2020 Return to Train/Play update T-Ball, Rally Cap and 9U
July 7,2020
We hope you are all enjoying your July, the sunny parts at least, and are just as excited to return to the ball diamonds as we are.
T-Ball, Rally Cap and 9U Return to Train / Play program online registration opens tomorrow, Wednesday, July 8th, 2020 and will remain open until Tuesday, July 14th at midnight. Online registration for this program is just as is it for regular season, you simply click on the "Registration" tab, log in to your account and select your player's division. Please ensure that you are selecting the correct division. The years of birth are indicated in the package description. These programs will begin the week of July 20th, 2020 and finish the week of August 21st, 2020.
T-Ball (To be found under the Rally Cap division)(2015 and 2016 birth years) will participate once a week on Monday evenings from 6:00pm - 7:00pm at a cost of $75.00. Location to be announced once registration numbers are finalized.
Rally Cap (2013 and 2014 birth years) will participate twice a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00pm - 7:00pm at a cost of $100.00. Location to be announced once registration numbers are finalized.
9U (2011 and 2012 birth years) will participate twice a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:30pm - 7:30pm at a cost of $100.00. Location to be announced once registration numbers are finalized.
There will now be a 3% credit card transaction fee added to each registration to cover the merchant fees charged to our association.
Please be advised your registration process now includes a number of waivers and liabilities that require signatures from both yourself as parent/guardian as well as your player. Please review them carefully prior to signing. Please also be advised, should these forms not be signed your player and/or yourself will not be permitted to participate. Should your player be too young to sign their name, please go over the rules of social distancing and letting someone know if they are not feeling well, and sign on their behalf.
Once arriving at the diamond, it is essential, with no exceptions, that a Contact Tracing Log be completed each and every session. We are accountable to AHS should there be a case traced back to baseball. We have discussed a number of ways to simplify this process, however at this point it will simply be a necessary inconvenience. Should this change or another option becomes available we will adjust with the changes. When you arrive at the diamond you must exit your vehicle and sign your player in at the volunteer table. You can not simply drop off and drive away. You (parent/guardian/sibling dropping off) and your player must provide the following information to the volunteer collecting the tracing log info:
Your name, your players name, your email. You will be asked and must truthfully answer these three questions:
1. Have you experienced fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, runny nose, nasal congestion, chills, nausea, headache, muscle aches or loss of appetite lately?
2. Have you or anyone in your household travelled outside Canada in the last 14 days?
3. Have you or anyone in your household been in close, unprotected contact in the last 14 days with someone who is ill, being investigated or a confirmed covid-19 case?
Should you answer yes to any of these questions at anytime, you must stay home and away from any and all baseball activities. Should you or your player begin feeling any of these symptoms while at the diamond you must let the coach or volunteer tracing log parent know immediately. You must leave the facility, return home, isolate for 10 days from the start of symptoms, or until symptoms resolve, whichever takes longer.
Please be diligent with this! Please err on the side of caution as this is to protect all families involved. If coaches or volunteer tracing log collectors suspect you or your child is ill, you will be asked to leave.
RDMBA has taken steps to minimize the risk to our players and we’d like to share some of those with you.
1. There are social distancing signs and recommendations being posted at each facility.
2. Each group in each division will have sole use of their diamond for the evening, there is no early/late cross-over practices taking place therefore minimizing/eliminating individuals outside of your group coming into contact with commonly touched surfaces and equipment.
3. Equipment such as L-screens, tees etc.. will be sanitized each and every practice and recorded on the equipment sanitization log. The baseball will be the only piece of shared equipment. Should it be necessary to share bats they must be sanitized between each use by a responsible adult.
4. Use of the dugouts is not permitted as this is not an area that is conducive to social distancing.
5. There will be no sharing of personal equipment. Personal equipment bags will be lined up at 2m spacing down the fences, white tape is in place to indicate the spacing. All personal equipment must be returned to your equipment bag immediately following use, it is not to be left out.
6. Each diamond will have a tote with gel sanitizer, liquid spray sanitizer, paper towel, disinfecting wipes, first aid kit including face masks to be used in first aid situations.
A couple additional points to be advised of:
Please keep attendance to a minimum, preferably one parent / guardian with each participant in order to lessen the risk of spread. Please refrain from carpooling, as it is not recommended at this time.
We are not able to accommodate friend requests.
Please ensure your participant has used the washroom prior to leaving for the diamond as there will be no washroom facilities available.
A clearly labelled water bottle is permitted. There is no food, sunflower seeds, gum or spitting permitted.
Should any volunteers, coaches or players wish to wear a mask, they must provide their own. The limited masks we have on site are for first aid scenarios only.
