It has been wonderful to see teams on the fields & in the batting cages at WMLL again! The first week of initial practices have gone smoothly & the WMLL field reservation system has been a success. With everything going well & Dane County having moved into Phase 2, WMLL is pleased to report that full team practices can begin on Saturday, June 20! See below for a general summer season update & details about mandatory full-team practice requirements.
THE BASICS
Schedule: WMLL’s updated summer season consists of nine-weeks of activities which began with a delayed start on June 13 & which will last through an extended end on August 16. Fall Ball is currently planned to run from August 24 until October 11.
Approach: WMLL remains focused on the health and safety of our players, families and volunteers and responsible community action and is committed to expanding WMLL summer season activities in a gradual, safe and thoughtful manner. In doing this, WMLL will not allow any activity until it is permitted by Dane County & WMLL has mandatory activity-specific protocols and safety measures in place.
THE PLAN
Step 1 = Initial Practices: On Saturday, June 13, WMLL teams were allowed to begin initial practices for up to 8 players with 10’ social distancing, coaches in masks, & other mandatory safety requirements in place.
Step 2 = Full-Team Practices: Beginning on Saturday, June 20, WMLL teams can begin full teams practices for all their rostered players with 6’ social distancing, coaches in masks when they are within 10 feet of any player, & other mandatory safety requirements in place (click HERE for the modified mandatory practice requirements).
WMLL’s move to Full Team Practices was triggered by Dane County moving into Phase 2 of the Forward Dane plan. June 20 was selected as the start date since it provides for one full week of initial practices, a time period sufficient for teams to have had at least one practice under the initial practice requirements.
Step 3+ = TBD: Due to the phased release of information by Public Health Madison & Dane County, it is not clear what activities they will permit next, nor when they will be permitted. Over the course of the summer season, WMLL hopes to expand activities in an incremental, stepwise fashion to include scrimmages, individual contests, structured team competitions and hopefully modified games (with rules altered as needed for safety & compliance).
It is unknown when Public Health Madison & Dane County will move Dane County into Phase 3 & allow additional activities. We will be in Phase 2 for a minimum of two weeks (plus a few days to compile data), but it could be much longer.
QUESTIONS & COMMENTS
WMLL will continue to share news & provide updates as new information becomes available. We have also created an online comment box (HERE) for any comments related to the 2020 summer season. If you have questions that need a response, please contact the appropriate league coordinator from the list below.
Baseball
• Rookie Lg BB (LL age 7 & 8): Robb Vogel @ rvogel0615@yahoo.com or Sean Michael Dargan @ seanmichaeldargan@gmail.com
• Minor Lg BB (LL age 9 & 10): Mark Schauder @ mark_schauder@yahoo.com or Todd Conkey @ tconkey@mac.com
• Major Lg BB (LL age 11 & 12): Frank Lenoch @ kflenoch@gmail.com or Mark Newburg @ newy@tds.net
• Junior Lg BB (LL age 13 & 14): Jerry Schmitt @ dksgrs@tds.net
• Senior Lg BB (LL age 15 & 16): Harry Miller @ mill7049@gmail.com
Softball
• Rookie Lg SB (LL age 7 & 8): Fern Knepp @ fern.eric@gmail.com
• Minor Lg SB (LL age 9 & 10): Michele Gassman @ scubadive07@gmail.com
• Major Lg SB (LL age 11 & 12 ): Barry Vredenbregt @ badams@madison.com
• Jr & Sr Lg SB (LL age 13 & 14 / 15 & 16): Scott Fossum @ scottfossum@gmail.com