Nonprofit spring sports teams are feeling the effects of COVID-19, as leagues make the decision to postpone the season.
One Little League baseball team has found out they may be able to get some financial relief, even if no one is playing ball.
On Wednesday evening, the front yard was the field for a baseball team of two.
Beckham Monsen threw a baseball to his older sister. This isn't the way his Little League season normally goes.
"There was no possible way for us to be able to plan for that," mom Courtney Monsen said, of how it's going to go instead.
She's the team president--not of the front yard siblings team-- but Beckham's Brighton Baseball Little League program.
Right now, the team is taking a hit because no one is running the bases during COVID-19.
"As of right now [there] has already been, probably 10... 20,000 dollars could have possibly gone into this season," Courtney said.
She explained that the baseball uniform and equipment orders went in months ago. Usually, parent registration fees help the nonprofit recoup the costs.
"We have expenses as a nonprofit that we don't cover, unless we have a baseball season specifically for us," Courtney said. "And if we don't have a baseball season, we don't have income coming in."
She indicated that the board had to worry about what was going to happen with their finances. She also knows that parents might be in a difficult spot with changes during COVID-19, and might need that registration money for food or other things.
This week, Courtney found out that the federal government set aside money in the stimulus package for nonprofits just like them. It's called the CARES Act.
Under the CARES Act, $370 billion of the $2 trillion stimulus is earmarked specifically for small businesses and nonprofits.
"It looks like they are offering $10,000 without having to worry about paying it back, and then they are also offering loans that we would also be able to tap into if it was necessary," Courtney said.
This is a game-changer, she said.
They'd be able to give refunds to parents who already paid the fees for a season that's now on hold. They'd be able to keep Brighton Baseball from going into debt for what they already purchased.
"It'll help us be able to help our families that participate in youth sports, to be able to move forward with the things that they need to do," Courtney said. "We can also protect our program for next year so that we can start fresh."
Even if front yard baseball isn't ideal, if they can secure funds to help the team-- for them, it's a home run.