RDMBA understands the current financial strain placed on some households during this difficult time, as it is felt by our association as well. We hope that by keeping our program fees low more players will have the opportunity to participate.
Again, we thank you for all of your patience throughout this everchanging situation. We know there has been a lot of adjustments as restrictions and regulations change and we appreciate your understanding as we do our best to provide our players with a great experience while ensuring we remain compliant with our governing bodies.
Thank you
RDMBA
Previous Updates:____________________________________________________________________________________________
Hello RDMBA families,
We hope this finds you all safe, healthy and enjoying your weekend!
We appreciate your continued patience as we’re working through the new Covid-19 safety requirements and restrictions. We apologize, our intention was to have an updated emailed sent out last week, however with the government’s newest release we found ourselves in the position to be changing courses yet again. We wanted to ensure we were providing you with the most updated information.
This email contains information for each division going forward so please read through thoroughly.
RDMBA is happy to announce we are ready to open our Return to Train/Return to Play program online registration. We will begin with registrations for 11U (including second year 9U’s with a 2011 birth year), 13U, 15U and 18U. This program is available to A, AA and AAA local Red Deer players. It is not currently open to import players at this time as the government of Alberta announcement permits players to return to play within their region, and region was defined as Red Deer, not surrounding areas.
Registration for 11U (including second year 9U’s with a 2011 birth year, should you wish to do so), 13U’s, 15U’s and 18U’s will open online Monday, June 15th, 2020 and close Friday, June 19th, 2020 at midnight. We understand this is a short registration window, however in order to prepare for the demand we must know the registration numbers as soon as possible to complete our planning and get our players back on the diamond. There will be no “friend requests” for these programs. Carpooling will not be permitted to these programs. Birth Years for each division will remain as they were in the spring and not advance as they normally do in the fall.
11U (2009 and 2010 Birth years) (also 2011, second year 9U’s, should you wish to do so)
13U (2007 and 2008 Birth years)
15U (2005 and 2006 Birth years)
18U (2001 - 2004 Birth years)
This Return to Train/Return to Play program will begin the week of June 29th, 2020 and finish the week of August 21st, 2020. This 8-week program will include two 2-hour practices per week followed by at least 1 game on the weekend (once the Return to Play plan has been approved and we are permitted to do so). The practice days and times of the week will be announced once registration numbers are complete. The cost of this program will be $200.00/player and will be a non refundable program, as there are simply too many uncontrollable factors for our association to administer refunds for a second time this year. The $200.00 program fee includes Baseball Alberta player insurance, diamond costs, as well as materials required for covid-19 measures. RDMBA will remain following Baseball Alberta’s lead as restrictions continue to be lifted. Should additional opportunities such as playing outside our region become available, we will adjust our program accordingly just as we have with the original Return to Train recommendations. As restrictions lifted, Baseball Alberta’s protocols have been updated to include Return to Train with the shared use of the baseball within your cohort.
The safety of our players, coaches, volunteers and spectators is of upmost importance to us and we want to ensure everyone feels safe to return to our wonderful sport. In accordance with our governing bodies there are a number of new requirements that must be implemented. These additional steps take time and will require volunteer help at each facility. There will be a section in the registration to volunteer to coach should you wish to do so, as well as, an additional area to volunteer in our new protocol’s capacity (collecting waivers, sanitizing equipment etc…). Without additional volunteers, these programs simply aren’t possible.
Additional information will be provided to registrants the week of June 22nd, 2020 along with your practice days, times and new facility protocols.
Please go to the RDMBA website and review the waivers, forms and agreements to ensure they are documents you will agree to sign. Failure to sign these documents will result in exclusion of participation. Please do not register prior to reading, understanding and being willing to sign these waivers.
Release of Liability, Waiver of Claims and Indemnity Agreement
Informed Consent and Assumption of Risk Agreement
Coach and/or Volunteer Agreement Form
Covid - 19 Questionnaire and Attestation
Rally Cap T-Ball, Rally Cap and first year 9U players (2012 birth years, as well as 2011 birth years should you wish to remain in 9U), we haven’t forgotten about you! Given your traditional season would typically be complete by the end of June, RDMBA would like to gauge the interest from these divisions to participate in a baseball program during the July/August months. Please email RDMBA at info@reddeerminorbaseball.com let us know if this is something you’d be interested in, your players name, your name and contact info, birthdate of your player and the division they would be registering for. Please have this feedback returned to us by June 26th, 2020. We will then take this information and determine what type of program we can offer for these divisions based on assumed registration interest.
Again, we thank you for your understanding, patience and support through these challenging times and are excited to see our athletes back on diamonds enjoying our fabulous sport of baseball!
