Dear Members of the High Park Little League Community:
We regret to inform you that High Park Little League (HPLL) has made the difficult but unavoidable decision to cancel our regular 2020 season due to COVID-19.
Since 1957, HPLL has provided a baseball program to children in West Toronto and the surrounding areas. The HPLL season has long been a cherished part of the summer for thousands of children, their families, and league volunteers. However, for the first time in our organization’s history, circumstances beyond our control have made it impossible for us to offer this program.
Since the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, HPLL has closely monitored the situation as we received updates from public health authorities and Little League International. While it became apparent early on that the pandemic would likely impact us, we remained hopeful that we could deliver a baseball season that approximated our traditional one in terms of the duration and number of games played. However, it’s now clear this will no longer be possible.
Very shortly, we will begin the process of providing refunds to everyone who has paid their registration fee. We ask for your patience regarding the refund process. HPLL is a volunteer-run organization and has one of the largest enrollments of any Little League in the country, so this will take some time.
Although we have cancelled our 2020 season, HPLL will continue to monitor COVID-19 developments in this area. If it becomes possible for us to offer a modified and shortened program at some point later in the summer, we will do so as soon as we can. We will provide more information to you about that option if and when it becomes available.
This hurts, and we know it. The HPLL Board members feel the loss of this season deeply, like you do, and words will not make the disappointment we are all experiencing go away. However, rest assured baseball will return eventually, whether later this year or next season.
Finally, we would like to address our graduating 12-year-old players. We know that the cancellation of this season affects you the most. Many of you have been with HPLL since you were 5 years old, made lots of friends through our program and enjoyed countless freezies from the clubhouse refrigerator. You’ve worked together to achieve exciting victories for your teams and dreamed of even bigger victories to come. To you we say that Little League is not the end of your time in baseball; it is only the beginning. Some of you will go on to play baseball at higher levels, others may coach or umpire, but all of you will have the opportunity to remain fans of this great game. We at HPLL hope that your time with us has brought you fond memories and has instilled a love of baseball that will continue for the rest of your life.
We thank you all for your patience and support during this difficult time. We expect that you may have questions about the cancellation of the 2020 season, and so we have prepared an online FAQ document to provide more information. If you have any other questions, please send them to [email protected].
Stay well,
Ken Sherbanowski
President, HPLL
