Regina sports leagues remain hopeful for spring season

Kids in Regina are hoping to score touchdowns or hit home runs this spring, but if that will happen remains up in the air.

Regina is currently dealing with a high number of COVID-19 cases and a strict set of public health measures.

The Regina Youth Flag Football League has around 2,550 kids signed up to head out and play on the gridiron. But there’s a chance it could suffer a similar fate to last year, when it was forced to cancel.

League convener Mike Thomas said it would be huge for kids’ social and athletic skills to get them on the field again.

“(It would be important) just knowing that they have something to look forward to. They’ve had a lot of disappointment in what’s gone on not only in school but in the sports world,” Thomas said.

“This would be a great opportunity for them to at least have some sort of normalcy or have the opportunity to compete and play.”

But talks are still ongoing about when the start date will be. Thomas said there’s still a lot of questions about what the league could look like.

Thomas said organizers are looking at pushing back their start date to the middle or end of May, even into June.

“We’re really trying to ensure we give the kids in the city an opportunity to play this season, even if it’s condensed or compressed,” Thomas said.

Thomas said the latest the league could start is June 12.

Regina Minor Football’s spring league is also pushing back its start date into May.

The league features a few hundred high school players and is open to Grade 12s this season, something not normally done.

Len Antonini, the RMF’s executive director, said if the league isn’t able to start by May 15, the season would be cancelled.

Baseball Regina has yet to set a start date for its season.

Baseball and softball were two of the sports able to be played last spring and summer despite COVID regulations in place, such as no use of dugouts and all players using their own equipment.

“Baseball Regina has suspended all Baseball Regina-sanctioned events right now,” president Dwayne Bidyk said. “We’ve decided on the side of caution to make sure all of our sanctioned events have stopped, which is putting a little bit of stress and anxiety on the league itself in terms of when we will be able to get going again.”

Normally the baseball season would get underway May 1. Last year the league waited until July to start and managed to fit in a full season, playing into September. About 740 players have registered for a 2021 season, up from the previous year.

Bidyk views getting kids out on the field as critical to their mental health.

“Sports and physical activity adds to their mental health and helps them cope with everything that’s going on. From the kids’ standpoint, they want to get out and see their friends and participate as much as they can,” Bidyk said.

The Regina Minor Softball League is aiming for a May 10 start date but that depends on government measures as well as the weather.

“If anything changes, we’re ready to adapt,” said executive director Kristina Kenny.

While the league was lucky enough to play last year, Kenny said everybody’s itching to get back on the field after many sports were cancelled or held in a limited manner.

“They really want to play and play games and even have provincials, even if it’s an altered tournament style or however,” Kenny said.

The Regina community soccer leagues — South Regina Community Soccer, North Zone Soccer, Regina East Zone Soccer and Regina West Zone Soccer Association — all have cancelled their 2021 outdoor leagues.