Thanks to all of you who joined the Fairfield American Little League (F.A.L.L.) virtual (Zoom) meeting on June 8th, and to everyone who participated in our recent "opt-in/out process" by completing their Intent to Participate Survey. Suffice to say that there is still significant interest in having a Little League season, and all signs point to us getting underway shortly! Here is an overview of where we are today and anticipated next steps:

Will there be a season and, if so, when will it start? 

It looks promising! We are currently working collaboratively with the Town and with other Fairfield youth sports organizations on a common set of safety practices that ensure compliance with State and Town regulations at all of our fields. The target date to open the fields is the weekend of June 27-28th. While that could change, the F.A.L.L. Board is working toward that weekend as the likely start of on-field practices across all divisions.

We are aiming for all Managers to reach out to their teams and introduce themselves and their Coaches by the end of this week. Thereafter, while there will certainly be League-wide updates from time to time, the bulk of the communications to families about practice time, game schedules, uniforms and other team-specific matters will come from your individual team Manager. If you have a registered player for this season and have not heard from a Manager regarding your team assignment by Monday, June 22nd, please let us know at [email protected].

Consistent with Little League International (LLI) guidance about easing into the season with practice time, games in the AA and older divisions (i.e., 9 and up) will start after July 4th, during the week that begins Monday July 6th. This will give every team a chance to practice together a few times before games start, and it will give the coaches time to get comfortable with the safety protocols and cleaning regimen that will be required. The Senior Cappy and younger divisions (i.e., 8 and under) will start with controlled practices as well the weekend of June 27-28 and the following week, and then may ease into modified "game" play over the subsequent weeks as appropriate at each age level. All the above dates assume the current schedule to open the fields doesn't change.

As noted above, our actual game schedule will not start until after July 4th. However, July 4th is a Saturday, which are typically heavy days on the F.A.L.L. schedule. We are also aware that under this year's unique circumstances, some families may have July 4th plans, while others may be staying local. We are therefore going to offer our regular practice schedule on the weekend of July 4-5th, but attendance is truly "optional." And if a particular Manager learns that a critical mass of the team is not planning to attend, they are free to cancel the session individually.

When will the season end? 

We are currently planning to wrap up this regular season by the end of August. The Intent to Participate Survey did reveal significant interest in continuing to play through September, but it also revealed that many were uncertain about it and/or unwilling to commit at this time. The F.A.L.L. Board remains committed to providing an option for those who want to keep playing into September, at no additional cost and without going through another registration. 

Consequently, we are planning to contact families again in August, when more is known about school and the fall sports season, about their interest in playing into September. Those who want to stop at the end of August can do so, at the conclusion of this season. For those who want to keep playing, we will assess interest, "restructure" teams/divisions as appropriate, and play on into fall if the numbers permit-without additional registration fees.

Where can I find more information about the applicable safety guidelines? 

The F.A.L.L. Board is currently finalizing a set of safety guidelines that it will make available to all Managers, Coaches and F.A.L.L. families before on-field activities begin. The F.A.L.L. guidelines will be in compliance with the State of Connecticut requirements, (Click this link to access), the LLI best practices, (Click this link to access), and our collaborative effort with the Town. We will also review them in detail at the next F.A.L.L. General Meeting.

Speaking of the next F.A.L.L. General Meeting, when is it? 

We are aiming for a virtual (Zoom) F.A.L.L. General Meeting one night during the week beginning Monday June 22nd, and will communicate a specific day/time as soon as we are able to confirm it. We will go over any additional information regarding the start of the season and go into the safety protocols in more detail.

If there are other questions that we have not covered, please feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]. Otherwise, thanks for bearing with us and for your flexibility as we work through all of this uncertainty.