Slo-pitch ball players will return to the field in Langley Township on Monday night, Aug. 17, at McLeod Athletic Park and Brown Park, Peter Zeller, president of the Langley Mixed Slo-Pitch league said.
“We got the green light,” Zeller told the Langley Advance Times.
Zeller said the league received verbal confirmation a few days ago, then got the necessary permits on Tuesday, Aug. 11.
“We have a lot to do,” Zeller remarked.
“Let’s hope we can pull it off.”
Usually 96 teams would be competing, but that number has been trimmed to 48, to help meet COVID-19 restrictions.
“We’re only going to have double-headers with the same teams on the same diamond,” Zeller explained.
There will also be limits on the numbers of people and the distances they must maintain.
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Approval of a return to play came after the league went to the Township in July, asking for the same terms as other municipalities; an agreement to respect social distancing, and a legally binding promise that the municipality won’t be held liable if anyone gets COVID-19.
At the time, Zeller noted the the City of Surrey has allowed organized league play since the beginning of July, as have Vancouver, Chilliwack, Port Coquitlam and other communities.
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Langley Mixed Slo-Pitch describes itself as Canada’s largest co-ed league.
Around since 1989, it is a non-profit society registered in the province with more than 2,300 members on Facebook.
Two other Langley slo-pitch leagues have called off their 2020 seasons.
Shane Lowery, president of the Langley-based Valley Mixed Slo Pitch League, said their season runs from April to June, so the decision to re-open the fields didn’t come in time.
“We just cancelled the season,” Lowery told the Langley Advance Times.
Willoughby Mixed Slo Pitch posted an announcement online saying there would be no play this year.
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