Hello -

Baseball and softball are (almost) back! 

With the announcement by Governor Cuomo on Sunday that “Low-risk youth sports for regions in phase three of reopening can begin on July 6”...

The Board of Directors of Cooperstown Youth Baseball has started the process of officially launching our 2020 season. Our goal for a season remains the same as always: provide a safe and fun experience to all families that participate in our baseball and softball program. 

However, as you can imagine, that is going to look VERY different in 2020. 

We are working on a comprehensive CYB: Safety Plan that will meet New York State, Otsego County and CDC guidelines. This will be a team effort to execute, and will involve everyone - the board, coaches, players, parents, and fans. 

Little League Baseball, with which our league is affiliated, has some very helpful resources such as their Best Practices Guide. We will be incorporating many of these practices into our final plan, so be prepared with masks, distancing measures and new limitations that are different from previous seasons. 

A few important items of note that we have to change include: 
- No formal parade and Opening Day event 
- No Skills Day (ALL teams will be assigned by the BOD) 
- No concessions will be available for the season
- (2) coaches MAX on the field for all practices and/or games

We will still have ALL divisions available, including: Tee Ball, Rookie, Minors, Majors, 10U Softball and 12U Softball. 

Additional updates are forthcoming, but in addition to the new safety protocols there will be some significant changes to how the Tee Ball and Rookie divisions function this year. 

For example, the number of players for each team will be decreased and the emphasis for the season will be skill development with some inter-team fun games. 

With all that said….

You are receiving this note because you already have signed up your child for the upcoming season. 
There is a lot to consider, and what you and your family decide is best for you and your ballplayer(s) is a personal decision. For some it may be playing without a doubt, and for others this may not be the time to participate. 

Here are a few options for you to consider on how to proceed: 

A. Participate in the 2020 season 
B. Defer payment to the 2021 season 
C. Defer payment to a donation to help CYB, a volunteer-led nonprofit organization, to continue to build our Cooperstown program
D. Request a full refund 

Whatever you choose, we respect and will process accordingly. So again, please do what is best for YOUR FAMILY.  

There is much to review and discuss, but for now I’ll close this note with a simple word that will be more important than ever this season. 

RESPECT. 

Not only should coaches, players and parents always respect the game, but we need to / have to respect each other by being safe: Safe on the field, in the stands and even in the parking lot.  

The safety and care for our program, community and future generation of ballplayers depends on us doing the right (and respectful) thing together. 

We look forward to our kids playing baseball and softball - learning the fundamentals of the game that we all love, how to be a good teammate, and simply having a whole lot of fun - very soon. 

In the meantime, feel free to contact Jason Schiellack at 607.437.2373 if you have any questions or concerns. 

Yours in Baseball, 

Cooperstown Youth Baseball / Board of Directors 
[email protected]