Dear, VABA Families:

Early this morning, The VABA Team met with our "Snow Removal" team as we assessed the situation and planned a day of clearing in an effort to prepare for this weekend's games.   COVID and weather are not going to deter our staff from providing the fullest and best experience for our kids and coaches! 

Unfortunately, in assessing the overall situation, there were six (6) insurmountable factors we could not overcome:

1. De-icing the Playing Surface Issue: This was going to require a heavy dose of chemicals, as well as potential shoveling, etc.  The professional advice given by our experts in this field was that the agents utilized on traditional asphalt would, potentially, harm the tennis court surface.  We could not take this risk.  If it had been snow only, we may have been able to pull this off.  The ice, temps and chemicals were the issue.  
    
2. Clearing the Parking Lot & Sidewalks: Presently, the PVCC parking lot has not been cleared at all.  Because this parking area is not utilized often, there are no plans to clear the snow from the parking lot.    Sections of the AHS parking lot and sidewalks remain slippery. This makes access and safety an issue.  
   
   -->Even if the VABA staff were able to clear the courts and create a safe playing surface for the kids TODAY, we have other factors to contend with now that the forecast worsened.
    
3. Temperatures Dropping:  Within the last 12 - 16 hours, Weather.com's temperature predictions for this weekend appear to have worsened.   The high (at 3:00 pm) on Saturday, February 20 is now 33 F. 
    
4. Slippery Surface:  With the dropping temperatures, if any moisture remained and/or there was any precipitation, the playing surface would become slippery and unsafe. 
    
5. Wind & Wind-chill: In addition to the dropping temperatures, the wind chill factor has also worsened.  Coupled with the temps, the 10-15 mph winds would produce wind chill factors in the teens and 20's, even in the middle of the day.   Wind is also a major factor in playing.
    
6. Multiple Games / Re-scheduled Games / Early and Late games:  Because many of last weekend's games were rescheduled for this weekend, coaches, players and parents would have been playing multiple games in one day.  We would have started games earlier and ended later.  Some coaches are coaching more than one team.  Even though none of our coaches complained (all are CHAMPIONS!), it would neither be safe or fair to schedule games for these players and/or coaches with the expectation that multiple hours would be spent in these conditions.  As tough and committed as our coaches, players and staff are, discretion (and/or "wisdom" in this case) must be the better part of valor!

Please know that our VABA Team has done everything it can to make this weekend happen.  We thank everyone for their fighting spirit and determination in finding a way to provide healthy and fun competition for our youth.  Let's continue to press on!

However, the simplest and most rationale and fair solution, at this point, is to move everything back one week.  

Please review our updated Game Schedule  for all specifics and details!  Practices will resume next week, weather-permitting, and we have a plan to play all scheduled games!  Please feel free to forward this email onto your team.

Thank you for your patience, resolve and cooperation!  We appreciate you more than you know. 

Very respectfully,

The VABA Team

P.S.  GREAT JOB & THANK YOU, PBBL COACHES!