RDMBA
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Baseball Alberta’s Response to Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
The safety of our players, coaches, umpires, volunteers and fans is our outmost importance and we appreciate your patience during this time. Baseball Alberta is continuing to monitor the sites below as the public health risk is being continually assessed and updates on COVID-19 can be found at the following links.
Public Health Agency of Canada
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection.html
Alberta Health Services
https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/topics/Page16944.aspx
https://www.alberta.ca/coronavirus-info-for-albertans.aspx
At this time Baseball Alberta will not be sanctioning any baseball related activities until June 15th, 2020. At such time, associations will be allowed to Return to Train once all protocols from the Return to Train document are met. Associations must communicate with their municipality to ensure compliance with all local guidelines in order to book and use fields. Please note that Member Associations are not required to operate in person baseball activities until they feel that it is safe and appropriate to do so.
June 5th, 2020 UPDATE
We are pleased to release the Baseball Alberta Return to Train Plan. These guidelines are required to be in place and executed in full to start up any organized baseball activities that are sanctioned by Baseball Alberta.Noncompliance can lead to removal of facility access through the municipality in which you offer baseball programming, bylaw fines or even a provincial health officer order to cease activity. This document outlines the requirements and expectations involved in returning to baseball training in a COVID-19 world.
Member Associations will be able to safely resume baseball activities and insurance will only be in place on or after June 15th and once ALL protocols below are completed:
• All players and coaches are registered with Baseball Alberta.
• All registered players, coaches and volunteers have signed the
appropriate waiver forms.
• Associations have communicated with their municipality to ensure
compliance with all local guidelines in order to book and use fields.
* Please remember that no insurance will be in place until June 15, 2020 nor
will any training activities be sanctioned prior to that time.
We ask for our members’ patience and understanding as local baseball association volunteers navigate Phase 1 of the Baseball Alberta Return to Train Plan and work to implement new mandatory steps to make this return as safe, smooth and enjoyable as possible.
Baseball Alberta recognizes that some Member Associations have already had to make the difficult decision to cancel all or part of their baseball operations for 2020. We understand those decisions and support your decision to do so. Please note that Member Associations are not required to operate in person baseball activities until they feel that it is safe and appropriate to do so. We are looking forward to seeing our players and coaches back out on the diamonds soon!
Ron VanKeulen
President, Baseball Alberta
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May 22nd, 2020
RDMBA families,
Baseball Alberta has been diligently working on the submission of the return to train protocol, including endless meetings, multiple calls and emails with governing bodies as well as participation in municipal and provincial forums. We are now at the mercy of AHS and the AB Government to approve, deny, or require changes be made to that submission. Please be patient and be rest assured all is being done to ensure players are able to return to diamonds as soon as it's deemed safe to do so.
Thank you, stay safe and healthy and see Baseball Alberta's update below.
RDMBA
Baseball Alberta’s Response to Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
The safety of our players, coaches, umpires, volunteers and fans is our outmost importance and we appreciate your patience during this time. Baseball Alberta is continuing to monitor the sites below as the public health risk is being continually assessed and updates on COVID-19 can be found at the following links. Please stay home, stay safe and know that we look forward to getting back to playing baseball when it is safe to do so.
Public Health Agency of Canada
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection.html
Alberta Health Services
https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/topics/Page16944.aspx
https://www.alberta.ca/coronavirus-info-for-albertans.aspx
Baseball Alberta would like to advise all member associations, teams, leagues, members (players & coaches), umpires and stakeholders to follow Provincial recommendations and not engage in any congregated activity such as practices, games, events or tournaments until September 1, 2020.
At this time Baseball Alberta will not be sanctioning any baseball related activities. Please note that any association or individual that chooses to continue with baseball related activities during this time will be doing so unsanctioned, at their own risk and without insurance coverages in place.
May 22, 2020 UPDATE
The Baseball Alberta Board of Directors and staff’s focus continues to be the health and safety of our athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers and fans .We respect the orders and restrictions that have been put in place in our province by our Chief Medical Officer of Health and her team. As such, we have taken a measured approach to resuming baseball activities.
As mentioned in our May 8 announcement, a Return to Train protocols document was under way and is now in the submission process for review by Alberta Health Services and the Government of Alberta. Although Baseball Alberta’s restriction of all in person activities remains in place, we await further clarification regarding guidance for organized (outdoor) sport, and we remain optimistic that there will be a Return to Train opportunity this summer.
While we acknowledge that it will not look the same as in past years, we are looking forward to our athletes being on the baseball diamonds. We will be updating our website and social media with information in the event that we have changes to communicate.
