April 9, 2021 - This letter was sent to all registered families and acts as an update to the February 1, 2021 letter below.

Mile High Families,
Thank you again for your continued patience with our unusual season.  We are pleased to see so many kids out enjoying our fields and getting great practice.  We have some important changes to announce.  We apologize for the lengthy email, but we ask that you please read it carefully

As we previously announced, the NM Department of Health created new regulations on March 19, 2021 for youth sports which created a path to playing games and scrimmages.  There are many new COVID safety requirements related to this change and the MHLL Board of Directors needed time to consider whether it was practical or possible to attempt to meet the new obligations in order to engage in competitive play.  Essentially, in exchange for having greater on-field flexibility, the rules created more restrictive COVID-safe protocols.   See Youth Sports Rules, pages 22-27 and see also the NMAA guidelines which now also apply generally and specifically for baseball/softball)  

We surveyed our pod managers and of the 2/3rds who responded, the vast majority agreed to support the board in complying with the new rules and were in favor of doing what is necessary to play games.  Earlier this week, the Mile High Board of Directors voted to adapt to these new rules and transition to competitive play.  Our transition will formally begin after the final "pod" practices currently scheduled for Saturday April 10th.  Practice schedules for the new teams are being created and will be announced soon.<

There will be a number of changes, including but not limited to:
1) The size of your child's team will likely increase.  The number of allowed coaches will increase.
2) Your child's coach or manager may change.   The players your child plays with may change as we combine and redistribute pods to build teams.
3) All parents (and players age 12 and older) are required to complete and sign a COVID-19 Code of Conduct for Athletes and Families, prior to resuming practices after Saturday April 10, 2021.  It is attached to this email as a PDF, but forms will be available at the park starting Saturday.
4) All coaches will be required to either have received COVID vaccination or take a monthly COVD test and provide proof of either to the league (one for April, one for May, and possibly also June and July, if participating in all-stars.)
5) Games are projected to start May 1st and end in Late-May or Early June.  We will not have tryouts.  District tournaments ("all-stars") are projected to start in June.
6) Practices will become longer 1.5-2 hours for all divisions except tee ball. 
7) All players will be required to participate in a screening for COVID symptoms and exposure and the answers must be recorded by the team manager for each practice.
8) The MHLL Board of Directors will designate new managers for the newly formed teams (as we will no longer be reliant on pods/pod managers under the new rules).  Please let us know as soon as possible if you would like to be considered to be a team manager.

Some things will not change:
1) Temperature checks will still be conducted.  Masks will continue to be required for all participants, including during games, and will be required for all visitors who leave the parking lot to enter spectator areas.
2) Spectators must stay at least six feet away from any playing area or dugout at all times, including after games and practices have ended.
3) Registration will remain open on a wait-list basis.  We do have immediate availability in many divisions, because we will no longer limited to pod sizes of four or eight.
4) All volunteers must still receive a 2021 volunteer badge and must display it while on the field. 
5) The Mile High Code of Conduct will still apply.  Follow all instructions from league officials.  Let the coaches coach, let the umpires umpire, and respect other spectators.
6) Just as it was to start the season, we cannot promise or guarantee that games will be actually be played.  Although now allowed by State law, and although the Board of Directors is committed complying with the steps required by the public health order, and although we are actively coordinating with other leagues to schedule games, we cannot guarantee anything.  Some things are out of our hands.  The State could change the rules again (as has happened to us three times already this season), other leagues (who we need to play games) could fail to comply with rules, we could experience positive COVID cases within our league, or other unforeseen challenges could arise. 

If you believe you are unable to comply with any of the proposed changes, or unwilling to have your child participate in light of these changes, please reach out to us immediately.  If you are interested in volunteering to assist the board of directors in our efforts to comply with COVID safe practices, please let us know.  If you know a family who would like to play, please encourage them to register online as soon as possible. 

We will also be conducting more background check sessions and we will be collecting equipment from pod managers who were not selected to be team managers.  These dates and times will be announced soon. 

Once again, we thank you for being a part of our community.  Please reach out if you have any questions. 

Mile High Little League 

February 1, 2021

Mile High Families,

We want to thank everyone for their support during the past year.  It has been difficult for our league in many ways, and although we wish we could have returned to the field sooner, we are pleased to announce we are now registering for 2021.  While we hope you will join us, we do want to be clear that this season will not look like past seasons.  We cannot promise that we will play games or scrimmages or provide all features of Little League that you may have enjoyed during previous years.  It is the intention of the board of directors to resume activities in accordance with the restrictions set out by State and local government orders.
 

The most comprehensive list of those restrictions is in a document called “All Together New Mexico”  (last updated Jan 18, 2021) The restrictions most relevant to our program start on Page 19 (link here):

https://indd.adobe.com/view/3f732e94-0164-424d-9ac6-a0ace27e70c8

 

Compliance with the current regulations means that players and volunteers should expect several changes from previous seasons.  Such changes include but are not limited to:
- Players and volunteers will be organized into pods of one (1) volunteer and a maximum of four (4) players;
- everyone will wear a mask during all activities; 
- everyone will maintain 6 feet of distance from other participants and volunteers;
- participants will have temperature checks prior to beginning activities; and likely many other obligations from volunteers. 
- Spectators will need to be separated from playing areas and from other spectators. 
This list is not intended to be all-inclusive of all possible restrictions. We are working on publishing our final plans and rules to our 2021 General Update page as soon as they are finalized and approved.  There are currently no exceptions for these requirements related to COVID-19 vaccination or recovery.
  

In terms of what the activities will look like:  We will have a maximum of two pods per field and have at least two practices per week, with staggered start and end times to minimize traffic at the park.  We are currently making arrangements to have necessary sanitizing products and thermometers available in order to comply with the requirements.

Please consider volunteering this year, even if you have never been a coach before.  We need volunteers who are committed to following all the requirements, so that we can provide an opportunity for our kids to get sunshine, exercise, and some baseball and softball skills practice.   We are working on a practice guide so that even novice volunteers can step-in and lead a pod with activities that are appropriate for small groups and are consistent with our public health orders. 
 

We ask for your patience and cooperation as we navigate these requirements.  One important change that we had to make is related to league finances.  Since we started practices before the 2020 season was halted by the public health orders, the league already paid for accident insurance for all players and volunteers, background checks, and utility bills, among other recurring expenses.  Due to these challenges and because we cannot control what outside factors may impact our program this year, no refunds will be issued of 2021 fees, for any reason.  We apologize for having to take this position for the preservation of our non-profit league, and we are so grateful for those who have continued to support our league during these difficult times.  Please know that the board is committed to navigating the regulations and providing the best possible experience for your kids.

Please feel free to reach out with your questions.  We want all families to feel comfortable that we will be providing a safe and fun experience, while staying in compliance with all applicable regulations.

We hope to see you soon.

2020-2021 Board of Directors

Mile High Little League