Due to COVID-19, restrictions have been implemented in Coaldale’s outdoor recreational facilities such as ball diamonds and soccer pitches in an effort to keep athletes safe. As a result, the fields are not being used to their full extent and local sports organizations are struggling to keep their athletes active and engaged while ensuring everyone’s safety.
As the baseball season is expected to begin with certain modifications, the Coaldale Baseball Association is currently waiving registration fees and is offering training sessions that are open to the entire community. Coaldale and District Soccer Association is awaiting information pertaining to team sports following the announcement that the province is moving forward with Phase 2 of the provincial relaunch strategy before deciding when and how their season will commence. Both baseball and soccer are expected to experience reduced seasons and an adjusted level of service at the Quads, Coaldale’s outdoor field space.
“We recognize the important role our user groups play in keeping our community active and healthy,” says Community Services Manager Cindy Hoffman. “These groups do a tremendous job and are faced with a number of challenges this season, so we are trying to help them out however we can.”
Under normal circumstances, the Field User Rental fee for utilizing the Quads is $126 per team per season for youth leagues and $220 for adult leagues. As a part of the Town’s commitment to economic recovery, Council made the decision during the June 8th Regular meeting to eliminate the rental fees for the 2020 season. The decision came as part of the Town’s commitment to easing the economic burden placed on the community from the global pandemic and to ensure that there were no financial barriers for the individuals, families, and organizations that make up the field users.
“We admire the Coaldale Baseball Association’s initiative in eliminating their registration fees and want to follow their lead in supporting the community,” says Mayor Kim Craig. “Council is delicately balancing between facilitating activities that families and community members can enjoy that have lower risk profile and operational cost, and we view enabling residents to participate in team sports as an important step to achieving this goal.”