Registration Opens Dec. 14th!
Registration for the upcoming 2010 season is now open!
As in prior years, the league is structured with several divisions to support different
levels of player ability:
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TBall (5-7 years old)
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A, AA (Pitching machine, 7-9)
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AAA, Majors (Live pitching, 9-12)
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Junior, Seniors (13-16)
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Challenger (Players with physical and mental disabilities, 6-18)
We will be taking registration for A, AA, AAA and Majors Divisions through January 19
leading up to Player Evaluation Day on January 30. Registration for other divisions
will remain open after this time but please sign up early to guarantee your child a
roster spot.
Due to an increase in field support and other operational costs, registration fees
will be increased this season. The increase varies by division but will not exceed
$25/player. Even with the increase, M-A Little League fees are inline with other
Little League and youth sports organizations in the area. Please contact
registration@m-all.org if you would like to apply for our scholarship program.
Answers to some frequently asked questions about online registration:
- Our online
registration is hosted through Active.com. Note, you do NOT need to join
Active to register for M-A Little League! When you select "Register Now"
at the bottom of the Active front page, it will ask you to chose your
"Registration Option". If you don't want to join Active (which gets you
a small discount each time you register), select Option C (register as
a guest).
- If you want your child to be considered for a higher
level than his current age group, the best thing to do is to
check the box for the higher level when registering online.
Note, signing up for a level does NOT insure your child
will get into that level! Majors, AAA, AA, and A teams
are formed using a draft method, based on tryouts, feedback
from previous coaches, etc. Signing up for the higher level
just lets us know that you are interested in having your
child be considered for the higher level.
- All medical forms and volunteer signups are now
submitted as part of the online registration process.
- We are actively seeking team sponsors
who can support a team during the season. Team sponsorships
(TBall thru AAA) are $500 and go towards the purchase of team uniforms, etc.
If you are interested in sponsoring a team, please
sign up during the online registration process!
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Field(s) of Dreams
Menlo Atherton Little League will utilize six public fields for Little League events in the
spring of 2010 -- Burgess Park (Majors), Willow Oaks (AAA), Holbrook-Palmer Park (AAA),
Las Lomitas School (AA), German-American International School (A) and Encinal School
(T-Ball).
The primary uses of these facilities are schools or public parks. The M-ALL is just one of
many secondary sports users, which also includes after school programs, AYSO, CY soccer,
Lacross, and a host of other groups. Fields are in short supply, and what is available
endures heavy and near constant use.
Needless to say, the daily wear and tear on these resources is extreme (and growing).
When combined with the tumultuous economic times, it is getting harder and harder to for
the "owners" of these fields to maintain the places our kids play. Our cities and school
districts face dramatic budget issues, which hamper operating expenses but have also
drained internal expertise. As a consequence, their ability to maintain fields is
seriously threatened at the very time we need them the most.
The M-ALL general fund, generously augmented by private donors, has been quick to
recognize this issue and has moved aggressively to assist school districts and city
budgets by contributing money, equipment, expertise and volunteer labor to help defer
the growing costs of field maintenance.
In the spring of 2009, M-ALL benefactors raised over $11,000 in directed donations
to replace the infield grass at Burgess Park. Our supporters also contributed more
than $30,000 of materials, labor and volunteer time to recondition the German-American
field, a project that included an upgraded water control system, new sprinkler lines
and heads, a new grass infield, forty TONS of additional infield dirt and a complete
reconditioning and re-planting of the grass. The result was transformative!
This summer, the Encinal School field was aerated, re-seeded and top-dressed with 44
tons of new material. New dugout fences and a new storage facility were also added.
This Fall, as a response to safety concerns and maintenance problems, the M-ALL also
re-leveled the infield at Holbrook-Palmer Park. Once again, our focus is on better
sprinkler coverage (to take better care of the turf AND save water), leveling (to
prevent injuries) and re-seeding (to promote healthy turf). It may be hard to believe,
but it takes more than 60 tons of material to raise the height of a Little League
infield just six inches!
This November, we've kicked it up another notch. The M-ALL, AYSO and LLESD jointly
contributed to a $20,000 overhaul of the grass on the entire Las Lomitas field.
This may be the highest use field in our entire system. We installed more than
40 new sprinkler heads, added 24 tons of material to fill holes and smooth the
playing surface and planted 1,000 pounds of grass seed. While some grass is
already sprouting, the real results will not be apparent until next spring,
when the field should take on a whole new appearance!
Overhauling these fields is a H-U-G-E undertaking. The M-ALL is extremely appreciative
for the efforts of two key contributors -- Rory Furst and Jim Sherman. For nearly
two decades, Rory has been the man behind the scenes preparing fields for Little
League play. His effort and generosity are not widely known, but the M-ALL would
have a hard time functioning without his enthusiastic support. Jim Sherman manages
Turf and Industrial Equipment, the local John Deere distributor. He has provided
essential equipment for major projects, including donating his time and expertise
to transport, operate and maintain tractors, seeders, aerators, verti-cutters,
vacuums spreaders and mowers. Without help from Jim and Rory, the M-ALL and our
field "owners" could not afford the work that has been done. Our current
collaborative approach to fields for our kids owes much to the efforts of these
two gentlemen.
A special thanks is also due to the local vendors who provide discounts on services
or materials that help us stretch our budget dollars: Rick Lopez Landscaping,
Tom McCabe Irrigation, Horizon and Lyngso Materials.
If you think fields are important for our kids, and would like to help, you have
a couple of options. There is a field in the M-ALL registration process that
allows you to volunteer for field maintenance. No experience is required -- we'll
train you. It only takes a few minutes prior to, or immediately after, your child's
games or practices. Alternatively, there is also an opportunity to make a directed
donation to support our community fields.
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