KC area to host 130-team baseball tournament this weekend: ‘There’s a lot at stake’
The signs will be all over 3&2’s Baseball complexes this weekend ... with Jeff Chalk realizing the gravity of the message he’s trying to get across.
Chalk, the executive director for the Lenexa-based non-profit 3&2 Baseball, has spent weeks preparing for this weekend’s tournament — the 130-plus-team Big League Chew Summer Slam that will bring kids together from across the state of Kansas.
In essence, though, he also knows this will be one huge social experiment.
“There’s a lot at stake,” Chalk said.
Following the state of Kansas’ recent reopening plan — one that as of last week allows youth sports tournaments — Chalk has memorized guidelines and enacted new policies created specifically for this moment as it relates to the coronavirus pandemic. That means a new way of entering the parks, a changed location for umpires and plexiglass added to all concession stands.
This has become part of the new way of doing things, with Chalk focusing numerous efforts on promoting safety.
He’s going to need buy-in, though, from an important group this weekend: the families.
And the signs are just one way of reminding people of that.
A simple message will be repeated on placards throughout the Lenexa and Shawnee ballfields: “Social distancing=baseball. No social distancing=no baseball.”
It’s easy to understand the concern. Any outbreak traced back to a youth baseball tournament could be crippling to an industry that already is months behind schedule.
And now that photos and videos of gatherings — like footage from the Lake of the Ozarks on Memorial Day weekend — can quickly become viral if deemed unsafe, any image of players, coaches or families crowding could stop these events from taking place in future months.
It all makes this weekend’s tournament, with games running Friday through Sunday, as a test of sorts on how well people can adapt themselves to a new normal.
“This is a shared responsibility for the privilege of being able to play youth baseball,” Chalk said. “And if we’re not all in this together and abide by those rules together, then it’s going to go away.”
What’s different
3&2 president Jeff Blaesing says the organization — from experience — has been used to running this first big tournament on “cruise control.”
That’s all changed because of modifications needed to promote reducing human contact at the diamonds.
“Everything,” Blaesing said, “had to be thought through differently.“
State guidelines from the Kansas Recreation and Park Association, released as part of Gov. Laura Kelly’s Phase 2.0 reopening plan, have provided some specific direction for Chalk and his staff.
Here are some of the big changes coming this weekend: Many players will be asked to leave the dugout while their team is batting to observe proper social distancing, while parents will be encouraged to bring their own chairs to space out spectators down both lines. Defensive teams will provide game balls to ensure opposing teams don’t touch them, while umpires will avoid making contact with those baseballs as well.
There will be no admission fees taken at the complexes, as teams instead have already been charged for that to eliminate money exchange and human interaction at the gates.
Game times have been changed too. 3&2 has added 15 minutes between contests, with the hope that there will be less congestion when families leaving the field meet up with those who are entering.
Umpires will call balls and strikes from behind the pitcher’s mound. Painted arrows will attempt to direct people through the park, while Blaesing said the complex has replaced many of its standard water fountains with hand-washing stations. There are also now hand sanitation setups on every field.
“We weren’t expecting to incur those costs this year, but so what?” Blaesing said. “It’s the right thing to do.”
These changes also have forced Blaesing to reconsider how ballparks might change.
Are traditional water fountains going to go away forever? Also, will tournaments without gate fees be the new normal? Though that latter shift will cost the organization some money this week, Chalk refers to the adjustment as “low-hanging fruit,” saying it’s a relatively easy way to minimize person-to-person interaction.
3&2 actually will take its biggest bite financially as a result of the state’s current rules. At this stage of reopening, youth tournaments cannot be held with teams from out of state; that will be allowed starting June 8.
Because of that, Chalk had to email roughly 50 teams from places like Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa that they were being dropped from brackets. So while the 2019 tournament drew 252 teams, that number has almost been halved for this weekend.
“That was disappointing,” Chalk said. “But you know what? We’re going to follow the rules, because we want folks to be safe and we want to be a good community citizen.”
Chalk said this particular part of the reopening has remained constant throughout.
The organization is currently on Plan D as it relates to its own league schedule, which is set to begin in early June after numerous revisions.
In the meantime, Chalk says 3&2 has been working to abide by each of the state’s policies. There was even a point — though Chalk wouldn’t go into specific details — where someone spoke up about a plan to not follow one of the new rules that was going to be set forth.
Chalk said that person is no longer employed with the company.
“We can’t risk a rogue attitude or behavior that would jeopardize the opportunities for thousands of families to play baseball and the livelihood of those that work here,” Chalk said. “It’s not tolerable. We can’t tolerate that.”
There is optimism things will go smoothly this weekend. Other states like Oklahoma have already been hosting youth tournaments in past weeks, Chalk said, with many of those organizers reporting few issues.
“I think we’re going to get back to normal out of the ballfield quicker than other places,” Chalk said. “I think people are really eager to get out and start playing.”
What shouldn’t change
John Lubin’s first practice was Tuesday, and his players were only able to work in the outfield because of rainy conditions.
All of that, though, did little to discourage the Leawood Thunder 9-and-under coach.
“For us, it’s just getting kids back to a little normalcy,” Lubin said. “Getting them back out on the field, having fun, hanging with their buddies.”
Lubin, whose squad is signed up to play in the Big League Chew this weekend, said he and his fellow coaches have already prepared some for contingencies. They’ve bought an extra catcher’s mask. That way if they substitute a player, a mask can be wiped down and drying while the other is being used.
Each player has his own batting helmet, and the team has loaded up on hand sanitizer wipes. Though players will share some of the bats, those will be cleaned often.
Lubin sees the precautions as a small sacrifice to get playing baseball again, especially considering what he’s witnessed the last few weeks.
“Most of these boys, they’re experts in PlayStation and Fortnite right now,” Lubin said. “There’s only so much you can send your kid outside to do.”
Lubin says there’s part of him that worries about youth sports as a whole. There’s the possibility, in times of shutdown like recent weeks, that kids might simply find other activities. A year of no sports could dampen interest in the future, he believes, while also providing a scenario where families move on from many of these activities.
It’s why Lubin says he’s eager to get back on a ballfield with son Teddy this weekend.
Chalk is ready to see how it goes as well. He especially looking forward to seeing kids enjoy themselves while playing baseball again.
Even if some uncertainty remains about how all this will play out.
“It’s just going to be a very unique day when we start,” Chalk said. “It’s going to be real interesting.”
