Registration for Starkville Parks opens on March 1

It may be different, but at least a summer baseball and softball season is being planned by Starkville Parks.

Starkville Parks has announced that registration opens for the baseball and softball seasons on March 1 and will run through March 19. Leagues are open to kids ages 3-12.

After Starkville Parks was very limited in what it could do last year because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Starkville Parks athletics supervisor Nick Callahan and his staff are ready to provide something more in 2021.

“We’re pretty excited about getting registration open and getting sports back up and going,” Callahan said. “Last year was a slow year for us. With the pandemic, it brought everybody to a halt. We had a small season and let kids just come out and play.

It was very limited and wasn’t the same, so we’re hoping to get back to some normalcy with this year’s season.”

When the season begins on April 5, there will still be some restrictions in place because of the ongoing pandemic.

Callahan said keeping everyone involved safe will be a priority.

“We’re going to focus on sanitation, cleanliness and making sure the equipment that is used, whether it’s the balls, catcher’s gear and the helmets, is clean between games,” Callahan said. “We’re going to make sure the proper distance is being made between fans, make sure the kids stay safe and make sure the parents and the coaches as well stay safe. There are going to be some changes and going to be some adjustments, but it’s all in the best interest of the kids, the spectators and the citizens.”

Registration can be done online at starkvilleregistration.com and the fees will be $40 for softball, $70 for baseball and $40 for the Start Smart league for ages 3-4.

Callahan likes what the Start Smart league provides.

“We started Smart Start about two years ago,” Callahan said. “It’s a special program specifically designed to develop 3 and 4 year olds and prepare them for organized sports. It’s made to be a fun program to teach them how to throw, how to run, how to catch, and how to hit the ball in a way that’s engaging for those 3 and 4 year olds. That program is going to be up and going as well.”

For any additional information on the Starkville Parks baseball and softball programs, contact Gretchen Reeves at g.reeves@cityofstarkville.org or by calling 662-323-2294.