June 15th UPDATE

WCB Families:

This is the message I've been waiting to send for quite some time...

WE DID IT !!!

Rosters have been updated and communicated to coaches, players should have received an email from their coach letting them know what team they are on, practices have started, game schedules have gone out and are on the web site, and games start in one week on Monday, June 22nd.

Parents with questions please contact your head coach.  If coaches have questions or need assistance answering questions from parents, please contact your Age Division VP who will escalate to the Vice President and President if needed.

As a reminder, please see the Field Reservation site for procedures on how a coach can reserve a field for practice.  We are hosting tournaments on the weekend but there will always be two fields open all day Saturday and Sunday if a team wants to use them.  We caution you that parking can be tough at times during the weekend tournament so parents should consider dropping off or parking on the residential streets.  If you do so, please be mindful of the residents in those areas and watch for kids playing.

If for some reason you still have not heard from a coach, please email for assistance.  You can also reply back to this email and it will be sent to that email account.

It is a requirement that all coaches and parents read and understand the Return to Play Rules if you have not done so yet.

It is critical that everyone understands them to make sure we have a successful Rec League season.  Although things are starting to open up and it seems as a community we are relaxing some, the Governor's proclamation dated June 10th mandates that organizers of recreational events must "implement reasonable measures under the circumstances of each gathering to ensure reasonable social distancing, increased hygiene practices, and other public health measures to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 consistent with guidance issued by the Iowa Department of Public Health."

We have gone through extensive lengths at the facility to provide signage, sanitization measures, and the Return to Play Rules to follow what is being asked of us by the State of Iowa and the Governor.  We can only be successful following those measures if families that come to the facility follow the rules we have put in place which is a lot better than the alternative to not playing baseball at all.  Please help us out by learning the rules and following them so we can finish the season on a safe and sound note.

It's a great feeling to finally be able to start playing games at Walnut Creek Baseball and we hope everyone is as excited as we are to finally get to play some Rec baseball!

Jon Clay
President, Walnut Creek Baseball

June 7th UPDATE

WCB Families:

One week ago we had the monumental task of processing over 850 waivers and drops to get us to the point where we could update rosters and get in a position to start practices and games.  I am pleased to announce that we made it!  What an amazing week it has been to get us closer to playing some baseball.  Thank you to each and everyone one of you for helping us get there.  If you had not processed those waivers and drops this week, we would not be where we are now.

We retained 74% of the players registered before we shut down.  We also understand that the other 26% were not able to commit for various reasons but we hope to have you back next year.

The final touches are being put on the updated rosters and coaches will be receiving them from your Age Division VP in the next 24 hours.  We ask that coaches communicate your rosters to families as soon as possible.  If coaches have any questions or concerns regarding rosters or anything else, please contact your Age Division VP.

Practices can start as soon as June 8th.  Please see the Field Reservation site for procedures on how to reserve a field for practices.

We will be working on the game schedule this week so please be patient as we work through that process.  Plan on games starting the week of June 22nd.

Equipment pickup will now be this week on Tuesday, June 9th or Thursday, June 11th from 6-8:30 pm both nights.  If a coach cannot attend one of those nights this week, we ask that you send someone from your team in your place as these are the only two nights we are having equipment pickup.  Please note that these dates have been updated from what was previously communicated.  

If you had previously placed an apparel order, you can pick those items up this week during the equipment pickup times just mentioned.

One thing to note about the updated rosters.  Since 225 players dropped including many coaches, we had to re-distribute players the best we could based on the circumstances.  A lot of thought went into the process throughout the week and it was not an easy task.  We ask that you be mindful of the circumstances and be accepting of the updated rosters as a lot of hard work went into them.  We did the best we could in a short time and please know that it was not easy.

We are so close to hearing those two wonderful words, Play Ball!