Ron Van Keulen
President, Baseball Alberta
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May 11,2020
Baseball Alberta Update
Baseball Alberta’s Board of Directors has made the difficult decision to cancel ALL in-person Baseball Alberta sanctioned events and activities until September 1, 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
With the current Provincial Health orders and restrictions in place, such as social distancing, gathering limits and limitations on non-essential travel along with numerous municipal closures, we deemed this to be the best course of action to ensure the safety of our membership. The health and safety of our athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers and fans were our main priorities in arriving at this difficult decision.
“Although this decision will be disappointing to baseball families across Alberta, we felt it was important to provide guidance to our members in these uncertain times. With the warmer weather upon us, we would like nothing more than to be out playing baseball, however the reality is that at this time it is not safe to do so. We must respect the orders and restrictions that have been put in place in our province by our Chief Medical Officer of Health and her team” said Baseball Alberta Vice President Jon Oko.
This is a very fluid situation and is subject to change as new information becomes available. Baseball Alberta is currently developing return-to-train protocols to allow for the resumption of in-person baseball activities once it is deemed safe to do so.
RDMBA Update
We share in your disappointment of a lost baseball season and we understand the announcement from Baseball Alberta was not the news any of us were hoping to receive.
To recap Baseball Alberta’s statement; given the current Provincial Health orders and restrictions in place, such as social distancing, extended municipal diamond closures (including ours in Red Deer and St. Albert as well), small group limitations as well as limitations on non- essential travel, Baseball Alberta deemed this to be the best course of action to ensure the safety of the membership and in compliance with the Chief Medical Officer. This does not eliminate the possibility of a “return to training” program, when it is safe to do so. It simply means, with these restrictions and closures a traditional playing season wasn’t achievable.
We simply couldn’t have anticipated or imagined this situation for RDMBA’s 40th Anniversary season, nor is it ideal… however we can choose to remain Braves strong! Parents, please encourage your players to continue to practice their skills in your back yard or by taking advantage of online strengthening drills. Players, please don’t give up, continue to work out, play catch with your parents or siblings, find creative ways to improve yourself as a player until we can once again be back playing our awesome game of baseball!
RDMBA would like to honor and recognize our 3rd and 4th year 18U players that would’ve been completing their final season with RDMBA in 2020. Please send us a picture of your player and a few words about their time with RDMBA over the years. If your player wants to write a few words as well that would be great! Please send this to gm@reddeerminorbaseball.com so we can post them to our website and social media.
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March 28,2020
It’s with very heavy hearts that we write this update… please understand this decision wasn’t made easily, it involved a great deal of discussion amongst ourselves and our governing bodies. It has however become glaringly obvious to us all; some things are simply out of our control.
The City of Red Deer has made the difficult decision to include all outdoor recreation facilities in the previously announced indoor recreation facilities closures. The City of Red Deer has announced all baseball diamonds will be closed until June 30th, 2020 at the earliest. Given the duration of this closure and knowing it encompasses the entire Rec / House League season, RDMBA is cancelling our May - June Rec / House League season and issuing full refunds. This includes T-Ball, Rally Cap, Rookie (9U), 11U A, 13U A, 15U A and 18U A. We will begin issuing refunds today, and have them completed as soon as possible. Should your payment have been made by credit card it will be reversed and returned back to your credit card. If you registered your player using cash or cheque, you will receive your refund by cheque in the mail. This method of refund will take a bit longer, please be patient, we will do our best to get this to you as soon as possible. If your mailing address has changed or is different from what we would have on file please send us an email with your correct mailing address. info@reddeerminorbaseball.com
Should this situation improve, and it becomes possible to create a modified Rec / House League season further into the summer / fall, we will do our very best to provide some level of baseball for our many disappointed players. If this opportunity presents itself, we will create a new online registration platform at that time and those that wish to register, can then do so. We will not use your current registration as a credit towards that as it is still very uncertain.
In regards to our Rep / AA and AAA Competitive season, we simply don’t have any further information at this time. Baseball Alberta is hopeful for a late start or modified season, but they are also at the mercy of this virus and its everchanging timeline. We will share all pertinent information with you as it becomes available to us.
For all 13U and 11U players that were participating in AAA / AA evaluations when the closures began, we hope to have more information in the coming weeks. We will relay information and any decisions made with you at that time.
As far as NCCP Coach Clinics and NUCP Umpire Clinics they are all cancelled until further notice. Baseball Canada is working on trying to offer these clinics in online versions and once we have more information, we will make that available to you.
We understand this doesn’t provide definitive dates or answers to some of your questions, however, we appreciate the emails and phone calls to our office remaining at a minimum as we simply don’t have anymore information than we are providing to you today.
Stay safe and healthy our RDMBA families, we look forward to the day we are all on the diamonds again…
Thank you
RDMBA
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