Buffalo, NY - -Â Softball is set to continue despite the coronavirus
The coronavirus pandemic has caused a lot of disruption all over the world, with most countries enacting lockdown restrictions to try and control the spread of the virus. While some nations have begun easing these rules, the resultant surge in cases has led to rethinks around reopening the economy. In such a scenario, many sectors and industries have been completely changed, with no solution in sight for the near future. Any business which relies on people stepping out of their homes and spending money has been hit extremely hard, with transport, tourism, restaurants, beauty services and retail stores being just a few of those who have faced a complete loss of revenue over the last few months. Gambling is another sector which is facing difficult times, as casinos and gambling locations all over the world have had to shut shop to comply with restrictions. However, this has led to some operators going online and offering online casino games for customers, and there has been a definite rise in popularity of these games during these times of lockdown.
Talking about areas which have been adversely affected by the virus, sports is another sector which has been changed overnight. Every major sporting event over the last few months had to be postponed, suspended or cancelled, with the likes of the Olympics and football’s European Championships having to be moved to next year, while Wimbledon, the pre-eminent tennis Grand Slam event every year, was not held at all, for the first time since the Second World War. However, with restrictions being eased in some places, along with the relative success of some countries in controlling the spread of the virus, we have seen live sports returning in some form. Football has resumed across the major leagues in Europe, while in the United States, the NBA will be held in isolation in Florida, while the other major sporting leagues are also gearing up to have their seasons behind closed doors.
Softball is another popular sport in the country, especially in the city of Buffalo, New York, and the Buffalo Softball League is scheduled to start from 6th July. This will be the 74th season of the league, which was started right after World War II in 1946, and despite the current pandemic, there is still a lot of enthusiasm for the sport in the city. It is especially popular amongst those who are over 50 years of age, with many such regulars having begun practice sessions ahead of the season, which runs for eight to ten weeks.
The league has 14 divisions, of which the Over-50 division is one, and has a total of around 420 players, both male and female. However, this season, there will be only four teams instead of six in each division, due to the restrictions which will only allow a maximum of 50 people in the park at any given time. Of course, there will be no spectators either, with each team having 10-12 players, along with the umpires. With a $450 registration fee per team, along with a $20 fee for the umpires per team per game, the league is extremely accessible for most people in terms of cost.
There will be a few tweaks made to the rules to account for the pandemic, and the umpire and catcher will be wearing face guards at all times. Nevertheless, the enthusiasm for the game remains high, and the Softball League is set to resume this summer, like it has every summer for almost 75 years, and allow softball fans in Buffalo to be able to enjoy their favourite sport in these uncertain times.
