The spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus has put a damper on Iola Recreation Department’s spring activities. All activities are currently postponed until April 1, and no decision has been made for the summer activities.
Iola Recreation Director Jason Bauer highlights the department is currently planning its summer activities which include baseball, softball, and swimming in the same time frame.
“We are going to plan accordingly, and act like everything is going to go back to normal,” Bauer said. “We don’t want to put ourselves in a scramble later down the road.”
Recreation soccer is one such activity currently on hold. Bauer is hoping to squeeze in the season, but added he needs referees. The department relies heavily on Allen Community College soccer team members to ref, but with classes moved to online, the majority of students have returned home.
“A decision will be made in the next two weeks,” Bauer said. “I’d like to be able to give the kids a week of practice and get all, or some of the games in.”
The deadline for the soccer season ideally would be May 1, when the baseball/softball season is scheduled to begin. The rec department is currently accepting applications for the baseball/softball season, and forms can be dropped off outside the rec building in the drop box.
Bauer is willing to push back the baseball/softball start date if needed.
“With the flood, we had to postpone it for two weeks,” Bauer said. “So if we have to push it back two more weeks again, it’s a road we have been down before.”
Other activities currently postponed include gymnastics and aerobics classes. Bauer admits the idea for online aerobics did arise, but ultimately was not the best way to conduct the class moving forward.
At the moment, the recreation building has gone under heavy sanitation. The public is not allowed in the building until April 1, but do not be surprised if that date is pushed back due to the continued spread of COVID-19.
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