After setting the intention of holding a season on March 31, OK Kids Baseball Association has set guidelines for the 2020 season. Little leagues across the state, including those in Beggs and Morris, saw dates pushed back for team registration, playoff qualifiers and state championships.

The decision to move forward follows a similar path to Oklahoma’s ‘Open Up and Recover Safely (OURS)’ plan released by the state on April 22. According to the Phase 2 portion of the plan, organized sports can begin on May 15. Phase 3 of the plan will also allow summer camps, both school and church oriented, to reopen on June 1.

All phases are contingent on hospital and incident rates remaining at a manageable level for 14 days through each step of the OURS plan.

According to Beggs Youth Baseball and Softball, little league teams will be able to play and practice on school fields beginning June 1. Morris Youth Sports has also stated on Facebook they will be attempting to match the outlined dates provided by OK Kids.

“I want you all to know we did not make this decision without a lot of thought,” Beggs Youth Baseball and Softball stated on its Facebook page. “Other towns polled parents and we have had several reach out wanting to play. I think it’s important to the kids and they are wanting to get out in the fresh air and do something active.”

OK Kids Baseball has analyzed and reviewed other league’s guidelines, such as USSSA, and began to form its own. The first outline that OK Kids provided in its guidelines is that the association cannot ‘guarantee the safety of any participant in baseball or softball’ and it is up to the self-determination of each parent/guardian to decide to participate in the 2020 season.

“All participants are acknowledging that they knowingly and freely assume all risks,” OK Kids stated in its guidelines.

Little league teams must also follow local, state and federal governmental and health strategies to play the season out. According to OK Kids, those that have been told they cannot play, should not participate.

“If your local community says that you can’t play baseball or softball this summer, then you can’t participate in Ok Kids,” the association stated. “To repeat, if you don’t believe it’s safe to play this summer or if your community will not allow you to play this summer, you cannot participate in Ok Kids in 2020.”

Ok Kids is allowing little leagues how their season will play out, whether they have regular season games or a tournament to determine playoff qualifiers. Individual teams, whose little league decides not to participate, can also register for the 2020 as an ‘At Large’ team. At Large teams must follow the guidelines from OK Kids in order to participate.

For little leagues who deem it safe to play and are in a position to hold a season, Ok Kids presented rules for teams to follow. According to the association, other safety measures could be implemented throughout the season.

The guidelines presented by OK Kids are:

• Follow all health and sanitation guidelines for facilities and events.

• Mandate designated seating areas in order to create social distancing.

• Handshaking and high fives will not be permitted. No personal contact.

• Do not use team water coolers. Teams must require each player to have a personal water bottle.

• Practice social distancing during the exchange of lineups and home plate pre-game meeting, which should be limited to coaches and umpires only.

• Dug out seating must be spread out. If necessary, have players sit outside the field. However, only if it doesn’t compromise player safety.

• Antibacterial wipes and hand sanitizer should be available at all times.

• Personal protective equipment, such as masks, for players and coaches will be allowed at all times.

• Dugouts should be sanitized regularly.

• Adjust playing times, allowing more times between games to reduce the number of people at a facility at one time.

• Discourage the practice of sharing equipment.

• Limit person-to-person contact as much as possible.

• Display signage to promote social distancing and healthy practices. Beggs Youth Baseball

Beggs Youth Baseball and Softball will also be implementing its own rules to ensure the safety and health of players, attendees and parents. They will not be selling sunflower seeds and will only sell pre-packaged, individually wrapped items from the concession stand.

Following along OK Kids guidelines, Beggs Youth Baseball and Softball is enforcing a no sharing policy for personal items and will not have team water jugs. Beggs Youth Baseball and Softball will also be opening its league up to those in Mounds and Twin Hills.