Important Dates:

June 7th: Rosters updated.  Age Division VP's communicate updated rosters to coaches within 24 hours

June 8th: Coaches communicate rosters to families

June 8th: Practices can start.  See this page for Field Reservation Process

June 9th: Equipment Pickup (6 - 8:30 pm) - equipment shed by cell tower in WCB parking lot

June 11th: Equipment Pickup (6 - 8:30 pm) - equipment shed by cell tower in WCB parking lot

June 22nd: Games starting

August 21st: Season ending

If you have any questions, please email

You can also reply back to this email and it will be sent to that email account.

June 2nd & June 3rd UPDATE

WCB Families:

The WCB Board of Directors has completed the Return to Play Rules

You have until END OF DAY JUNE 5th to decide to PLAY or DROP.

ONE OF THE FOLLOWING MUST BE PROCESSED FOR EACH REGISTERED PLAYER IN THE 2020 REC LEAGUE EVEN IF YOU PREVIOUSLY EMAILED TO DROP:

MY CHILD WILL PLAY:  Submit 2020 COVID19 PLAY WAIVER

MY CHILD WILL DROP:  Submit 2020 REC LEAGUE DROP

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT PLAY OR DROP

Also available on the front page of www.wcbiowa.com

We realize some already submitted a play or drop requests to , but you are now required to submit the request again through our registration system so you can complete the waiver or notify us how to process your refund.

You will not be allowed to practice until you submit the waiver for each child.

We will assume you are playing if we do not receive a drop request by end of day JUNE 5th.

Drop requests received after JUNE 5th will forfeit registration fee.

We are trying to update rosters JUNE 6th-7th so please submit your waiver or drop request by end of day JUNE 5th.

Important Dates:

June 6th-7th: Rosters updated

June 8th: Practices start (Players must submit their waiver before they can practice)

June 13th: Equipment Pickup (8 am - 12 pm)

June 20th: Equipment Pickup (8 am - 12 pm)

June 22nd: Games starting (No Saturday or Sunday games!)

August 21st: Season ending (Option to extend to September 4th if weather is an issue)

If you have any questions, please email

You can also reply back to this email and it will be sent to that email account.

Walnut Creek Baseball Board of Directors

MAY 31st & June 1st UPDATE

WCB Families:

The Walnut Creek Baseball Board of Directors has completed the Return to Play Rules.

You have until end of the day June 5th to make a determination to PLAY or DROP.

THE FOLLOWING MUST BE PROCESSED FOR EACH REGISTERED PLAYER REGARDLESS IF YOU PREVIOUSLY EMAILED TO DROP:

If your child is going to PLAY, you must submit the 2020 COVID19 PLAY WAIVER for each child registered in the 2020 Rec League.

If your child is going to DROP, you must submit the 2020 REC LEAGUE DROP request for each child registered in the 2020 Rec League.  This is now required so we know how to process your refund.

PLAY WAIVER OR DROP

You can also find a link to these by clicking on the big red PLAY WAIVER OR DROP button on the front page of our web site.

We realize some already submitted drop requests to  but we are requesting you submit the DROP request again through our registration system so we know how to process your refund.

If you do not submit the drop request by end of the day June 5th, it will be assumed you are playing.

If you submit the drop request after June 5th, you will forfeit your registration fee.  It should only take a few minutes to process this again.

Important Dates:

June 6th: Rosters updated

June 8th: Practices start (Players must submit their waiver before they can practice)

June 13th: Equipment Pickup (8 am - 12pm)

June 20th: Equipment Pickup (8 am - 12pm)

June 22nd: Games starting (No Saturday or Sunday games!)

August 21st: Season ending (Option to extend to September 4th if weather is an issue)

If you have any questions, please email

You can also reply back to this email and it will be sent to that email account.

Walnut Creek Baseball Board of Directors

MAY 28th UPDATE

WCB Families:

We are extending the date for families to make a determination to play or drop to the end of day June 5th.

This decision was made based on feedback from parents wanting to have more information on the season before they make a decision.

If you have already emailed to drop and want to wait until June 5th when you have more information, please email expressing your desire to put the decision on hold.

