Dear Parents, Players, Coaches, and Volunteers,
As we adapt to the new realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, we hope you and your families continue to be safe and healthy. The weather continues to improve and, although we’ve certainly had a good share of rainy days, right now is undoubtedly the season for baseball and softball. We greatly miss all of you and there is no place we’d rather be than sitting around a UPLL field watching our children play this much loved game.
As you may have seen, this past week Little League International took the unprecedented action of cancelling all World Series and Regional events planned for this summer. This not only applies to the iconic Little League World Series hosted yearly in Williamsport, PA, but to all World Series events, including the Little League Softball and Intermediate Division World Series held at various locations around the United States. For the first time since the inception of the Little League World Series in 1947, players and coaches will not take the field this summer with the dream of making a storybook run that somehow finds them at a World Series tournament. While we are greatly saddened for those players who have lost this opportunity, we understand that in the interest of their safety and the health of the greater community, this decision appeared somewhat inevitable and necessary.
In cancelling the Little League World Series, Little League International relayed understanding that the pandemic has affected each area around the globe in unique and different ways. As such, local Little League boards and District Administrators have been charged with the decision to determine if and when local league activities could be safely resumed beyond the previously communicated May 11th postponement date.
Here in Montgomery County, we remain in the “Red Phase” as measured by metrics and reopening criteria released by Governor Wolf through the Process to Reopen Pennsylvania. We have been in communication with officials from Montgomery County and it is their recommendation, in keeping with the Center for Disease Control (CDC), that youth sports activities held on park fields, open areas, and courts are not advised at times when individuals are encouraged or required to practice social distancing. These activities, like baseball and softball, typically require coaches and athletes who are not from the same household to be in close proximity, which increases their potential for exposure to COVID-19. A relaxation of these social distancing guidelines will not be possible until Montgomery County reaches the “Green Phase”, and unfortunately, it may be several weeks or months until those restrictions are lifted. We further recognize that even if it is possible to safely resume activities at some later date, some of you would not be able to participate in an adjusted season.
In keeping with the guidance of state and Montgomery County officials and the local conditions, the Upper Providence Little League Board of Directors has voted to cancel the Spring 2020 Baseball and Softball seasons. At this time, the conditions simply do not exist for a safe resumption of our activities. If conditions improve at some time this summer or fall, we will plan and conduct a separate registration process for a new recreational baseball and softball season at UPLL.
With this cancellation, the UPLL Board of Directors has approved three possible options for families who had registered for the 2020 Spring Baseball or Softball programs. These are:
- A full refund of registration fees,
- A credit of registration fees to apply towards a future season,
- A tax-deductible donation of registration fees to UPLL, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
While the league had already begun making expenditures in planning of the upcoming season, such as purchasing uniforms and contracting with vendors to mow and maintain the fields, Upper Providence Little League continues to operate from a healthy financial position and can therefore provide families with refunds of this season’s registration fees. While refunding 100% of registration fees to all families is possible, doing so would leave the league in a somewhat constrained financial position. We ask that when considering your decision of the options above, you recognize that doing so may affect the outcome of future decisions regarding capital improvements and unexpected expenses.
Please indicate which option is best for you and your family by completing our 2020 UPLL Spring Season Registration Request Form. Please complete this form no later than Sunday, May 31st. If no response is received by this date, all registration fees will be credited to your account with UPLL to be used towards future registrations.
We are currently working through the process of performing refunds and credits in bulk through our website provider, Sports Connect. Credits will follow your account in Sports Connect and will be automatically applied and deducted from the fees associated with future programs. Our hope is that refunds may be sent to the credit card which was used as your original form of payment. As we work through this process with Sports Connect and our banking partner, we ask for your patience. If we receive notice from Sports Connect that refunds cannot be processed electronically, we will issue your refund via check mailed to the address listed on your registration. If you have an immediate need for the refund of your registration fees, please let us know and we can prioritize your request.
It is our hope that some time soon the conditions will be safe for us to return to the fields. The Board will continue to discuss when this is appropriate and communicate with you our plans for a new summer or fall season. We continue to remain fully committed to seeing your children play baseball and softball at Upper Providence Little League and we will make every effort to resume our seasons when safe conditions exist. Continue to check your email, our website, and our Facebook page for updates from UPLL. Thank you for your support during these challenging times. Once more we reiterate… WE WILL PLAY BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL AGAIN AT UPLL!
If you have any questions, please feel free to reply to this e-mail and we'll be glad to answer as best we can!
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The UPLL Board of Directors