Greensburg introduces new rec programs after fall sports are canceled

The Greensburg Recreation Department is rolling out new fall programs following the cancellation of football, cheerleading and baseball.

Soccer will continue as normal, while kickball, Wiffle ball, an after-school program and a hiking program will be added to the schedule. The remaining recreation programs all comply with the state’s coronavirus guidelines, according to city Program Manager Lydia Kinkaid.

“We’re just laying out plans as best we can based on the guidelines for that moment and, then, if something changes, we just have to roll with it,” Kinkaid said.

The city is a member of the Western Pennsylvania Youth Football League, whose members this month voted to cancel the 2020 football and cheerleading seasons. About 80 Greensburg children annually participate in football, with another 80 in cheerleading, according to Kinkaid. Families that registered for the 2020 seasons will receive full refunds.

The city’s fall baseball team plays in the Hempfield Area Athletic League, which voted to delay the season, likely indefinitely, Kinkaid said.

Soccer still is on the schedule. Greensburg administers its own soccer program and the sport allows social distancing more easily than football, according to Kinkaid.

“It’s still considered a contact sport, but they’re not coming into contact with other teams every single play,” she said.

Registration is open until Aug. 28. Practices will start after Labor Day.

Wiffle ball and kickball registration will open this week, with seasons starting Sept. 14.

“Hopefully, that will give our usual fall baseball players something to do,” Kinkaid said.

The new afterschool program will feature a mix of indoor and outdoor activities, homework help and skating at Kirk S. Nevin Arena. Participants will meet Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.

The city will run two sessions of the program, one from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 and another from Oct. 20 through Nov. 19. Each session will be limited to 20 participants.

Officials are working out the schedule for the fall hiking program, which will lead children on hikes at the Five Star Trail, Twin Lakes Park and other nearby destinations.

Recreation programs around the region have differed in their approach to the pandemic.

At Greensburg Salem School District, fall sports will go on as planned despite a recommendation from Gov. Tom Wolf that they be postponed. The district will implement safety policies, including regular face masks and social distancing.

“Unless a direct order is given to the Greensburg Salem School District to cancel the fall sports season and delay winter sports until January, I am advocating to the Department of Education for our students and for the continuation of these programs through the fall season,” Superintendent Gary Peiffer wrote in a letter to parents this month.