March 12 UPDATE: Murrayhill Little League is suspending all baseball activities (games and practices) pursuant to guidance issued by Little League International. We will provide further updates as they become available. Please stay safe and healthy.

In the midst of the widespread coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak and its growing impact on our community, the health and safety of our players, volunteers, and their families, are Murrayhill Little League's top priorities. I wanted to personally reach out and share a few of the steps we are taking to protect everyone within the MHLL community.

Practices and Games. For the time being, MHLL will continue with its practice and game schedule as planned. However, we encourage parents and players to adopt health officials' recommendations regarding social distancing. That is, please drop your child off at practice if you are able to do so. We understand that some parents are not able to drop their child at practice, or are not comfortable doing so, and therefore if you choose to attend, we ask that you maintain a reasonable distance from other parents and from the team.

Opening Day. MHLL's opening day ceremonies, which were planned for April 4, are hereby cancelled. We regret not being able to celebrate the start of the baseball season with our friends and neighbors, but ultimately it would be unwise to hold a large social gathering under the circumstances.

Equipment Use. Effective immediately, MHLL is directing all coaches to refrain from allowing the shared use of any equipment, excluding baseballs. Each team is equipped with generally-available bats, helmets, and catchers gear, and coaches will be required to leave that equipment off the field until further notice. In addition, coaches should remain vigilant in preventing players from sharing their own equipment with one another. As a league, we understand that such restrictions may impact practices and eventually games, but seeing that physical contact is a primary method for transmitting the disease, we believe it's a reasonable precaution to take for the time being.

The MHLL board will reevaluate these actions as conditions and the recommendations of federal, state, and local health officials change. We also continue to monitor guidance and facility-use restrictions issued by Beaverton School District and Tualatin Hills Parks and Recreation Department, and we will incorporate such information on an ongoing basis. We should anticipate that our schedule will be further disrupted as conditions evolve, and, although that is frustrating, it is not our place as a little league to ignore the recommendations of health officials who are close to this crisis.

Finally, we would appreciate your feedback about other efforts we should consider undertaking as a league in order to keep our community as safe as possible. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to share baseball with your child, and for your confidence in MHLL.

Jason Johns

President, Murrayhill Little League

Murrayhill Little League is regarded as one of the strongest, most successful and respected programs in the state of Oregon due to its history of post season success and sportsmanship. However, post season success is a direct result of a thriving regular season program which develops the skills of our young players.

Since its formation in 1992, MHLL has been very fortunate to have such tremendous support from our community. Driven completely by thousands of hours of time donated by volunteer team managers, coaches, assistants, team parents, and Board of Directors, MHLL is able to make baseball fun and affordable for hudreds of children and families in our community.

If you are new to the MHLL family, considering joining, or have been participating for years, take the opportunity as parents and members of our community and volunteer in any way to help support this wonderful program.

A little history...

Murrayhill Little League was organized and chartered by Little League Baseball Inc. in 1992 and is one of the largest non-profit youth sports programs in our area with almost 500 children participating on 49 teams. Staffed completely by volunteers, the league operates baseball and softball programs for boys and girls in the spring, summer and fall. The league is completely funded through player registration fees and sponsors. Since the league's inception, we have funded the cost of season play without additional fund raising activities to supplement registration fees. Fee schedules for the season are based on projected budget expenses for the league year. Murrayhill Little League policy is that no child will be turned away due to financial considerations.

MHLL offers all levels of youth baseball. The regular season runs from April through June with practices beginning in March. Post-season play begins in mid-June and runs through Mid-August. Summer season runs from July-August and Fall season runs from September to Late October. Games are played at various fields throughout the Beaverton area.

Murrayhill Little League is celebrating its 28th anniversary of providing an outstanding program of youth sports instruction to children in our community. The success of our program over the years has been the direct result of the extremely strong dedication and support of the parents, sponsors and members of the community.