Wright City will not be hosting baseball, softball or tee-ball games this summer, city officials have announced. The decision comes amid the challenges of a pandemic and the death of longtime Parks …
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Wright City will not be hosting baseball, softball or tee-ball games this summer, city officials have announced. The decision comes amid the challenges of a pandemic and the death of longtime Parks Director Curt Kehoe.
Games had been set to begin June 1.
“All aspects were thought of to try and make the season possible, but (there was a) continuing compilation of obstacles that keep piling on one another,” said Josh Cole, who will head the Wright City Parks Department after Kehoe’s death. Cole announced the decision through the parks department’s Facebook page May 21.
“COVID-19 was our first and largest obstacle by putting the season on hold for much longer than anticipated,” Cole explained. With Kehoe’s passing, he said, “we simply do not have the manpower to make the season happen while applying the needed safety precautions.”
Wright City teams play ball as part of the New Horizons Baseball League, which includes several towns in St. Charles County. Early in May, Kehoe had proposed seating arrangements and new league rules to minimize close contact between players, as well as additional steps to sanitize balls and equipment.
The New Horizons directors, now including Cole, met May 20 to discuss their rules and game schedule for the season. Afterward, the Wright City Board of Aldermen held a special meeting, at which they decided against participating in the season.
“The big problem was that there was not any agreement on what safety measures were going to be taken (by the league) and what, if any, enforcement of those measures would take place,” said Mayor Dan Rowden, who added that measures proposed by the Wright City parks staff were not adopted. The league also did not adopt recommendations issued by St. Louis experts in sports medicine, he said.
Another issue was that the city couldn’t get firm commitments for staffing at the games and concession stands, Rowden said.
“No one wanted to have to cancel our participation in the league for this year, but we felt it was necessary under these conditions,” he commented.
Cole said the parks department is now working with New Horizons to get any teams that still want to play transferred to one of the other programs in the league. Players will have to transfer as a team, form a new team or join an existing team in order to participate, Cole said.
Teams that are staying with the league should still get shirts that were paid for by the teams’ sponsors, Cole said. Anyone deciding not to play can get a refund on their league fees.
“We would like to thank all the parents, coaches, kids and sponsors for being so patient with us this spring. Our hope is that we can all move forward from this as a community and come back even stronger next spring for a better 2021,” Cole said.
