After a year of disappointment for players and fans last year with the coronavirus shutting down all outdoor sporting events, the Albany Youth League is ready to get this year’s season underway.

President Chris Marlow told the NEWS this week that practices have already begun, games are scheduled, and the ever so popular parade through town is scheduled for this Friday afternoon at 6 p.m.

The parade was moved to Friday from last Saturday due to weather conditions.

Parents will drop off their players at the middle school around 5:30 and the parade will begin at 6 p.m., circle town and then end at the park.

Marlow said this year’s numbers are low, but there are enough players in each division to have teams where they can play each other and not have to rely on traveling out of town to play.

“We normally have around 240 and this year we had somewhere in the neighborhood of 196 between Wee Ball, T-Ball, Girls Coach Pitch, Boys Coach Pitch, and Girls Live Arm,” Marlow said. “Boys Live Arm, on the other hand, has been a struggle. Now we have 18 boys signed up who want to play live arm and that’s the league we actually pushed later for sign-ups due to the fact we struggled to get coaches and parent volunteers.”

Marlow doesn’t know why there are such low numbers this year.

“I don’t know if that’s an effect of COVID or virtual (learning). We extended the sign-ups for one week and that actually got us around 60 more kids. Our girls are about the same as last year. The boys is where it’s really struggling,” Marlow said.

One of the biggest struggles for Marlow is getting volunteers.

“That’s one of the biggest things this year … getting coaches and getting help,” Marlow said. “We’ve had a struggle getting dates set and getting times set. As of right now we have all that going. The first games will be May 3, which is a Monday, and the parade will actually be April 30. We will leave the middle school around 6 p.m., circle town and come back. Of course, that’s weather pending.”

Marlow said there will not be any opening day ceremonies this year.

“Basically because we are starting so late, we are trying to go ahead and get the ball rolling,” Marlow said. “We will play from May 3 up until June 15-17. We will be playing Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays here at the park.”

Even though all divisions have enough teams to play games within each division, Marlow did say he is trying to schedule some games in against Burkesville for later in the season.

“We may not start them until the latter half of the season,” Marlow said. “We want to see how they do starting out because last year would have been the first year for a lot of players who changed divisions. Where they didn’t get that first year last year, they are a year behind. Missing a year sits everybody back.”

Marlow said one thing that hasn’t been a struggle this year is getting sponsors.

“They have all stepped up this year,” Marlow said. “Sponsors have been great. I think the sponsors are ready to see something happen.”

With also being the Clinton County Middle School head coach, Marlow said this year will be his last year as league president.

“It’s hard for me to be out here as much as I was two seasons ago,” Marlow said. “I have one daughter who plays and I would like to be able to watch her play. Some of the younger kids with theirs parents need to step up and keep it going because after next year I don’t really know what the future holds for the league.”