebook page.
North Langley Softball announced on Saturday, Feb. 6 that it was expanding age groups to include U10 and have added a third diamond for its free general skills clinic.
Have a story tip? Email: dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
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