Dear NWBA Members and Friends,

As we have communicated along the way on the quickly evolving subject of COVID-19, we were going to make fact-based decisions. Given the recent developments from other organizations, the NWBA Board has decided to move forward with the 2020 Adult National Tournament and cancel Junior Nationals. The rationale for each decision and supporting information is as follows:

ADULT DIVISION

46 of the 48 adult teams are already in attendance in Wichita, and our Board and Division Leadership have decided to provide these teams the opportunity to compete for their National Title. Any individual or team that is uncomfortable with competing has the right to withdraw from competition. We continue to strongly encourage all teams to practice good hygiene and precautionary measures by following the guidance in this link: www.nwba.org/responseoncoronavirus. 

JUNIOR DIVISION

The 2020 Junior National Tournament is canceled, given many of the teams have yet to travel to Wichita and the escalated risk and restrictions on travel. Our youth division is an incredible part of our organization and we feel for our athletes who trained all season to vie for a National Title. We know that they will have a long career within the NWBA, and we are excited to watch their progress and development in the near future.

The impact of this decision means that the Junior Division Banquet is also canceled. HOWEVER, THE NWBA DELEGATE MEETING WILL STILL TAKE PLACE AT THE ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED TIME. We know that teams have several questions, so we have provided some initial thoughts below:

Will we be allowed to play if enough teams show up?
No, the tournament is canceled, and we discourage anyone from traveling to the event. There will be no junior division games.

Will the Junior National Tournament be rescheduled?
The tournament will not be rescheduled. We have no ability to determine the progression of COVID-19 and its impact on travel. The final rankings for Prep and Varsity will stand as the outcome of the 2019-2020 season.

Will the Junior Division Delegates meeting still take place at the scheduled time?
No, Junior Division Leadership will reschedule this meeting to a future date that is convenient for delegates given this late notice.

Will we be refunded our tournament entry fees?
The LOC will be unable to refund tournament entry fees (both team and individual), as their costs for hosting have already been incurred.

What should we do about the money we invested in our flights, hotels, etc.?
Please work directly with your airline and other providers to investigate opportunities to refund these expenses.

Will we be refunded for our banquet tickets?
Yes, request must be made directly to EventBrite by Wednesday, March 18 to receive a full refund. 

Thank you,

Will Waller