JBLN set to open complex

There are physical signs within the Field of Dreams Complex at St. Andrew’s that a return to baseball is imminent.

The main tenant of the complex, the Junior Baseball League of Nassau (JBLN), had earlier indicated that it wanted to open its doors for practices and team training sessions as early as January 23. However, that date has been pushed back to February 6 as the league still needed approval from the Competent Authority on the advice of health authorities.

As it stands now, league commissioner Jeff Albury said via e-mail that they are all set to go on Saturday, February 6. Hand sanitizing equipment and thermometers have been purchased to facilitate the process of a safe return to baseball. There are a total of five hand sanitizing stations with four portals on each station, located at the girls softball field, the junior field, the Little League field, the batting cages and the concession stand. Also, there is a digital thermometer at the entrance to the concession stand.

“We want to make sure that all protocols are used for the safety of our players and coaches during the upcoming practices and workouts that we are planning,” said Albury. “Hopefully, this can be expanded as we go forward.”

The scheduled workout sessions are limited to the older players in the league – the 11-and-over groups in baseball and girls softball. The younger kids, Tee Ball (5-6), Coach Pitch (7-8) and Minor League (9-10) will be integrated as the weeks go by.

There are a number of protocols that are required as the league prepares to open its complex.

Teams are asked to assemble as a group in the parking area, the wearing of masks is mandatory, temperatures are taken at the concession stand before any baseball activity begins and if there is an abnormal high temperature for a player, that player should not be allowed to be a part of the practice and their parent should be notified immediately as the player or players in question are isolated from other players.

Additionally, all players must sanitize their hands before any baseball activity begins. During practice sessions, all players must maintain social distance of six feet from each other, and if not on the field, they must wear their mask. There must be limited contact by players and team officials at the facility including in the parking area. Bats, gloves and catchers’ equipment should not be shared and bats should be sanitized after each player has used it.

Players on the field can play without a mask but there cannot be any bodily contact. The dugouts are not to be used as a gathering area. Coaches and officials are asked to stay away from players sliding into a base where a fielder is present. Also, players must bring their own beverages and food items, since the concession stand will not be open.

The bathrooms will be open and will be sanitized with a fogging machine by the field crew in the mornings and also before they leave at the end of their shift. Teams practicing on the Little League Field in the evenings and after hours will be responsible for turning off the lights. When using the batting cages, all protocols should be in place including the social distance practice. Coaches are ultimately responsible for enforcing the protocols.

“The league is depending on the coaches policing and making sure that all safety measures are in place,” said Albury.

Albury said that the hand sanitizing machines will be checked and refilled with liquid each day by the field crew. The liquid will be stored in the shed and also in the concession stand.

Practice time should be for two hours, and teams are asked to leave the complex after their practice is completed.

Teams not yet requesting time slots for practices are asked to send in their preferred days and times as soon as possible. The schedule will be posted on the bulletin board at the fields.

At the moment, there is no telling when competition will be able to resume full scale, but for now, teams are excited for the opportunity to return to the fields, if only for practices and workout sessions. The league suspended activities last March, following the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic here in The Bahamas, and there has been no local baseball since.

The Bahamas Baseball Association’s (BBA) Safe Return to Baseball COVID-19 Prevention Guidelines has been approved by the Ministry of Health and there is now optimism that the return of competitive play is imminent.

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source https://thenassauguardian.com/jbln-set-to-open-complex/