September 1, 2025 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

Youth baseball to restart season today

Play ball!


St. Joseph Youth Baseball has decided to restart their season after canceling it last month.


Games resumed on Wednesday at Woodard Community Park.


Baseball Board President Jim Cotter said the board met after the IESA reversed its decision on fall sports.


“We met and decided to give our season another chance,” he said.


Cotter said the board thought it was important to give the children the chance to play if they could.


“So much has been taken from these kids, we wanted to give them the opportunity to play if it was deemed safe enough,” he said.


The league has instituted some safety guidelines to help ensure player health and safety.


They are encouraging parents to notify a board member if a child or anyone in their house has been diagnosed with COVID-19 or had a known exposure. If children have COVID-19 symptoms the board is asking parents to keep their children at home.


The board is asking children that have their own bat and helmet use their own equipment during games and practices. Children who do not have their own helmet will be provided one and it will be kept with the coaches equipment.


Each coach will have hand sanitizer and wipes in the dugout during games and practices.


Social distancing is encouraged in the dugout. Only the next two batters will be allowed in the dugout and the rest of the players will be spread out down the sideline fence. Lysol spray will be provided to spray catching equipment after its use and teams will forgo the typical lineup and handshake.


The board is also asking parents to keep their children home from baseball activities for 14 days if they or a member of their household have traveled to a known COVID-19 hotspot.


Cotter said making sure the board could have safety measures in place was of the utmost importance.


“We are making sure kids are spaced in the dugout and along the fence to practice social distancing, as well as making sure that kids have their own equipment and do not share water bottles with one another,’ he said.


Parents must sign a COVID-10 liability waiver before their children will be allowed to play.


If a player or coach tests positive for COVID-19 the league will notify the Champaign-Urbana Public Health Department and follow their guidance.
The season could be canceled again if multiple teams have players or coaches test positive, if area schools go fully remote or there is a large surge in COVID-19 cases in the immediate area.


Cotter said parents have responded positively to their plan.


“Parent response has been overwhelming for us to play,” he said. “Yes, there are a few families that have decided not to participate for personal reasons, but for the most part, parents are okay with our decision and will take the necessary measures to ensure that their kids will be as safe as possible

Banner
Related Posts

5 Question Friday with Charlie Mabry

September 10, 2021

September 10, 2021

Every Friday we are going to ask an athlete to answer five questions. This week we talked to Charlie Mabry....

SJO5k Results for July 30, 2022

August 1, 2022

August 1, 2022

Name City Bib No Age Gender Age Group Total Time Pace 1 Austin Bridgman Potomac IL 632 22 M 1:Open...

Knap, Jones lead balanced SJO girls’ cross-country effort in Monticello

October 24, 2020

October 24, 2020

Consistent running is key for any cross-country team. Not having one runner separate themselves too far from their teammates or...

Wesley showcases love of baseball with Spartans, travel teams

April 26, 2019

April 26, 2019

Sam Wesley has been playing his favorite sport since he was very young. Wesley, a junior at St. Joseph-Ogden High...

Armstrong leads balanced offense in win against Pontiac

February 25, 2021

February 25, 2021

Recovering from a tough home loss with a road win is always a good sign.Especially with multiple road games on...

It’s opening day for SJO softball

March 18, 2019

March 18, 2019

The expectations haven’t changed for the St. Joseph-Ogden High School softball team. Even with a new coach for the 2019...

Spartans kick off season with 1-1 record

March 31, 2021

March 31, 2021

SJO 28-Pontiac 0 The Spartans dominated on both sides of the line of scrimmage in defeating the Indians 28-0 in...

Get to know SJO Volleyball Player Taylor Hug

October 31, 2022

October 31, 2022

What do you think makes the team so successful? We have a lot of team chemistry and get along with...

Mattsey, Knott leading SJO boys’ track and field this spring

May 13, 2021

May 13, 2021

Almost a month into its first full outdoor season since 2019 and theSt. Joseph-Ogden boys’ track and field team has...

SJO dances through adversity and earns date at state

January 22, 2019

January 22, 2019

On Friday afternoon, the St. Joseph-Ogden dance team thought its season was finished. Not because of how they performed. But...

Postseason quest begins for SJO baseball after strong finish to regular season

May 15, 2019

May 15, 2019

The regular season ended on a positive note for the St. Joseph-Ogden High School baseball team. Now, the Spartans hope...

Ward, Cromwell help SJO softball end losing skid

April 24, 2019

April 24, 2019

Losing streaks are never easy to deal with. But thanks to Kaylee Ward and Ashtyn Cromwell, the four-game skid the...

Plotner and Bagby lead Spartans to second place showing

April 5, 2019

April 5, 2019

The St. Joseph-Ogden High School girls’ track and field team began the outdoor season with a runner-up showing at a...

SJO girls’ basketball looks to bounce back against Tuscola

November 29, 2021

November 29, 2021

Playing the Paris girls’ basketball team is always a challenge, with the Tigers as one of the premier small-school programs...

Kaiser, Albrecht spark latest win by SJO volleyball

September 17, 2019

September 17, 2019

The St. Joseph-Ogden High School volleyball team kept right on rolling Monday night after placing second this past Saturday at...

Comments
Leave a Reply