The Simpsonville Athletics Department is moving forward with spring sports after the lifting of the statewide “stay-at-home” order.
Competitive games for baseball, softball and flag football will begin June 15, per guidelines issued by Gov. Henry McMaster. Athletics Director Chad Foster said the City is excited for the season.
Mauldin, Simpsonville and Fountain inn to co-ordinate inter-city scheduling.
“Our purpose is to provide kids the opportunity to play team sports, make friends and be active,” Foster said. “While postponing the season was necessary to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, coaches and staff, including myself, are ready to get back on the field to fulfill that purpose.”
The Athletics Department is committed to the safety and well-being of its players during the Novel Coronavirus 2019 global pandemic. Therefore, the Parks & Recreation Department has issued recommendations and guidelines to protect the health of players and their families.
Hand sanitizer will be available for players, and new specific equipment items have been purchased for baseball that will be disinfected by the City after use. To ensure social distancing is maintained, coaches will stagger players in dugouts and on benches, and spectators must spread out around the fields.
High-fives and hand shaking after games will be temporarily prohibited to decrease social contact. Coaches will have discretion in deciding appropriate non-contact alternatives to exhibit sportsmanship, one of the most important values a child can learn.
Like any other season, the cities of Fountain Inn, Mauldin and Simpsonville are working together when needed to provide the best recreation programs possible.
If each city has enough teams, the cities play in-house. However, if one or more cities do not have enough teams to play in-house, the recreation programs will team up to give players the competitive games they deserve.
Foster said all cities in the Golden Corner have the same goal: give kids a chance to play sports.
“Not having enough teams to play in-house shouldn’t prevent us from holding competitive games,” Foster said. “Teamwork is important in youth sports, but teamwork is also important for the adults running the youth sports program. It’s all about the kids for all three cities.”
Foster added he and his counterparts in Fountain Inn and Mauldin speak weekly and sometimes daily to make sure each kid has the opportunity to play, especially during the pandemic.
The season is scheduled to end in the first week of July.
For more information, contact Justin Lee Campbell, community relations specialist, at jcampbell@simpsonville.com.
