05/01/2026
Dear HAJBA families-
We are reaching out with some information about Opening Day. We want to address our policy regarding weather and provide an explanation for the exception. Our weather policy is in place to provide guidance to our volunteer board members and commissioners and to establish a foundation of understanding and expectations for our HAJBA families. The policy states that activities will not be held when temperatures fall below 43 degrees.
As we look towards the forecast for Saturday’s opening day activities, we are very likely to experience weather that will put temperatures below our minimum temperature. During the season, on a normal evening, in cold weather, it would affect 10-15 teams. On Opening Day, we have 58 teams scheduled to play, as well as a picture schedule for all teams. Rescheduling 10-15 teams is hard with field availability, but feasible to make up for. The reality is that rescheduling 58 teams is not a feat we can promise, given that families have been planning around their scheduled game times. Altering these times would not allow all teams to have team pictures or allow all players to play on Opening Day.
Taking this into consideration, the board, commissioners, and coaches from every division were allowed to voice their choice for Opening Day, anticipating that the weather would not fall within our parameters. Over 60 votes were cast to help inform the plans to proceed, even if temperatures fall below 43 degrees. The large majority of votes were cast in favor of proceeding as planned, with the scheduled photo and game times.
We would like to ask in advance for your cooperation in ensuring your players are prepared to play in colder-than-normal temperatures. We leave it to your discretion as an individual family to decide whether your player should play. Sweatshirts under jerseys, handwarmers in pockets, stocking caps and baseball hats are all acceptable.
As volunteer board members, coaches, and parents ourselves, we value your input and took this collection of opinions very seriously, in an effort to make an informed decision on behalf of the majority of our families. With over 600 athletes this spring, we understand this decision may not be the one you would’ve made, and we invite you to continue sharing your thoughts and feedback. Community members are welcome to join every board meeting, held on the second and fourth Mondays of the winter and spring seasons.
Thank you for being a part of a 60+year tradition. We appreciate our HAJBA community.
