Letter from AYL President AYL Families
For more than 50 years the AYL has brought communities together through Youth Sports. We know it has been a trying time and our hearts go out to everyone affected by the Corona Virus Covid-19 Pandemic.
As the Covid-19 issue remains ever changing the health and well-being of our families has remained our top priority. Because of that, we are postponing all AYL Youth Sports activities until further notice. This does not mean we are cancelling any of our spring sports season including: Volleyball, Baseball, Boys and Girls Lacrosse.
FAQ’s
When will you start the season?
We are currently following all state and local guidelines including CHSAA, which has delayed their seasons until April 18th, 2020. We cannot predict what is going to happen in the coming weeks and we think it is irresponsible to attempt to predict what will happen. We can assure you this- we will have a season….we just don’t know when we will be given the all clear.
Why not just cancel?
There are several reasons not to cancel:
- We believe that when this situation ends our kids (and parents) will need to return to some form of normalcy to help in the healing process.
- Keeping the season will help our local small businesses, sports clubs and officials. End of year parties (at local establishments), part-time officials, and youth sports organizations (who often operate on a thread) are a critical part of a strong community. Now is the time to stand together and make sure we stay strong.
- Cancelling puts our non-profits clubs at risk of not being able offer all of the services we have had in the past.
Can I get a refund?
- At this time NO clubs will be offering refunds. There are a couple reasons for this:
- We have already spent a portion of your dues on non-recoverable expenses including: insurance, field permits, training, sports equipment, scheduling etc.) .
- WE WILL HAVE A SEASON….it just may start a little late.
What will the season look like?
Every idea is on the table. We have creative, smart people working to ensure we have a solution. We cannot know what is going to happen over the next few weeks and thus cannot predict the solution we will use. It will be different for each sport.
i.e. Condensed season- more double headers- tournament play every weekend- using practice times for games….there are a lot more ideas and will let you know as soon what we decide as soon as we can.
I know this is a time where kids and families are anxious or even scared. We get it, we too have families. We want nothing more than to get our kids and families back together at the parks, gyms or baseball diamonds for some fun, exercise and great competition with friends.
On behalf of the entire AYL I want to thank you for putting your trust in us and we appreciate the support for your local community based club. We are committed to working through these challenging circumstances together.
Craig Randall
AYL President
