It’s probably fitting that the Downtown Optimist Club is taking an optimistic approach to the upcoming T-ball season.

As sports nationwide were forced to shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were questions as to whether the Downtown Optimist Club of Meridian’s annual Crestwood T-ball season would happen. Right now, the organization is planning as if it will be.

Registration began Thursday at the Crestwood Baseball Field and will take place May 12, 14, 19, 21 and 26 from 5:30-7 p.m. at the same location. Parents can also register their children ages 4-6 at Quality PC of Meridian or Jeffrey Wilson State Farm, or they can print off a registration form here, fill it out and send it to DTO, P.O. Box 3399, Meridian, MS, 39303. Right now, the season is scheduled to run from July 7 until Aug. 1 with practices starting shortly before the season, but that is dependent upon restrictions for having more than 10 people in one place being lifted by then.

“Our hope is that (the city and state) will open things up for social gatherings by the time we get to July,” said Paul Tarver, the Downtown Optimist Club’s secretary treasurer. “Our plan has been to go along with the basis that it would be open for play. If that changes, then we’re prepared to refund the money, but we can’t hold off registration until we’re sure it’s open. We have to operate like it will be open.”

Parents and guardians are urged to maintain social distancing and to wear masks while waiting in line to register, according to a press release by the Downtown Optimist Club released May 5. The cost is $60 per child and $40 for each additional child in the same family and includes a jersey, baseball cap and trophy. A maximum of 150 player slots are available. The press release said the state and local government must be “opened sufficiently” by June 18 or there will be no T-ball season. If that happens, parents and guardians will get refunds in July.

Tarver said the crowd at Thursday’s registration was smaller than usual for the first night of registration, but that’s not enough to get a feel about demand for this year’s T-ball season.

“We were late getting the info out because we weren’t really sure what the new rule was going to be and how we could accommodate that if we could,” Tarver said. “It may be that the announcement came out too close to the first night. We’ll know more by the end of the week.”

Downtown Optimist Club President Ken Kercheval said T-ball would be a fun activity to pick up this summer if things have opened up by July.

“Families now more than ever need a sense of normalcy,” Kercheval said. “What better way to have that than watching and cheering on your little one while they play the great American sport?”

If there is a season, Tarver said he hopes it will provide families with some much-needed relief from everything surrounding COVID-19.

“It’s an opportunity to get back to normal if we get the restrictions lifted and a great way to get kids out together,” Tarver said. “We’re optimistic we’ll have a season, and we’re going forward with that plan.”