FEBRUARY NEWS
NEW LOOK NEWSLETTER - THE SOFTBALL MONTHLY
As our 2021 communication plans take shape we are pleased to introduce our rebranded newsletter - The Softball Monthly. As the name suggests we have made the decision to send our newsletter once a month; the last week of each month to be exact, and we hope this approach will improve consistency as well as give members a jam packed monthly round up of everything that has happened and what we have to look forward to. A condensed version will also be published on our website (you're in it!), while more regular updates can be found on our Social Media pages, or anything urgent we need to communicate will still be sent out as a Newsflash.
ROAD MAP RELIEF
Following the Government's announcement on the 22nd February, our committee are delighted to confirm that with outdoor sports facilities set to open, and community sport permitted to return on the 29th of March, plans are well underway for our comeback!
All being well our first session will take place on the 6th of April, and we are are keeping everything crossed that we will get to see lots of you then. There are still a lot of unknowns; if there will be any participant number limits, whether travel restrictions will still be in place, and what other regulations we will need to adhere to. But our team will be working hard to unpick all of this, as and when it is confirmed. Having done a lot of the hard work last summer we are confident we can turn this all around in time for you all to join us straight after Easter, so watch this space for more details as they become available.
In terms of what to expect from sessions or whether we will be be able to run a league, again this is still to be determined. Our priority is supporting as many members as possible to return to play in some shape or form and we know that the long break from the sport will have affected people in different ways. We know some will be feeling nervous about returning, and this is why we feel it is important that we do not try to jump straight back into league play. We intend to focus April on easing everyone back into activity as well as doing everything we can to recruit new players, this means that for those that want it we will be starting right from the beginning and building up those fundamentals with some beginner focused sessions.
Finally, as plans start to take shape we are likely to be coming to you all to find out your feelings and preferences at various points, so when the time comes please do be as responsive and honest as possible in order to help us make the right decisions for our members. We already have our virtual quiz in the calendar for the 23rd March, and our Chairperson Leah will be hijacking the Zoom at half time to give an update, as well as being available to answer any questions following. In the meantime we will of course keep you updated as plans progress!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US...
NEW MERCH COMING SOON!
PLANNING FOR OUR FUTURE
Since our AGM, our committee have been meeting fortnightly to ensure the time we're not spending on the Diamond doesn't go to waste. With the help of your AGM survey responses, the group have pulled together a development plan for 2021, and begun work on a longer term strategy. With some laughing at each others lockdown haircuts thrown in for good measure. This year our focus will be to limit the damage of the pandemic, rebuild MK Softball once play returns, and protect the organisation from future challenges. Our priorities for the year will be:
Keep our community engaged throughout lockdown & restrictions.
Support membership and new participants to return to play.
Deliver high quality & safe sessions when permitted.
Maximise committee potential & effectiveness.
Protect organisation from future risks.
If anyone is keen to hear how we hope to do this we are happy to share our full plan, or you could even pop along to a committee meeting, so please do get in touch if you're interested!
WELL OVER HALF WAY TO TAMPA BAY
Our first 4 weeks of the MK Softball World Series Mileage Challenge has been incredibly productive. We have 31 members regularly uploading the walks, runs and bike rides achieving an amazing distance of 1670 miles. This is way over half way to our target, which was actually achieved on the 21st Feb, in just three weeks. If our challengers keep this pace up, we will be done by 14th March which will be in less than half the time originally planned. We may even investigate extending the challenge; maybe Woughton to the New York Yankees Stadium which is a mere 3417 miles?!
It is not too late to join in, take a look at our page and sign up here: https://www.challengehound.com/join/68aa8740-623f-11eb-b1dc-b59585fd5dde the site tracks our combined miles, can be linked to Strava or Garmin apps so you can export your miles directly to the page, or if you want to keep it simple you can manually input them instead. With just one month left until we're hopefully able to play softball it is the perfect time to get yourselves moving again!
REMINDERS
23rd MARCH QUIZ NIGHT - Our resident quiz masters, the lovely Paul & Rachel, will once again be hosting a virtual quiz night for us all to enjoy.
FITNESS VIDEOS - For anyone looking for a way of limbering up ahead of the season, at your own pace, in your own time, from the comfort of your home. A reminder that the sessions Kim Hannessen ran for us (as well as some train at home videos) are available on our YouTube channel.
EASY FUNDRAISING - Support MK Softball while you shop online! Over 4,000 retailers are signed up to the scheme including Ebay, Amazon, JustEat, John Lewis, Argos, Booking.com, M&S and Sainsbury’s. Once you sign up, you raise money by starting your online shopping at easyfundraising.org.uk and the retailers will make a donation to MK Softball at zero cost to you.
