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For almost a year, COVID-19 restrictions have had Des Moines businesses changing their daily operations. Among the earliest casualties were minor league sports teams the Iowa Wild and the Iowa Cubs. 

The Des Moines baseball and hockey teams had to shut their doors to fans due to the COVID-19 guidelines Governor Kim Reynolds implemented early last year. But those doors could soon be open to spectators again.

“A long wait for hockey has finally come to an end,” said Senior Manager of Marketing for Iowa Wild Rachel Hanna. “On February 5 of 2021, Iowa Wild will return to the arena.”

The Iowa Wild and Iowa Cubs both expect to play full seasons this coming year. The Wild will be the first to reopen their doors.

The teams have been cautious during the pandemic and ended their seasons immediately after the shutdown. Guidelines were made for the safety of Iowa Wild and Iowa Cubs staff and players.

“Staff members were forced to work from home, and players were sent back to their home states immediately,” said Hanna.

With almost nobody in office and no events taking place, how did these Des Moines teams survive?

The Wild are funded by a variety of large corporations and partner with non profit organizations, Hanna said. “The team did not suffer immensely from this pandemic.” Iowa Wild worked to raise money to donate to citizens of Des Moines.

The first non profit event was with the Food Bank of Iowa.  The Wild raised money and provided over 20,000 meals to Des Moines families. The Wild also donated $10,000 to Des Moines Public Schools for students struggling to eat at home.

“Iowa Wild wanted to support our Des Moines families, to make sure that our community is being taken care of,” Hanna said.

Also facing an impact from COVID-19, the Iowa Cubs kept Principal Park alive during the unexpected shutdown. Shelby Cravens, the Iowa Cubs director of media relations, said that the Iowa Cubs hosted several events to keep their fans involved at Principal Park.

On Father’s Day, the Iowa Cubs held a “Father’s Day Catch” on the pitcher’s mound. The Iowa Cubs invited fathers to pitch one or two throws to a catcher as their families celebrated them.

Another event allowed Iowa Cubs fans onto the field for batting cage sessions. The team had fans pay $20 for 10 swings in the cage. 

One of the last events at Principal Park in 2020 was a movie night. Citizens of Des Moines were invited to lay out on the field with their friends and family. They ate popcorn and watched a movie on the big screen.

While these events took place in Des Moines to keep the arena and stadium alive, players were forced to go back to their home states. Hanna shared that with almost every governor shutting down gyms, players had to work out and practice from home. Coaches and trainers kept in close contact with the Iowa Wild athletes during the pandemic by sending workout and dietary plans for them to stay fit and ready for their season to start at any time.

Cravens said she has “high hopes that there will be baseball at Principal Park in 2021.”