Tentatively we are planning on games starting June 22nd or June 29th with the season tentatively ending August 22nd with the option to extend to no later than September 4th which is the Friday before Labor Day.

We are communicating two possible start dates because we need enough time to gather everyone's response, re-do the rosters, and implement our return to play procedures.  Needless to say none of us have done this before so we need some flexibility.  We also need the flexibility to extend the end of the season based on weather.

We recognize that the later the season goes into the fall it could have an effect on fall sports and back to school activities so we are trying to be sensitive to that.

Tentatively practices could start June 8th but the Board of Directors will be meeting Friday night to discuss more details and will communicate out more information after that meeting as soon as possible including confirmed dates for games and practices.

If you have decided to drop, please email  by the end of the day June 5th.

You can also reply back to this email and it will be sent to that email account.

MAY 27th UPDATE

WCB Families:

On May 26th the Governor of the State of Iowa issued the following proclamation:

Governor of Iowa Proclamation of Disaster Emergency signed 05/26

This proclamation permits non-school sporting and recreational events such as baseball to begin activities including practices and games starting June 1st.  This is the first step to return to play at Walnut Creek Baseball.  Next steps...

The Board of Directors will be meeting Friday night to discuss a date we feel we can be ready to open up the facility in a safe and responsible manner and we will communicate that date after the meeting.

If you have decided to drop and have not done so, please email  before June 1st to let us know you wish drop.  This is critical so we can adjust and communicate updated rosters to coaches.  We will process refunds at a later date.

You can also reply back to this email and it will be sent to that email account.

We realize some are concerned about returning to play and each family is in a unique situation.  Keep in mind the decision to play is yours and if you do not feel comfortable participating you have that choice.  There are families that will choose to play and we want to provide a venue for that choice.

We want to ensure you we are going to follow and exceed all guidelines outlined by the Iowa Department of Public Health to provide a safe and fun atmosphere for players.  We are going to to our best to implement safety protocols so playing baseball at Walnut Creek will not look like it has in the past.  This could include things such as not using dugouts and bleachers, limiting the number of spectators in the facility by only allowing immediate family, and additional items we are discussing.

To summarize, look for a communication sometime this weekend which will outline our next steps such as season start date, season end date, and when we will open up the facility for practices.  If you are planning to drop, you must reply by June 1st or we will assume you are playing.

MAY 21st UPDATE

WCB Families:

On May 20th the Governor of the State of Iowa issued the following proclamation:

Governor of Iowa Proclamation of Disaster Emergency signed 05/20

This proclamation permits school activities, including baseball and softball, to resume June 1st with games starting June 15th. This is a step towards getting back to playing baseball but this does not pertain to the Rec League, Competitive Baseball League, or weekend tournaments at Walnut Creek.

The governor stated in her briefing yesterday that they are still working on a return to play plan for youth sports and will communicate out something next week. Since the proclamation prohibiting gatherings of more than 10 people is set to expire at midnight on May 27th, we should have an update by then.

If you have questions regarding refunds, dropping out, or registering a new player, please see the COVID19 FAQ PAGE.

If you have any questions, concerns, or would like something posted on the FAQ page, please email:  

You can also reply back to this email and it will be sent to that email account.

Visit our main web site for updates including a link to the FAQ page.

MAY 13th UPDATE

WCB Families:

On May 13th the Governor of the State of Iowa issued the following proclamation:

Governor of Iowa Proclamation of Disaster Emergency signed 05/13

This proclamation extends the prohibition of gathering and events of more than 10 people including youth sporting activities through May 27th.

I've spoken with a resource at the Iowa Economic Authority who informed me that the Iowa Department of Education and the Iowa Department of Public Health are working on guidance for summer sports and youth sporting events.  They are hoping to have information to the public by May 27th.

We are also working on a Return to Play Plan but that will not be finalized until we have the final rules of engagement set forth by the state when they are provided to the public around May 27th.

Once we know the rules we must abide by for the safety and well being of the players, coaches, and families we will update our plan accordingly which will take some time.

Based on that, we anticipate activities will not be able to start back up no earlier than June 1st with the possibility of games starting June 15th.

