The frigid temperatures in February and the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 haven't stopped the Chatham Minor Baseball League from opening up for registration in hopes of having a much-needed baseball season this summer.
League president Jason Chickowski said it's "full steam ahead" planning for the 2021 baseball season given that baseball is an outdoor sport and less prone to COVID-19 restrictions.
"Obviously, we are waiting for things to improve across the province and we are bound by the protocols set forth by our local public health unit as well as Baseball Ontario," Chickowski said in an email to Blackburn News. "We are optimistic that given we are an outdoor sport, that the we can operate safely in order to provide our youth the badly needed sports activities they have missed out on for some time."
Chickowski said registration is well underway with with the primary session concluding at the end of February. Parents can register online at chathamminorbaseball.com. Chatham Minor Baseball also had more than 150 players roll over their registration from 2020 into this upcoming season, but processed almost 600 refunds last July.
"We are already off to a great start in terms of numbers," the president said.
Chickowski said if players are not able to play in 2021, all registrations will be refunded just as they were last year. Last year's season was cancelled because of COVID-19.
Baseball Ontario said it remains committed to the safety of the baseball community.
"While the COVID-19 situation remains fluid, we are continuing to monitor the situation so that we can plan, prepare and respond accordingly," read a post on its web page.