Holden Baseball Program, Inc.: Bad Weather Policy
So what do you do when you wake up on a game day and it is raining? Before you call anyone, come to this site and see if there is a weather alert posted. We generally will put information about Saturday postponements on the site by 8 am if morning games are affected by weather. On Sundays, we wait until 11 am to make a call. We usually do not postpone an entire day of games early in the morning unless it is absolutely clear that the rain will continue for the entire day. If you have a game at 4 pm, you will likely have to check back during the day as we monitor the weather and field conditions. Of course, the managers involved in the game are the ultimate decision makers, and will not play a game if they decide that either the field or weather conditions are not acceptable. Some fields, such as the Swenson Fields are better maintained and drain better than others, so they are quicker to recover from a heavy rain. We do not have field maintenance equipment at the Town-owned fields. In addition, we have a lightning policy that is set forth below. Our primary concern in deciding on postponements is the safety of the children.Lightning Reminder
Our policy is to suspend play when lightning is imminent, present or just passed. Obviously, making that determination requires some experience and judgment, but we recommend erring on the side of caution if it is not a clear cut situation. No rule says that anyone has to observe a flash of lightning twice or even once to make the call that it is imminent, present or just passed. For games in progress in AAA, JLL and LL, we rely on our umpires to decide when to suspend play, but we ask our managers to work cooperatively with the umpires to make a decision in the best interests of everyone's safety. In other leagues, the managers decide when conditions are safe. Once play is suspended, players should leave the field and seek shelter in cars. The dugout, a metal cage attached to the highest structure on the field (the backstop) is not a safe alternative. Managers should make sure they know where a child is headed when a suspension occurs, and communicate if and when it is likely that play will be resumed. Parents are responsible for the safety of their children during a suspension of play.
The following information regarding lightening safety is provided by Little League:
Little League International has provided extensive information to its member leagues on lightning safety, in conjunction with the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. We are taking this opportunity to remind all parents and volunteers to review the information linked below.
http://www.littleleague.org/Learn_More/programs/asap/lightning.htm
http://www.littleleague.org/Assets/newsletters/ASAP/May-June+2008+ASAP+Newsletter.pdf
http://www.littleleague.org/Assets/forms_pubs/asap_signs/See+It+Flee+It.pdf
http://www.littleleague.org/Assets/newsletters/ASAP/March+2009+ASAP+Newsletter.pdf