If you have any questions, concerns, or would like something posted on the FAQ page, please email:  

You can also reply back to this email and it will be sent to that email account.

Visit our main web site for updates including a link to the FAQ page.

MAY 7th UPDATE

WCB Families:

On May 6th the Governor of the State of Iowa issued the following proclamation:

Governor of Iowa Proclamation of Disaster Emergency signed 05/06

Although it addressed the reopening of certain businesses, there was no update with regard to the reopening of recreational and sporting gatherings of more than 10 people.  Based on this, the previous proclamation issued on April 27th which extended the closure of recreational and sporting gatherings of more than 10 people through May 15th is still in effect.

We realize everyone wants to get back on the fields as do we, but our primary focus is the the safety and well being of the players, coaches, spectators, and the rest of the community so we will continue to follow guidelines set forth by the state.  When we are given the green light to gather again we will make sure we have a plan and procedures in place before we open back up.

As communicated previously, if you have any questions, concerns, or would like something posted on the FAQ page, please email:  

You can also reply back to this email and it will be sent to that email account.

Visit our main web site for updates including a link to the FAQ page.

MAY 1st UPDATE

WCB Families:

As we know there is a lot of uncertainty, confusion, and anxiety with regard to the pandemic.  This might also extend to the Rec League at Walnut Creek Baseball and as a parent you might have questions that need answered.

Everyone at Walnut Creek Baseball is a volunteer including many of you that give back to the league in numerous capacities from parent coaches to the Board of Directors.

As a parent your first point of contact is your head coach.  Head and assistant coaches report to the Age Division VP's which each age division having one and they report to the Vice President which reports to the President.

But during the pandemic the head coach probably doesn't have any more information than a parent and is in the same situation.

In an effort to help improve and streamline communications from parents and coaches regarding the pandemic I've created the WCB COVID19 Incident Response Email Address that is a dedicated email account that parents and coaches can use to send questions and concerns to as we navigate through these difficult times.

That address is: 

You can also reply back to this email and it will be sent to that email account.

If you send an email, please be patient waiting for a response as we are receiving lots of emails that are also being forwarded around to our other accounts but my hope is a central point of contact will assist everyone and improve communications.

As always, be safe and healthy.

APRIL 30th UPDATE

WCB Families:

On April 27, 2020 the Governor of the State of Iowa extended the closure of recreational and sporting gatherings of more than 10 people effective May 1, 2020 through May 15, 2020:

Governor of Iowa Proclamation of Disaster Emergency signed 04/27

If the Governor does not extend the closure when it expires May 15th, Walnut Creek Baseball would be in a position to open the complex to allow practices to start on May 16th.  Games would then start on June 1, 2020.

Traditionally the Rec League season lasts about 12 weeks.  If we could start games on June 1st the season would end August 22nd.  With this model teams usually play one game per week with a 12 game schedule and even less for the younger kids that play 8-10 games in the season.

The response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been a very fluid situation that is changing from day to day.  I would consider these dates to be very optimistic and the best thing we can do is provide dates that coincide with the current orders by the Governor and plan accordingly.

If the closure is extended past June 1st we also have the option to compress the season to less than 12 weeks if we want to complete the season by the end of August.

It is our hope that if we can get back to playing baseball most families will be able to participate in the Rec League which is the heart and soul of our organization and the number one source of income we rely on to provide the over 800 families in our community the opportunity to play recreational baseball.

We also recognize that some families may not be in a position to participate even if we do get started and are asking for a refund.  We ask that you be patient as we are working on a policy and procedure regarding how we are going to handle those situations.

Teams are already formed and if a player drops we will have to evaluate how that will effect the team they were on and it could force us to redo rosters which will take time and could delay things including the start of the season.

Once the Governor has made a decision regarding the closure ending May 15th or extending past that date we will let you know the new date or if we can start practices May 16th and games June 1st if the closure is lifted.

Until then, please continue to stay well.  We wish you good health as we move forward.