First, I would like to thank all of you for your patience and support so far this year! What a month of March we have had. Interestingly enough, Monday, March 30, 2020, would have been the first day we as a league could have utilized our fields since March 7, 2020 due to the weather conditions. 

As you know, Little League International has suspended all play until May 11, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are monitoring federal, state and county guidance closely and will share information as it becomes available in regards to the continuation of the season. We all want to get the players back on the ball fields and have some normalcy in our lives. We will only do this when we know, based on official guidance, that it will be safe to do so. 

Should we have to cancel the entire season, please know that we are prepared to issue refunds for any unused registration funds, less league start up costs. We are working on a prorated amount per division. Some of those costs include but are not limited to:  uniforms purchased and distributed, uniform patches, light bill for February, field equipment, field conditioner and clay, Little League charter fees, insurance fees, and City permit fees. As of right now, none of these fees are refundable and are quite costly. If we as a League issue refunds, we are prepared to provide a full financial report of expenses for the 2020 Season. We are fortunate that our league overhead costs are zero but we will not know the total amount to refund until we determine the full extent of the season changes. Rest assured that we will return every dime possible.

As it stands, the Board of Directors plans to move closing ceremonies from May 16, 2020 to June, 27, 2020.  We are very optimistic to get a league-wide 12 game season, if restrictions are lifted in early May.   

If we are unable to continue to play our Spring Season in May and June, we are looking at alternative solutions to continue the spring season into the fall. We have fields other than MLK at our disposal to accomplish this feat. We are also working on putting an Oceanside National Little League Fall Ball season together for all divisions. In the event of a Fall Ball season to replace a canceled Spring season, all registrations will be rolled into the Fall Ball season. If your player is not available to play in the Fall, partial refunds will be given as detailed above. 

Little League International continues to monitor this very fluid situation and provides regular updates on their website. Also, please be sure to read the Little League Open Letter to Parents and accompanying video from Stephen Keener, President and CEO. And we encourage you to watch this pep talk with your child for some words of encouragement as we wait to hit the ball fields again.

We hope you and your families are staying safe and well, and finding alternative ways to still get some practicing and drills in in the safety of your home and yard. There are many online resources available, including Top Baseball Drills to Do at Home...be sure to check some of them out to stay sharp!

Looking forward to seeing everyone on the fields soon!

Regards, 

Bob McDermott, ONLL President