By Dirk Smith, MSc, SDL (He/Him)
With the Covid pandemic putting 2021 LGBTQ+ sports events in doubt, the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance’s annual Memorial Day tournament is taking place as scheduled. The annual tournament hosts the top A and B division teams from NAGAAA organizations all over the United States and Canada for a weekend long tournament to determine the NAGAAA Cup Champions.
While the 2020 event was cancelled due to the pandemic, the organizing committee for the 2021 Cup which is due to be held in Palm Springs, California has announced that the event is proceeding with the rate of new cases in Palm Springs dropping to 11 per 100k. This means that the fields are allowed to reopen for tournaments as well as local restaurants, bars and nightclubs.
President Biden has announced that the majority of the US adult population should be vaccinated by the end of May which will help keep the infection rate down and preventing another wave. This is an encouraging sign for athletes who have been hesitant to register for upcoming events over fears of last-minute cancellations and closures. Even with the vaccinations, the NAGAAA Cup still intends to observe Covid safe protocols to ensure the event proceeds safely for all the participants, including social distancing and face masks.
NAGAAA Cup 2021 is encouraging teams to register and is excited to be one of the first LGBTQ+ sports events to take place this year. In addition, the tournament serves as an important qualifier for teams looking to compete at the Gay Softball World Series happening this fall in Columbus, Ohio. More details about the tournament and schedule of events on Memorial Day weekend will be announced soon. Find more information on the NAGAAA Cup Facebook Page and at https://www.nagaaasoftball.org/nagaaa-cup/
Photo by Larry Barthel and Courtesy of NAGAAA.
