USA Softball Colorado will not be allowed to rent fields in Boulder for the remainder of the year after hosting events over the weekend that failed to adhere to health and safety guidelines put in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

According to the city, USA Softball Colorado Youth League rented the fields at East Mapleton and Stazio ball fields for girls’ softball league play. In email to the Camera, city spokeswoman Denise White said Boulder Parks and Recreation required the organizers to submit a Standard Operation Procedure at the time of rental, “which detailed their plan to adhere to public health requirements.”

But White wrote that, “Unfortunately, this procedure, particularly around physical distancing and face-coverings, was not followed, and organizers struggled to enforce the requirements with spectators.”

Photos and video posted to social media over the weekend showed large crowds at the East Mapleton fields, with few of the visible attendees practicing social distancing or wearing masks.

Current (and daily) scene at Mapleton Ballfields. I guess #Boulder parks dept is sponsoring a head start program for the back-to-school Covid surge. No fans for #MLB stadiums but packed softball bleachers are 💯 ok?
Seriously, WTF @boulderparksrec ?! pic.twitter.com/zB4u02i5LY

— Thomas Wells (@thmscwlls) August 2, 2020

As a result of the violation, White wrote that USA Softball will not be allowed to rent athletic fields in Boulder for the remainder of 2020.

“Public health is of the utmost importance to us,” White wrote. “We appreciate our community members, and staff, who brought this lack of compliance to our attention.”

Nik Mead, the state commissioner with USA Softball Colorado, said staff tried to enforce the health rules at the games, which are specified to the laws of the host city and approved before any event.

Mead said USA Softball also has its own rules about how far teams can travel to play, mask requirements and waivers.

“We’re just as concerned about the spread of the disease, and we do not want to break the law or any city ordinance,” Mead said. “Obviously, we have to go back to the drawing table and do a better job if this is what occurred. By no means would we ever want to put youths, adults or anybody in harm’s way.”

But Mead also said event organizers did not get much help from the city in trying to enforce the rules, and noted that he was also wary of putting staff in confrontational situations.

“We did our very best to maintain (the Standard Operating Procedure), up to and including asking the police to come out,” Mead said. “They came, they looked around and they left. At that point, we had no more tools in our tool box.”

White wrote that Boulder has made updates to its policy surrounding the agreements it makes with rental organizers as a result of the weekend incident, including having “immediate ramifications” prepared for noncompliance.

The added measures also include increasing inspections and developing a new capacity limit for spectators that takes into account parking and other services impacts such as trash removal and restrooms.

“Boulder Parks and Recreation is taking this situation as an opportunity to enhance our monitoring and safety protocol,” White wrote.

Mead said USA Softball Colorado would also be examining how it holds events, including considering not allowing spectators.

“I’ll meet with my staff and see what we can do better,” Mead said. “Whatever it takes to get it done, I’m committed to doing that.”

As of Sunday, Boulder County has had 1,938 people test positive or probable for the coronavirus, with 74 people dying of the disease since March.

“At a time when cases are trending up in Boulder County and across the state, any gathering of people who are not following all of the basic guidelines of keeping 6 feet from people not in your household, wearing a mask, and washing your hands frequently, is just an ideal situation to foster the spread of COVID-19,” Boulder County Public Health spokesman Mike Stratton wrote in an email.