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Watching kids play baseball sure is a great way to spend a summer evening, isn’t it? There’s just something about seeing the next generation learn to play the great game that is particularly rewarding. Watching them compete, work together as a team, and ultimately succeed at goals takes it to an even greater level.
After a few summers dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, even getting the chance to watch kids getting outside and active with other kids takes on a new level of meaning. Though staying home from work and experiencing social isolation has been hard on us, it says little about how difficult this period has been for our youth. With vaccine rollout well underway, this year promised to give us back a bit of normal.
Unfortunately, the rise of the delta variant of the Coronavirus has put a damper on the many activities many baseball fanatics had planned. Difficulties reaching herd immunity allowed variants to spread rapidly, which has left many of us feeling as though we are looking at another season of isolation. This is especially impactful for kids. Those in league sports stand to have another altered and difficult season, including those competing in the Little League World Series.
Another Year of Changes
For better or worse, officials managing the Little League World Series this year have responded to the surge in delta-variant COVID-19 cases by changing some of the game’s fan regulations. Namely, the number of fans allowed in the stands will be drastically reduced. Specifically, each team will only be given 250 tickets for friends and families of team members, and the number of support staff and volunteers at the game will be dramatically reduced below normal levels.
This year, the number of teams participating was also substantially limited. As another COVID-19 mitigation, no international teams were invited to the World Series, rather only U.S. based teams will be allowed to play. This will greatly limit the number of teams in the series and leave many competitive teams out of the competition.
Of course, this is much better than in 2020 when the Little League World Series was canceled altogether. However, it does leave both kids and their fans with a bit of wind taken out of their sails. Likewise, many of the nearby communities that regularly see a profound tourist boost during the games are preparing to take another hit. In comparison, in a typical year, nearly 3,000 tickets are sold daily.
Mental Stresses
Regardless of how the Little League World Series shakes out, there are many questions surrounding how COVID-19 has impacted children’s sports leagues in general. For instance, has the cancelation of many tournaments and seasons greatly impacted the number of children that are likely to continue to play sports into adulthood? Or does the limited number of supporters in the stands have an impact?
Perhaps the most serious question to answer surrounding youth baseball leagues and other sports is how much their absence has impacted the mental health of young athletes. There is substantial evidence out there that the pandemic has had profound traumatic impacts on young kids. Throughout the crisis, kids of all ages witnessed a great change in our society, whether they understood what was happening or not.
Due to these changes in daily routine and habits, many may be dealing with greater levels of anxiety or depression — things that sports and social interaction would typically help prevent. Whether it is the Little League World Series players or local recreational league members, it is important for adults to take the time to assess the mental health of young athletes as they come out of an anxiety-riddled year and a half.
Getting Back on Track
Impacts to league tournaments and events are rippling across youth sports, and it will take time to get everything back to normal. Fortunately, there are some things we can all start doing right now to get our kids back on the field and back in the batter’s box. Of course, first and foremost is helping our kids deal with the traumas of Covid and get back in the game without stress impacting their performance.
For large events such as the Little League World Series, it could help to have folks such as emergency management professionals on staff. These team members can help with planning for unexpected impacts, especially in a ‘mostly’ post-Covid era where outbreaks are still possible. Having contingencies and backup plans in place can really make a difference if a situation arises.
As always, there will still be some health concerns associated with children’s baseball. Making sure kids get the proper food and hydration is critical as is injury prevention routines. It is the small things that keep the game fun and keep everyone safe.
Sooner or later, we can all hope that all youth baseball leagues will be back to normal. Hopefully next year we’ll be watching the Little League World Series wherever we choose to do so, be that from the comfort of our homes or back in the stands cheering.
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