Austin Hemmingson | Daily Press Escanaba's Brody Ison winds up for a pitch against Gladstone during a Minor Boys' All-Star Game, July 11, 2019 in Escanaba.

ESCANABA — After it was reported in the Daily Press Tuesday that Little League organizations from Escanaba, Gladstone, Tri-County and Schaffer planned to play this summer, all of those leagues have since changed course and decided to cancel their season.

Escanaba and Gladstone made their decision Tuesday, and Schaffer and Tri-County followed suit Thursday night.

The leagues cited the numerous regulations that were included in Little League’s return-to-play guidelines. The regulations included requiring each kid to have their own equipment and having to constantly disinfect equipment.

“The leagues didn’t want to have to deal with Little League’s guidelines and not knowing for sure which way to go,” District 10 President Don Howes said. “The leagues would have had to play on school district baseball fields and softball fields, and they would have to get permission from the school to play, or from the city to play on the city fields, and there was just a little bit too much red tape involved.”

There will now be no Little League in District 10 after Norway, Kingsford and Iron Mountain decided to cancel their season last Saturday.

“I feel bad for the kids,” Howes said. “The kids have been home for so long now. They wanted to get out there and play and have fun.”

Written below is a statement from Escanaba Area Little League:

“The Escanaba Little League Board has come to the unfortunate determination that we cannot have a 2020 baseball/softball season this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We considered a great number of factors in coming to this decision, and ultimately, though we all love the game and want our kids to have an amazing summer playing ball, we cannot do so while meeting every COVID-19 guideline. We want to ensure our players, coaches, and fans are safe and healthy.

“Thank you for your patience and understanding in all of this. These are unprecedented times for all of us. In the upcoming week, we will be processing returns for registration. Once the change has been made, it will take up to five days to see a refund (though may be sooner). Again, we are grateful for your patience.

“We look forward to our next season with you in 2021.”