
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ,the Little League World Series will not be played this year for the first time since the organization began because of the coronavirus pandemic. Little League International, which announced the move Thursday, also canceled regional tournaments and the championship tournaments in other Little League divisions, including softball, but said the events would return in 2021.
As countries around the world attempt to gain control of the COVID-19 pandemic and begin to plan for or implement efforts to relax social distancing, sports teams and leagues are evaluating future schedules and potential mitigation measures that may be necessary to resume competition. One sports marketing agency estimated that half of the scheduled major sporting events worldwide have already been cancelled due to the pandemic, with more cancellations possible in the future. Some leagues have started announcing tentative timelines for returning to action, although most emphasize that early events will likely not permit spectators to be present. In the United States, the White House Coronavirus Task Force has been coordinating with league officials from professional and amateur athletics leagues and organizations during this planning process. The PGA Tour (golf) and NASCAR (auto racing) are among the first leagues to schedule events; however, as we previously stated the Little League World Series, which involves teams from 84 countries around the world, has been cancelled. Dr. Anthony Fauci indicated that sports could face prolonged disruptions and that some leagues may need to cancel their seasons entirely.
Some leagues around the world have already resumed play. In Taiwan, baseball has resumed, but without fans present. To avoid the sight of empty stadiums, cardboard cutouts of fans are being placed in seats to give the appearance of a full stadium. The Tour de France is tentatively scheduled to start on August 29, but France’s phased “deconfinement” plan will reportedly prohibit large sporting events until at least September. In the absence of traditional sporting events, some professional athletes and leagues are attempting to make the best of the situation through the use of e-sports platforms (ie, video games), including Formula 1 (auto racing).
With respect to recreational athletes, golf may be among the easiest to adapt in terms of maintaining social distancing. Some US state and local governments are permitting the operation of golf courses, including relaxing existing measures to allow them to open. Multiple golf magazines and websites are documenting state and local policies for golf courses across the country.