Following recent announcements from Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews on the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, Baseball Victoria continues to consult with Sport and Recreation Victoria to confirm details of how these updates apply to baseball across the state.
While the dates and restrictions are subject to change, currently the Victorian Government will ease restrictions for community sport on Sunday, 1 November 2020, when junior baseballers will be able to return to full training and senior baseballers can commence non-contact training in metropolitan Melbourne.
As Baseball Victoria keeps planning for our return to activity, we will provide any further updates to dates and resources as required. To help clubs plan for the season ahead and get an accurate idea of numbers, we are kindly asking all those interested in participating in the 2020/21 VSBL season to register HERE.
The Premier has suggested the possibility of this date moving forward seven days with a continued reduction of daily case numbers. Baseball Victoria is preparing for both options but at this stage, we continue to plan on 1 November 2020 for our return to activity.
“The situation is improving, and we are hopeful we can return to play at the end of November when we have completed four weeks of training and our clubs and players are ready to go,” Baseball Victoria President Myles Foreman said. “The Baseball Victoria Board and staff have been working very closely with the Victorian Government to make sure we can provide this hybrid season with discounts, such as no team fees for juniors and team fees for seniors being less than half of last year’s costs. This will allow clubs to assess their financials and focus on getting back to the sport we all love.”
Fees for Baseball Victoria and Baseball Australia are frozen at the same rates as last summer and the senior team fees are reduced by 50% with the junior team fees completely removed – junior teams are free for 2020/21. These significant reductions will allow clubs to determine their fees with these reduced costs, to pass those onto players as part of their overall club fees. Exact club fees are being determined by clubs now, and the return to activity will be free until such time as our return to play as part of the summer baseball season.
Baseball Victoria continues to work with the Victorian Government on financial support for our members and clubs – it is possible we will be able to apply additional discounts once we have finalised the season format and fixtures.
“We are working diligently to adhere to the Victorian Government’s changes and timelines so that we can be prepared for a safe, successful return to activity and eventual return to play, keeping in mind that dates and plans may continue to shift,” Baseball Victoria CEO Kristie Middleton said. “We are incredibly conscious of the many difficulties members of our Victorian baseball community have faced this year, which is why we wanted to make the appropriate adjustments to our fee structure. We have prepared a number of club resources, most importantly our updated Return to Activity and Return to Play Plan, to guide our clubs through this new chapter of grassroots baseball.”
“We continue to work with our clubs, and we are pleased with this much more optimistic outlook as we feel confident we can return to play before the Christmas break. We are finalising the return to on-field training for the Baseball Victoria Aces Academy and our 2021 AYC plan to ensure we have a Victorian-based event.”
Players, coaches, volunteers, and officials are all asked to register to help teams and clubs make sure they are ready to play in a COVID-safe environment.
Click HERE to register with your club and view registration resources for new and returning members HERE.
Click HERE to view our frequently asked questions, which are regularly updated.
We encourage our members to stay in touch with one another and prioritise their mental health. Click HERE for mental health resources.
Click HERE to view our updated Return to Activity and Return to Play Plan.
To view the outline on the easing of restrictions provided by the Victorian Government, click HERE.