The Kamloops Minor Baseball Association could be facilitating games as early as this weekend (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Chad Klassen

RETURN TO SPORT

Kamloops baseball games could start as early as this weekend, soccer to follow

May 26, 2021 | 5:24 PM

KAMLOOPS — There hasn’t been a real soccer game played on the pitches at McArthur Island since October.

In fact, the geese that roam the pitches have seen playing time in the last seven months.

However, that is all about to change with the province announcing contact can resume and games can be played.

“I think the majority of families and players are excited to get to play again,” said executive director of the Kamloops Youth Soccer Association Missy Cederholm. “There will still be some hesitancy, of course, and that’s to be expected and we’re just going to respect everyone’s level of comfort and the boundaries they’re working within.”

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Kamloops youth soccer has been ready to go for this restart. It registered players for the spring league and they’re already on teams. Intersquad games, and games within the association, could start as early as next week.

“We’ve done as much as we can to be prepared for whatever’s coming our way, so we did have our players in the community spring league opt-in to do training only— if that’s all we were permitted to do — and let them know as soon as contact play was permitted, we would start scheduling games, so that’s where we’re at now,” said Cederholm. “As soon as we get the go-ahead from ViaSport, with the Return to Sport plan, we will get back to games.”

Tuesday’s announcement also allows baseball to be played within local associations like the Kamloops Minor Baseball Association.

“We have plans to start as early as later this week or the weekend,” said President of Baseball BC Chris Balison. “Games for all our house team leagues, which will cover 98 per cent of the kids playing baseball in Kamloops.”

The ball players have been practicing with their teams since the start of the season in April. However, they have been limited in what they can do.

“There’s been the requirement that they stay physically-distanced while they train, so haven’t been able to have a catcher stand behind the plate while someone’s batting,” said Balison. “This is going to change. Now when they practice, they can scrimmage and they can play those games with the short amount of contact, as the game was meant to be played.”

The associations will start with local play within Kamloops before they start scheduling out-of-town games.

“In terms of travel, we’re still waiting for guidance from BC Soccer,” noted Cederholm. “It’s a little bit unclear as to whether it’s in-club play only or if it’s travel within the region. That’s something ViaSport will hopefully clear up for us, and then it will come down the pike from BC Soccer.”