Goal: We live in unique times. The goal of the baseball experience we are offering this year is to balance health & safety with giving kids appropriate, normal activities to participate in this summer.

Program Description: Groups of players will be created for practice purposes. The Association is also working hard to create the opportunity for some kind of game experience once games are allowed by the MN Department of Health.

Dates:  June 15th – August 1st practices and competition if/when the state guidelines allow  

Participation Eligibility:

• Ages 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, & 14 are eligible, refer to CBA participation guidelines  
• 7 & 8 year old’s will not be eligible for participation this year, we encourage our parents to work with these young baseball players by playing catch, practice hitting, running around, and having fun this summer
• No “play up” requests will be honored this year due to the impacts of COVID-19

Groups/Pods: 

• Athletes will be assigned to a “group” or “team”, group assignment will be established by CBA directors including Travel, Youth and Community leagues
• Groups will include up to 12 players, participation “pods” will be established following MN Department of Health guidelines (less than 10 in each pod)  
• Teams that were formed previously (e.g. Traveling 10-12’s) will be maintained as best we can depending on re-registrations
• Given the situation and balancing the MN Dept of Health guidelines, THERE WILL BE NO ABILITY TO REQUEST TO BE WITH A CERTAIN GROUP OR CERTAIN PLAYER.

Practice:

• A “Group”, as outline above, will practice together all season (this will include 10-12 players on a field broken into at least two pods)
• 2 days per week; optional 3rd days depending on team and field availability
• Practices will be managed by the Coach, with support from the CBA Board

Competition/Games:

• If/when the state governing bodies establish guidelines for safe competition
• We are considering inter-league (Chaska only) and cross community games (surrounding SW metros communities)
• Because of all the unknowns, we will be creating opportunities for competition as we get more guidance. Please understand - this is a very fluid situation and things may change week-to-week.

Cost: $75 per player. Cost covers hats and shirts that will be given to each player, and equipment use. The cost will be netted out of your original 2020 registration (e.g. $500 (travel registration) - $75 = $425 refund or $200 (9/10 Youth League) - $75 = $125 refund). New registrations will be billed $75 separately.

Precautions: All activities will be conducted with the safety protocols established by the MN Department of Health. During this pandemic, new precautions need to be taken to make sure all players, coaches, umpires, and fans are safe.  While still being safe, we are trying to give kids some normal activity.  Click here for information from MN Dept of Health.  

Understanding Risk:  As we all begin to gather again in all phases of life, we understand there is some risk of virus transmission. There is no way to eliminate all risk. There are ways to manage risk. By signing up for this program, you acknowledge you understand the risk of the virus transmission even with the safety precautions being taken. Further, you expressly agree that you will not hold the Chaska Baseball Association, it’s members, or any volunteers liable if you or your child develop COVID-19.

*Participation in Chaska Baseball will continue to follow the District 112 high school boundaries, generally defined as Chaska and Carver residents. See the Travel Handbook on the CBA website for additional information.  

Chaska Baseball Families,

We would like to thank everyone your patience as we continue to navigate the impacts of COVID-19 on the 2020 baseball season. Unfortunately, the pandemic continues to influence our daily activities and is setting the tone for how we interact with one another. As the weather continues to improve, our children wrap up the school year, and days grow longer we long for our time on the diamond.

With the health and safety of our athletes, their families, and our community at the forefront of our mind we have decided to cancel the baseball season. While the original season is cancelled, we are working on options for participation that will be focused on Player Development and includes limited, if any, competition. The Governor and the Minnesota Department of Health released guidelines for Safe participation in youth sports late last week. The framework allows for youth baseball to begin in June with limits on number of participants and restricts activity to practice only while observing social distancing protocols.

What we know today:

• Youth Leagues (7-12) – season cancelled
• Community League (12-14) – season cancelled, no participation in the Community League
• Travel League (10-14) – season cancelled, no participation in Metro Baseball League  
• Refunds will be issued for all levels, see below

What we are working on:

• Youth Leagues (10-14) – focus on player development, starting mid-June, additional information will be released next week; June 3rd 
• Re-registration will be required to participate; look for registration to open June 3rd - 8th 
• Fee will be a lower cost and netted from your current registrations fee; TBD
• Target dates for the new season:  June 15th – Aug 1st 

While we’re excited to offer the opportunity for our community to come together in baseball once again, we understand some of our families will be uncomfortable doing so. We want to ensure you that we respect your decision and in no way will it have an impact on your future experiences with Chaska Baseball. Our goal is to provide an opportunity for those who are comfortable and respect the decision of each family.