2020 USTA NATIONALS CANCELLED
MARCH 24, 2020 – THE USTA HAS ANNOUNCED THE CANCELLATION OF THE 2020 USTA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS, PRE-TRIALS, AND FESTIVAL OF THE FUTURE, IN STOCKTON. THE CONTEST CANCELLATION IS DUE TO VIRUS PRECAUTION. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CLICK HERE.
2020 WBTF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS POSTPONED UNTIL 2021
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CLICK HERE
ALL CA LOCAL CONTESTS CANCELLED DUE TO VIRUS PRECAUTION
#4 Valley Baton Club Contest
Date: Saturday April 4, 2020
#5 Patsy Hamilton Memorial Contest
Date: Saturday April 25, 2020
2020 CA STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Date: Saturday & Sunday May 16-17, 2020
CONTEST CANCELLED DUE TO VIRUS PRECAUTION
2020 USTA Western Regional Pre-Trials
CONTEST CANCELLED DUE TO VIRUS PRECAUTION
2020 Western Regional Championships
CONTEST CANCELLED DUE TO VIRUS PRECAUTION
MESSAGE FROM USTA
MARCH 28, 2020
To everyone in our USTA family,
We hope that all of you are holding up well and taking all necessary precautions to protect yourselves and your loved ones during this COVID-19 pandemic. During these difficult times, we are deeply appreciative of the strength and resilience we’ve witnessed from our members and supporters.
As you may have seen, on Sunday, March 29, President Trump extended the nationwide guidelines for social distancing that are currently in place. The federal government has asked that all individuals refrain from all nonessential travel, going to work, eating at bars and restaurants, or gathering in groups of more than ten through April 30, 2020. President Trump also specifically noted that these guidelines could be extended through June 1.
The Board of Directors of USTA has been preparing for this possibility. For example, we held a series of calls with USTA leadership, members of state and regional councils, and contest directors last week to provide information regarding USTA’s plans and to learn about the situations of our members on a local level. In light of what we have heard, and considering both the President’s announcement on Sunday and our own research regarding the state of this pandemic, it is with a heavy heart that we announce that all sanctions for USTA events are suspended through June 30, 2020.
We do not take this action lightly. We know that many of you have been looking forward to, and holding out hope that, state and regional contests may take place as planned, despite the cancellation of nationals. However, the Board strongly feels that the health and safety of our athletes, coaches, judges, parents, staff, and volunteers must come first. Thus, while there are other considerations that also supported our decision to suspend sanctions, our primary motivation was to avoid a situation where our athletes and our families, who may already be dealing with significant financial uncertainty, have to travel to our competitions (potentially across state lines) and put themselves in a situation that risks their health and well-being, as well as the health and well-being of those they come in contact with.
The Board will be taking steps to work with our state councils to find a way to reschedule some state contests, while also providing tools to make sure we kick off next season in the strongest way possible. We have heard from a number of state representatives who are interested in rescheduling their state contest for later in the summer. We think this could be a great idea. Even though all regional contests are cancelled for the 2019-20 season, we encourage all state councils to consider whether it might be possible to hold their state contest sometime in July or August. For states that are interested in such an option, guidance will be provided soon. In addition, USTA will provide some exciting new baton programming in the coming weeks. This will include instructional and educational videos for our athletes (featuring some of our outstanding national champions), as well as educational content for our coaches and judges. We will also be organizing in-person iTwirl-style clinics in multiple states this Fall.
The Board sincerely appreciates all of the feedback and communications we’ve received. We have taken all of it to heart and have endeavored to make the best decision for all of our members. We will continue to provide as much information and guidance as we can. This includes answering questions submitted by our members at https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/ustwirling, where you can submit any questions you may have for us.
In the meantime, please stay safe, stay healthy, and take care of yourselves. Together, we will get through this and emerge stronger than ever.
Sincerely,
The USTA Board of Directors
STAY SAFE AND HEALTHY!
All CA contest photos will now be viewed on the CA Baton Council Facebook Page.