INDIANAPOLIS — A lot of spring sports have been canceled due to COVID-19 and summer leagues are still up in the air.
The Oakalandon Youth Organization usually has about 800 kids every year sign up to play baseball and softball and organizers said that no matter when they do get back to playing ball, they want to make sure it’s a special season for the kids.
“Normally, games every weekend and then once school is out, we start weeknight games,” said Matthew Martin, the president of OYO.
In a world without the current pandemic, the dugouts and fields would be filled with young athletes.
“Right now, we are kind of on a holding pattern,” Martin said.
The OYO board of directors had to cancel the spring season and now are waiting to see how much of their summer season they can salvage.
“We’re kind of waiting to see where Marion County hits as far as when we are allowed to start again and that will determine if and when we can start again,” Martin said.
Once they do start back up organizers tell me the health and safety of everyone will be at the forefront of their minds.
“We want to keep everyone as safe as possible and we will definitely put every measure in place that we need to keep our park safe and keep all of our patrons safe,” said Brittany Anderson, vice president of travel.
They are hopeful bats will be swinging soon and they know everyone is ready to be at the ballpark.
“We’re in this together right now. I know my daughter has lost the ability to play out here just liked he other 800 kids that registered out here this year they all want to play and they all want to get back out here and we are going to do the best we can to make sure they can,” Martin said.
Organizers said people who signed up at OYO for the spring league can either get a full refund, put the money towards the fall league or donate the money to the organization.
