Batting cages remain open for athletes

31ST, YOUTH TEAMSARE NOT ALLOWED TOPRACTICETOGETHER..LEAVING BALL FIELDSEMPTY.BUT BATTING CAGESARE OPEN FORATHLETES TO TRAIN.REPORTER PHILBERGMAN WENT OUTTO AN AREA CAGE TOSEE HOW THEY'REFARING DURING THEPANDEMIC.QUINN PETERSON ISSPENDING HISAFTERNOON GETTINGREPS IN THE BATTINGCAGE.BUT WITH BALL PARKSSHUT ACROSS OMAHA,THIS IS THE CLOSESTHE CAN GET TO THEGAME HE LOVES.NORMALLY I WOULDBE DOING GAMES BUTIT'S NICE TO BEBATTING LIKE I DO INGAMES.EARLIER THIS WEEKGOVERNOR RICKETTSANNOUNCEDBASEBALL ANDSOFTBALL CANRESUMECOMPETITION UNDERSTRICT GUIDELINESSTARTING JUNE FIRST.NO OTHER SPORT, IT'SNOT SOCCER, ITS NOTFOOTBALL, IT'S NOTWRESTLING, IT'S JUSTBASEBALL ANDSOFTBALL WITH SOMEREALLY STRICTGUIDELINES.UNTIL THEN, BATTINGCAGES ARE ONE OFTHE FEW PLACESSTILL OPEN FORATHLETES.THIS IS AN ESCAPEAND THIS IS WHATPLAYERS NEED.THEY NEED THECHANCE TO GO OUTAND ENJOYTHEMSELVES AND BEA KID.JOE SIWA IS THEOWNER AT THESTRIKE ZONEHE TOLDME WHILE PRIVATEWORKOUTS AREPERMITTED, GROUPLESSONS HAVE BEENCANCELEDCAPACITYIS LIMITED TO TENPEOPLE ANDCUSTOMERS ALSOARE REQUIRED TOCALL AHEADTO USE ACAGE.SOME PLAYERS AREWEARING MASKS,SOME STAFF AREWEARING MASKS.WE'RE GIVING THATOPTION TO THEMRIGHT NOW.THE FACILITY CLEANSITS BALLS AND BATSAFTER EVERY USEAND DOING OTHERMEASURES TOIMPLEMENT SOCIALDISTANCING WHILETHE KIDS PRACTICE.OFF COURSE MOMSAND DADS WANT TOWATCH THEIR KIDS INTHE CAGE AND IFWE'RE UNDER THETEN PERSON LIMITWE'LL ALLOW THEM INBUT IF NOT WE ASKTHEM TO WAIT INSIDEFOR THEIR PLAYERSSO THEY CAN GETTHEM TO WAIT INSIDEFOR THEIR PLAYERSSO THEY CAN GETTHEIR WORKIN ANDGET BACK OUT.WITH NETTING ANDFENCING AN ADDEDBARRIER, THEATHLETES AREKEEPING SAFEDISTANCES AT ALLTIMES.BUT FOR SIWA ANDPETERSON, THEYCAN'T WAIT UNTILTHEY CAN BE TAKENOUT TO A BALL GAME.IT'S AMERICA'SPASTIME ANDBASEBALL HAS BEENAROUND FOR SOMANY DIFFERENTEVENTSTHROUGHOUT THEWORLD AND THIS ISNO DIFFERENT.IT GETS US BACK ONTRACK TO WHERE WENEED TO BE.I REALLY PUT MYHEART AND SOUL INTO THIS GAME, IT'SFUN.REPORTING INOMAHA, PHILBERGMAN, 3 NEWSNOW.THE STRIKE ZONEALSO RUNS THE CORNBELT SUMMERCOLLEGE BASEBALLLEAGUE SIWA TOLD USTHE LEAGUE IS STILLTRYING TO FIGUREOUT WITH THE CITY IFADULTS BASEBALLCOMPETITION ISALLOWED STARTINGJUNE 1ST, OR IF IT'SONLY PERMITTED FORYOUTH AND HIGHSCHOOL ATHLETES.