May 27, 2021  Update from Hastings Little League Board of Directors Attention Baseball Fans!  As many of you know, the Province has removed our "practice-only" restriction and we can commence games without spectators during this step of the BC's Re-opening Plan. We are excited to announce that games will beging THIS WEEKEND at Hastings Community Park. We expect to be able to extend our season until mid-July, giving teams approximately 7 weeks of a "normal" baseball season with games and practices. Check Team Snap for updates to your schedule. We are trying to convert one practice day to a game day each week. Currently weekdays will remain for practice, weekends will be for games. This may change as we proceed so we ask for your patience during this transition.  Games will look a bit different because physical distancing rules still apply. (For your information, we are now in Baseball BC's Return to Play Phase 2 Stage 2.) That means:  - No spectators. We are allowing one parent per child to be present in the designated viewing areas for first-aid purposes. If the case counts keep going down and if the immunizations keep going up, we will be able to welcome up to 50 spectators as early as June 15. - Masks continue to be required for adults on the concourse and the field and health checks are still required for everyone.  - Please follow attached map for arrival and departure to prevent as much crossover as possible. Visiting teams arrive via the 1st base gate, home team arrives via the 3rd base gate. Everyone must sanitize their hands before entering the field. - Only 5 players in the dugouts - seated, spaced out - 5 more on bleachers. Bleachers remain closed to spectators.  - Baseballs will be sanitized prior to use and before they return to the field of play. Please don't throw a foul ball back onto the field - bring it to a coach or board member for sanitizing.  - Umpires will be positioned behind the pitcher's mound, not behind the catcher.  - No use of scorebooth (therefore no scoreboard) at this time. - All COVID protocols for practices remain in place.  GAME RULES Coaches are being updated on adjusted game rules. We want to focus on fun and safety so there will be pitch limits and additional controls to ensure that arm health is maintained. PARENT DUTIES  Home teams are responsible for field setup, visitors for field cleanup. Someone on each team will need to keep pitch counts. Team Parents will be assigning these duties but feel free to let them know if you would like to volunteer!  ALL STARS We are waiting to hear about the possibility of All Stars and District 6 Championship Tournaments.  We hope you're excited about these changes and are looking forward to returning to baseball as we know it. Please help us to keep the focus on the kids and on creating a positive baseball experience for all of them.  Finally, it's time to Play Ball!  Hastings Little League Board of Directors April 5, 2021 Welcome back, players and families! We are looking forward to seeing you very soon and we are taking all reasonable action steps to ensure it is a safe season of baseball for everyone. We need to ensure that everyone follows our guidelines for this reason. If you have any questions, please email info@hcll.ca

RETURN TO PLAY PLAN (Button will open document) Learn about the steps we are taking to keep everyone safe. Included in this document is our COVID-19 Safety Plan, Illness Policy, Outbreak Plan, and First Aid Plan SPECTATOR INFORMATION (Button will open a new page) Information about our 3 field locations, requirements for family members who stay to watch, and our at-the-field safety protocols. PRE- PRACTICE CHECKLIST (Button will open document) Here's a handy reference for your first few practices. It will become routine but in the beginning, everything takes practice. All the information you need to prepare for a safe, fun practice is here.

OTHER COVID-19 RESOURCES

viaSport Return to Play Guidelines 
Baseball BC Return to Play
Province of BC COVID-19 Self Assessment 

June 22, 2020

Dear Hastings Baseball Families;

Welcome, finally, to the 2020 season of baseball at Hastings Community Little League! Let me start by thanking you all for your patience while our Board has been carefully planning the safe return to baseball for your player. We are thrilled you stayed with us and we look forward to seeing you at the diamond.

In planning for our season, we have been careful to follow the guidelines of viaSport, Baseball BC, and Little League International. You can read through our “Return to Play” plan on our website, HCLL.ca. I am happy to say that baseball for our Minor (9-10) and Major Divisions (11-12) will begin July 1st. Our Rookie, T-ball and Jr. T-ball Divisions will begin July 4th. Emails will be sent out shortly to all families to advise them of their player's grouping and what procedures are in place upon arrival and departure at the diamonds.

