REPRINT OF EMAIL SENT TO ALL LEAGUE PLAYERS AND COACHES, 4.17.20
Dear BCS Family,
We hope this email finds you all staying safe and healthy as we work through these unprecedented times. The last few weeks have been difficult, and the new normal is anything but. We were hoping to update our Spring players once we had concrete next steps and rescheduled dates to offer.
Unfortunately, the proverbial goal posts have continually moved, making firm answers tough to deliver.Still, it is in the best interest of our players, coaches, parents and fans to keep you informed of our thinking. After 12 years and over 11,000 registered players, we believe strongly in the BCS brand, and know we will continue on in the near (or not so near) future.
Because we play on public, school-owned fields, we most certainly will not be playing until schools are open. Redondo Beach and Hermosa Beach School Districts have already closed for the remainder of the school year, and Manhattan Beach Unified is strongly considering doing the same.
Along those lines, we continue to look into a variety of solutions to provide equal or at least similar value to our registered Spring players in the near term. This includes a modified summer league or a summer tournament once it is deemed safe to play. If neither of these scenarios are tenable, we will formally cancel the Spring season.
If we need to formally cancel, we would look to provide a credit for when we can safely play again. Spring registration is less costly than the Fall, but we would discount the difference. Alternatively, we would allow you to transfer the credit to another player if your child has aged-out or wishes to sit out the Fall. We can also transfer the credit to next Spring if that is your preference.
Additionally, since we are a certified 501-C non-profit organization, another option would be to consider your registration as a tax-deductible donation (we would send you the necessary tax documents). Most league registration funds have already gone to the purchase of uniforms, insurance, field and practice space. Many of these costs can be carried over to the Fall, while others cannot (uniforms, practice space, games that already took place, etc.).
We understand that due to COVID-19, your life situation may have changed financially. As a league we have always been transparent about refunds – subtracting hard costs for in-season refunds. Candidly, sending out 500+ checks could potentially cripple us as a league. However, given the extraordinary circumstances, we are prepared to look at refunds on a case-by-case basis to support you.
Should things not improve quickly enough for the summer options, or we collectively decide that it isn’t in the best interests of our community, we will share that information and alert you of our formal cancellation. Safety has always been, and will continue to be, our number one priority. If we cancel, we will start the process of registration transfers and accepting refund requests immediately thereafter.
Thank you in advance for your patience and support during this challenging time.
Respectfully,
Craig Benner
BCS President
[email protected]