SSUSA’s COVID Survey of World Teams

Oct. 1, 2020

SACRAMENTO – A Senior Softball USA survey of teams that participated in the first three sessions of the Senior Softball World Championships reported 30 positive COVID-19 cases, including three serious cases.

The 15 teams reporting positive tests said most cases had mild or no symptoms.  Three cases were serious, with the players developing pneumonia.  All three are recovering, according to their coaches.

SSUSA sent the survey to all 315 team managers who competed in the first three sessions of the Worlds and 121 teams responded. Of the teams that reported no COVID cases, most said that at least some players were tested after they returned from the tournament and all reported negative results (206 total negative tests).

The other managers said they were not sure how many of their players were tested, but they had no reports of any players developing symptoms. No umpires or officials have reported symptoms or testing positive.

Almost 10,000 players and spectators attended the first three sessions of the World Championships.

SSUSA waited until last week -- two weeks from the end of the third World Championships session – to email out the survey to ensure that anyone infected with the virus had developed symptoms.

The fourth and final World Championships session, with 109 teams, will be played in the Phoenix area from Oct. 29 - Nov. 1.  The Las Vegas Senior Softball Association had offered fields they had reserved in Bullhead City, unfortunately there were not enough fields available there to handle the 109 teams.

Pandemic protocols will remain the same in the last World Championships session, including moving spectators and teams waiting to play to areas along the sides of the fields, mandatory masks in the central portions of the softball complexes, masks required for catchers, umpires and base coaches on the field, and social distancing or masks in the dugouts.

The cases reported during the first three sessions of the World Championships include:

• One player on a Women’s 40 AAA team (three others tested negative).
• One player on a men’s 40AAA team from Maryland (8 other teammates tested negative).
• One player from a 55 Major team from Florida (8 others tested negative)
• Two players and a friend from a 60AA Colorado team.
• A pitcher from a 60AA team from Nevada.
• Coach and three players on a 60 AA Oklahoma team. The coach and one player had pneumonia.
• Three players from a 60 AAA team from Oklahoma.
• A player from a 60 Major team from Minnesota.
• A player from a 60 Major team from Washington State.
• A player, his wife, and daughter from a 55AAA Southern California team.
• Eight players of 55 and 60 Major-Plus teams from Texas. The initial player became ill on the second day of play. That player is hospitalized with pneumonia.
• A player from a 65 Major team from Nevada.
• A player from a 65 Major-Plus team from California.
• A player from 75 AAA team from Arizona.