City of Sioux Falls Opens Fields to Sports Leagues for Summer

Let's play ball! That was the message from the city of Sioux Falls on Friday (May 29) to its residents.

City officials have green-lighted sports leagues to begin using city fields and diamonds for summer activities.

Dakota News Now is reporting the city is opening up its field application process for the summer season.

Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, up to this point, the future of baseball, softball, soccer, and other outdoor leagues this summer has been up in the air.

Sioux Falls Mayor Paul Tenhaken issued a statement on Friday that helped to bring some clarity to the issue.

Tenhaken told Dakota News Now, " When teams play ball this year, it will certainly be different as players, coaches, officials, and spectators take safety precautions to avoid spreading COVID-19." Be sure to hold your league organizers accountable. If you feel greater mitigation efforts are needed or mitigation efforts are not being followed, let your league know your concerns."

Friday's announcement clears the way for leagues like the Sioux Empire Baseball Association and Dakota Alliance Soccer to begin using city fields this season.

I would think this should be a dose of welcome news to the parents of youth that play sports in the area.

With so many institutions that make up summer activities here in the Sioux Empire already being shut down for the season, like city pools, area summer camps, etc., it's nice to see there will be a degree of normalcy after all. Even if this particular summer institution comes with a host of safety protocols in tow.

As Dakota News reports, the city fields and recreational facilities here in Sioux Falls have been closed to the public since the middle of March due to the pandemic.

Source: Dakota News Now