As it currently stands, MN Softball is planning to conduct its Fall Ball season earlier than normal, with games starting the weekend of August 8-9, and ending, as usual, with the Fall State Tournament at the end of September. These plans will continue to be adjusted as we know more from the Minnesota Department of Health, as it pertains to youth sports, the gathering of crowds at games and tournaments, and health guidelines. 

Registration for 2020 Fall teams will begin the week of June 15th and end July 11, so we have time to determine coaches and teams. Fall teams can begin to practice together on July 20th, the day after the 10U and 12U State Tournaments. 

More information about our Fall Ball softball program inside the 2020 EP Fastpitch tab (above).

Earlier this spring, the EP Fastpitch Board voted to cancel the 8U softball season, as the inability to have parent helpers at practice, COVID restrictions and restrictions for social distancing made it extremely difficult to manage for our youngest players. 

Recently, MN Softball has decided to cancel the 2020 summer softball season, as the Minnesota Department of Health has not eased restrictions in time to allow teams and families to gather at a park to play softball games to conduct a reason regular season. Our summer 10U and 12U teams will continue to practice together until Fall Ball is organized by MN Softball. Fall Ball registration will commence soon. Once Fall Ball dates are finalized we can form teams to allow them to commence practices in preparation for the Fall Ball season.

One of our EP Fastpitch 10U players makes local and national news!

Safety will continue to be our leading thought as we progress towards our goal of softball skill development. We are involved in a situation that is unlike any we've encountered before; many things are fluid and are subject to change at a moment's notice when conditions of safety changes. 

As it currently stands, this is what our schedule looks like:

• Practices begin after June 1. Quantity of practices are at the Head Coach discretion. 
• Games could start the week of June 18
  • ​10U plays a 2-game regular season:
    • TUE, June 16
    • TUE June 23
  • 12U plays a 4-game result season
    • MON, June 15
    • WED, June 17
    • MON, June 22
    • WED, June 24
• MN Softball State Qualifiers (10U/12U):
  • June 26-28
• MN Softball 12U State Tournament 
  • July 11-12
• MN Softball 10U State Tournament
  • July 18-19

Practices:

• Players without a signed Liability Waiver (here) will not be allowed to participate in any organized EP Fastpitch activities- practices or games. 
• Check your daughter's temperature prior to leaving home for practice; please keep any child home if they have a temperature over 100*F. And please, if your child doesn't feel 100%, please keep her home. 
• Players will line place their gear 6' apart from the next player, on the field along the fences (both 1B and 3B sides). No one uses the dugout.
• No players to share any equipment.
• Players will be separated by "pods" and shared equipment will be limited to each "pod"- softballs, tees, any other training equipment. Attendance will be tracked to document exposure risk.
• NO sunflower seeds or gum. 
• Players are allowed to wear masks during practice (optional); players are advised to wear masks to/from the fields. No physical contact is allowed between the players and other players (high fives, hugs, fist bumps, etc) and between players and coaches.
• Parents nor spectator attendance is allowed at practices. 

This may be what games will look like; we'll know more soon: