By Andy Walter

DOVER — There was no guarantee how many of them would come back.

The pandemic had already wiped out most of last summer’s Little League season.

And remember, when local leagues started taking registration during the winter for the 2021 season, there was still no guarantee what this summer would look like.

So the fact that most Kent and Sussex County leagues have been playing baseball and softball this spring and early summer is a big step back toward normalcy for them

“We were so looking forward to it after missing last season,” said Smyrna-Clayton league president Gordon Gelley. “Everybody was kind of chomping at the bit. Even with restrictions we had a good season. I think everybody was extremely pleased.”

Today, teams in Kent County’s District I will take another step back toward normal with the start of a handful of “special games” all-star tournaments — tourneys for some of the youngest players.

To be sure, several of the early tournaments are smaller this year because of the smaller turnout in leagues this season.

Usually, District I administrator Biff Newnam requires the special games tourneys to have a minimum of four teams. But Newnam said he waved that rule this year just to get the tournaments going again.

When the bigger, international all-star tournaments start after July 4, they’ll be a little different, too.

Little League canceled almost all tourneys beyond the state level for this summer. That means the Senior League softball World Series normally held at Lower Sussex won’t be played again this August.

The only exception is at the Major League level (11-12 year olds) where the showcase baseball and softball World Series will still be held, but with U.S. teams only.

“As the world’s largest and most respected youth sports program, it is our obligation to do everything within our ability to provide a tournament experience that follows the standard of care and concern for which our organization is highly regarded,” Hugh E. Tanner, Little League International board chairman, said in May.

“It is our hope that by doing so this summer for Little Leaguers in their magical 12-year-old seasons, fans of this great game worldwide take a collective step forward toward normalcy.”

Even without all the regionals and World Series, Little League leaders say this season has really helped get things back where they were. Things have even gotten better from the start of the season to now.

“In the beginning, the district had a lot of COVID rules we were following,” said Dover league president Matt Greer. “Now things are easing up, we’re easing up. Things are getting back to normal.

“We definitely need to get back to normal,” he added. “I mean you need to have some sense of normalcy for the kids.”

Locally, the player turnout this season varied by league.

Marydel-Hartly, for one, didn’t have enough players to play this summer. Its players were allowed to play in other leagues.

Gelley said Smyrna-Clayton had one less team at both the Senior League and Major League levels. Other than that, though, he said the overall enrollment wasn’t that different than they were pre-pandemic.

“We were a little down but not a lot down,” said Gelley. “Everything was pretty good. We had lots of younger kids — lots of t-ball. I’m hoping we bounce back some next year. We’ll see what happens.”

Likewise, Greer said Dover had a lot of new, young players in t-ball as well.

“Everybody’s excited,” he said. “A lot of the new parents, this is all new to them. We had a lot of new faces this year.

“The numbers are actually up for us this year,” said Greer, who took over as Dover’s league president three weeks ago. “Not greatly, but they’re going in the right direction.”

Newnam said this year’s District I Senior League softball tourney will have more teams this year than it did in 2019.

“The regular tournaments, the numbers are not that far off,” said Newnam. “I don’t think people look past the states really. They’re just happy to get to go to a regional. If it doesn’t happen this year, it just doesn’t happen.”

Of course, Little League has long had to compete with other youth-sports opportunities that weren’t around years ago.

Only time will tell what changes the pandemic has made to what Little League looks like in the future.

“The volunteers in Delaware District I are doing everything they can to ensure that baseball and softball is available to the youth in our area,” said Newnam.

“I think maybe next year will be a better judgment of how last year effected everybody,” said Gelley. “If numbers bounce back, that’s good. We just have to wait and see.”