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Like the rest of the sports world, local summer basketball leagues are still in a holding pattern when it comes to whether or not they will be able to have their 2020 seasons.
The Central Blair Rec Lakemont Park Summer Basketball League and the Blair Regional YMCA Summer Basketball Leagues are in the same boat.
"I was watching the other day, and the governor (Tom Wolf) came on and said he was extending things to May 8. If that would be the actual date of everyone getting back, that would be fine for our league since we do not start until the second week of June," said Skip Dry, who runs the Lakemont Park league. "If that (May 8) would be the actual date of everyone getting back, that would be fine for our league."
Andrea Cohen, Lakemont Park president, agrees with Dry, as long as everything goes along with the orders of Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf.
"We are very excited to have the basketball league return, and all plans are for them to open in June, as long as we have the governor's permission to do so," she said.
The Blair Regional YMCA is getting ready for its 40th season in women's basketball and its sixth season for the boys league. But because she deals with scholastic athletes, things will be altered just a bit.
"We anticipate on running an abbreviated form of both of our summer leagues with a start day in July, in accordance with the PIAA's ruling about no high school sports activities until July 1," said Sharon Jones, Blair Regional Executive Director.
Lakemont plays its games outside, and even though the YMCA in Hollidaysburg has two outdoor courts, that is not an option according to Jones.
"We would not use the outdoor courts for the leagues. They are not league appropriate," she said.
Dry believes because his league plays outdoors, and because it is in a rural part of America, the Lakemont Park league, which used to be the Mansion Park League, has a strong chance to return.
"It seems that outdoors is a different animal than playing indoors," Dry said. "If we were a big city, I would be worried, but we are in a rural area, and I am hoping, like everyone in Blair County, that the worst is behind us. If we can get a little more than a month to get everyone in the right frame of mind, we could probably even wait until June 20 or 22. I think we can make a go of it."
The YMCA had 20 teams in 2019, 13 high school and seven in the alumni division. The boys league had 14 teams.
"We anticipate the same numbers this summer," Jones said.
The Lakemont Park League had 46 teams last year, and Dry said around 50 teams this year would be perfect.
"As soon as the powers that be let us know when we can start, then we will try to get something in (the Mirror). We are going to do everything we can through the Lakemont Park people, the (Central Blair Recreation Commission) people," Dry said. "From everything that I have gathered, people want to play."
Cohen believes having the league return is more than just a profit thing.
"We want to get life back to normal. Life outdoors, activities, is a good thing and we will practice whatever rules are set. We will abide by them," she said.