Good morning MGS families,

Sorry for the delay in releasing this document. We had to finalize a few things before releasing. If you have any questions please contact mgssoftball@yahoo.com.

Our current timeline for the season is for practices to start the week of July 6. Coaches will receive info about how to schedule practices at the managers meeting, which will be determined soon. Games will start the week of July 20 and teams will average 1-2 games per week until the end of September. An end of season tournament is still TBD. We are focusing on keeping a majority if not all games at A and B field, to help reduce the number of people at Community Park and to help with social distancing.

At this moment we have issued refunds to 15-20% of the league. This may result in the elimination of one team per league which will result in some players being switched to a different team. We will have managers reach out to their teams immediately once our rosters are finalized.

Thank you again for your patience. These are not easy decisions and not how we wanted our league to play out this year, but we can and will adjust. Our goal is always to continue to have fun and promote the game in a positive way. We must all be diligent in complying with these guidelines, and we are confident it will happen. See you all out at the fields!

SIncerely,

The MGS Board

MGS Families,

The MGS Board has made the decision to extend the window to request full refunds for one more week to Friday, June 5.  This will give us the extra time needed to complete our comprehensive “return to play” plan, which will be posted on our website Wednesday, June 3.  We are currently working with the Munster Parks Department to finalize specific details, and want to make sure our plan addresses all safety measures imposed by the CDC and guidelines set forth by Governor Holcomb.  Our plan is to allow teams to practice starting July 6, with the season schedule to be determined soon. Any request for refunds after June 5 may be prorated based on league expenses at the time. All questions can be directed to our league email at mgssoftball@yahoo.com.

Thank you for your continued patience and support.

The MGS Board

Munster Girls Softball

May 11, 2020

MGS Families,

As you probably have seen, on May 1st Governor Holcomb revealed a 5-phase plan to reopen Indiana. This plan states that:

• In Phase 4, beginning 6/14, recreational sports leagues and tournaments may resume.  Social gatherings of up to 250 people may take place following the CDC social distancing guidelines. No large events such as conventions, sports events, fairs, festivals and parades.

• In Phase 5, beginning on 7/4, events such as conventions, sports events, fairs, festivals and parades will be allowed.  Essentially all social distancing and precautionary restrictions lifted.
  (All dates are subject to change based CDC guidance or other new information.)

The MGS Board met virtually this past Thursday evening to discuss the Governor’s plan and how best we could reasonably and safely operate our league within its parameters.  Our intent was to outline a plan for our spring/summer league activities.  After much discussion, we have prepared the following update regarding the 2020 softball season:

• No league team activities will start before Monday, July 6.  A more detailed timeline of practices and Opening Day will be determined sometime in June

• There will be NO All-Star teams this year

• There will be NO separate fall-ball league

• We will have a detailed safety plan containing guidelines regarding sanitation and safety precautions. We will further evaluate if modifications to the general game rules are warranted for the safety of our participants

Over the next few weeks we will be monitoring for any updates to the CDC guidelines, as well as consulting with members of the medical community, the Town of Munster, and other sports leagues before we finalize our plans for the 2020 season.  We will forward any additional information, including details of our safety plan for the league, before the end of the month.

We are aware that some youth sports leagues will be commencing league activities prior to July 6.  However, we believe that the minor, additional delay is worthwhile for us to get closer to normal and increase the comfort level of our players and families to return to softball.  Our start date coincides with Phase 5 of the Governor’s plan to re-open Indiana, in which the CDC guidelines and precautionary safety measures are hopefully lifted.  Even if MGS were to begin league activities under Phase 4 (June 14), it would not have been feasible to have an All Stars and separate fall-ball season this year.  Our decision to offer a single season from July through September allows us more flexibility with scheduling and may afford an opportunity to play additional games.  We understand that this will not be a “normal" softball season, but we want to do whatever we can to make sure that all of our players have the best opportunity for a fun and safe year!

We are well aware that some families or players may not feel comfortable participating in the league this year.  If you have any additional questions or would like to request a refund, please email mgssoftball@yahoo.com, and a board member will respond promptly.  PLEASE NOTE:  All refund requests must be received by Friday, May 29.  We will need time to process the refunds, and to evaluate and address any impact to team rosters or age divisions.

This is not the season that we envisioned, as we have all had to make adjustments and sacrifices in our lives due to these unprecedented events.  We appreciate your patience and support as we try to make the best decisions for this league and our MGS families. Take care and stay safe!

The MGS Board