As mentioned in my last letter to the membership, baseball in the early phases will not be what you would traditionally expect. The early practices will be a maximum of 10 players and 2 coaches and will be skills based while practicing our social distancing. This ratio will be further reduced at the younger levels. That being said, the kids will be outside, learning to play the great game of baseball, making friends, and HAVING FUN! I can assure you as the guidelines open up, we will move quickly to implement the changes with viaSport.

On behalf of the entire Board of Hastings Community Little League thank you for your support and LET’S PLAY BALL!!!

Thank you,

Kevin Clegg
President, Hastings Baseball Club

June 2, 2020 

Dear Hastings Community Little League Families,

On behalf of the Hastings Baseball Club Board of Directors, I want to express how much we have missed you, our extended family of players, parents and volunteers. We hope everyone is staying safe, healthy and positive! 

As you know, just before our season was scheduled to start, it was put on hold. Now that British Columbia is in Phase 2, the plan for youth sports to return is being formulated and it is still our intention to offer a season of baseball to our community members. 

Currently, we are looking to offer a Summer/Fall Season that would commence later this month with small group practices and slowly transition into games.  We are looking to run the season to the end of August / early September.  There will be much work to do to ensure that safety and sanitation requirements set forth by the local health authorities are met. We know the season will look different than in previous years, but we are confident we can proceed with the help of our dedicated board of directors, volunteers and caring and considerate families and players. 

As we approach what would be the end of our regular season, we feel it is a good time to check in with our registered players and provide you the opportunity to choose how you would like to proceed with your participation in the league this season.  We are offering all families these (3) options:

1. REMAIN REGISTERED: Your player’s registration remains active with Hastings Baseball Club and you agree to proceed with the 2020 Summer/Fall Season. Please stay tuned for further information. 
2. WITHDRAW AND DONATE: Withdraw your player from the 2020 Season and donate your registration fees to Hastings Baseball Club. Unfortunately, our non-profit status does not allow us to offer charitable receipts, but we would recognize your donation in our annual report and on our league website.
3. WITHDRAW AND RECEIVE REFUND: Withdraw your player from the 2020 season and receive a refund on your registration fees.  As we are a non-profit organization and our season was ready to proceed prior to the delay, we incurred many expenses (uniforms, equipment, rentals, insurance) in the run-up to the season opening. We are offering 75% refunds to all members who wish to receive a refund at this time.

PLEASE RESPOND:

We are asking all families to complete THIS ONLINE FORM (ONE for each player) by June 10, so that we can proceed with league reorganization and refunds.  Please help make this process as efficient as possible and complete the form by this deadline.

For those families that choose to not return this season, we appreciate that everyone must make the decision that is best suited for their family.  We look forward to welcoming you back next year or in the future, as participants or fans. 

Take care and the best to all of you,

Kevin Clegg 

President, Hastings Baseball Club

April 20, 2020

To the Parents, Volunteers and Players;

The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting us all in ways that we could never have anticipated, just a few short weeks ago.  Hastings Little League has suspended programs, are monitoring the situation and considering options for the balance of the 2020 season.

As members of the greater baseball community, we are taking input from all sources as we look to provide programming for later in 2020.

Presently:

·         The Province of BC has issued a public health order limiting gatherings until May 30^th.

·         The City of Vancouver Park Board has cancelled all park permits until May 30^th.

·         Little League International and Little League Canada have recommended suspension of all programming until at least May 11^th

·         Baseball BC has recommended suspension of all in person programming indefinitely

Until authorities permit a return to community activities, a decision on what our 2020 season will look like remains uncertain.  When people are permitted to return to organized sport, we are hopeful that Little League baseball can return us to one of our favourite pastimes of summer.  The timing and structure of our programs remain to be determined.

Once the proper authorities provide us with the necessary guidance, we will announce our plans for the 2020 season.  We anticipate the earliest date of an announcement will be June 1^st.

For now, we ask for your patience.  Please stay home and stay safe!

Sincerely,

HCLL Board of Directors

April 6, 2020

March 20, 2020