B.C. little league games restarting in the coming days

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – With COVID-19 restrictions eased to allow for outdoor games, B.C. little league organizations are excited to get back on the field. But there’s still some work to do before games can get back up and running.

Outdoor local team games and practices can go ahead, though no spectators are allowed right now.

Mark Deshane with Whalley Little League, which has about 300 kids aged 4 to 18, hopes to get back to play this week. He says there is a fair amount of work to do before games can start up again.

“We have limits on the number of people we can have in the park at any given time, so the schedules all have to coordinate,” Deshane said, adding they may be able to get back to play this week.

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Sandon Fraser, president of Coquitlam Little League, thinks the nearly-700 kids aged 4 to 17 with his organization will be back on the field next week.

“We’re allowed to play games within our own organization, but we cannot yet travel to other leagues to play yet,” he explained.

He says the kids are thrilled.

“They’ve just been excited to do something more than a practice. They’ve been excited to get on the field and play a game. They were reaching out to me last night, wondering when the first game’s going to be,” Fraser said Wednesday.

It was the same story for Deshane, who also heard from overjoyed families.

“My phone was ringing off the hook yesterday, [asking] ‘Can we go ahead?’ ‘What are the stipulations?’ ‘What are the next steps?’ ‘Can we do a schedule and start tonight?’ They’re elated,” Deshane said.

PLAY BALL!

Games are now allowed in B.C., so Little League is approving schedules. @CoquitlamLL starts next week, while @WLLBall hopes for tonight! No spectators, though. #Coquitlam #SurreyBC pic.twitter.com/RzIcqqfSYu

— Tim James (@TimJamesPlus) May 26, 2021

If all goes to plan, a maximum of 50 spectators will be allowed for outdoor sports by mid-June. In the second phase of B.C.’s restart plan, indoor team games and practices can also go ahead, but no one will be able to watch from the sidelines until at least July.