Area athletes are dealing with COVID-19 challenges

WYNOT — Summer baseball is expecting to have a solid, if not, short season when the South Dakota Amateur Baseball Association wraps up play in August.

However, teams like the Wynot Expos will have to up their learning curves when play gets rolling this week – play started on Sunday – as a chunk of the campaign was taken away with the COVID-19 pandemic putting life on hold for so many across the world.

The Expos, members of the South Central League, were given a number of protocols to be put in place as American society tries to get back out there to enjoy some warm weather sports.

The association provided 10 expectations to help with maintaining the safety and welfare of players, coaches and spectators including:

• Players may stand outside the dugout during a game

• Umpires may call balls and strike from behind the plate or behind the mound.

• Players are to wear batting gloves.

• Players should refrain from sharing equipment.

• Social distancing is to be enforced.

• Mound visits will be with six-feet between managers and players.

• Masks used when “practical,” including fans.

• Hand sanitizers will be available in the dugouts.

• No shaking hands after the games. Cap tips only.

• PA announcers at the game will announce these guidelines. Then of course it was

Then of course it was about trying to stay in shape while being shut in.

“Guys had to do stuff on their own,” Expos coach Lee Heimes said. “They had to find somebody to play catch with or hit with. They had to find a way to be active in some way. We will be behind the game when it starts, but hopefully we kept ourselves in somewhat shape and we’ll be ready to go,” he said. “We will probably have to rotate players a little bit more. We start out with a lot of games, so we may have to make sure we play all of our players and give them plenty of opportunities.”

The pitchers’ innings may also have to be monitored in the early going until they get used to the grind of the season. Heimes said a lot of

Heimes said a lot of the guys would try to get out and run and since so many of them grew up on the farm, they were used to “getting out and doing stuff.”

Then of course there is the dealing with all of the safety guidelines being put in place.

Heimes respects the situation regarding the virus and is hopeful for a good baseball season but is also mindful of everyone’s needs for safety and their own well-being.

“I think we are excited to start the season and it’s going to be a lot of fun,” Heimes said. “It’s tough to live in fear and be scared. At some point things are going to have to get back to being somewhat close to normal. People know that COVID is out there.”