The ballfields in use by Everett Little League at Madison Elementary seen on Jan. 18. Until fall 2026, the ballfields will remain while the league searches for a new location.
Photo by Jeff Sass
EVERETT —Everett Little Leaguers will be losing two of their main game fields at Madison Elementary after fall 2026 when a replacement school begins construction, putting the Little League organization on the hunt.
The replacement school needs to be constructed on the current site of the baseball fields, as the school district does not have an alternative place for Madison’s students while building its replacement. The project would be starting in spring 2027.
“It’s actually going to have a really big impact for us,” Shannon McDonald, Communications Director and Uniform Manager for EvLL, said. McDonald has been a member since 2021 and has three children who play in the league.
McDonald said losing the two fields at Madison will affect multiple divisions in the league, including Majors, AAA, Farm, Rookies, Tee Ball, and Softball. “Madison is also the field where we do our Annual Minor’s Classic, which is a game generally held in late April, comprised of all of our AAA teams. Three players from each team are selected by their peers to represent their team and play.”
The school district says it is ready to help the League how it can.
“In early 2024, our Capital Projects team met with representatives from Everett Little League to discuss the plans and timeline for constructing the new school,” district spokesperson Harmony Weinberg said. “Everett Public Schools wanted to ensure the league had ample time, approximately three years from the original meeting, to plan for and find an alternate location. Our Community Services Department is ready to assist Everett Little League to identify alternative fields available within the school district.”
There is more at stake for EvLL than just losing access to game fields at Madison. The league’s clubhouse, which is owned by the Everett Central Lions Club, is located there and a vital part of operating as a Little League organization. It’s where they hold their league meetings and has the batting cage and one of the snack shacks, McDonald said.
One fear the league has if a replacement field is not found is that it could have an effect on the total number of players the league will be allowed each season. With current numbers sitting at around 500 players, seeing close to 10% growth each year, the league foresees the total increasing to 600 by the time access to the fields are lost. Without any alternative places for hosting games, the league may be forced to implement a limit on player capacity.
Not having enough fields could also lead to parents signing up their children for other activities instead of Little League, as one the other major fields for games is situated in Garfield Park in North Everett.
“Having all of those south end families have to come up to Garfield and rush hour traffic is not ideal. It can be real tough for them to get up to Garfield for a five o’clock game on a weekday with the way traffic is going northbound,” McDonald said.
In the search for a new home for their games, EvLL decided to form a volunteer committee to handle the issue. “We have a handful, maybe about five or six (people). Our Umpire in Chief, Jesse Jarrell, is leading that committee. We are exploring all of our options. We don’t have one set plan as of right now… would like to be able to partner with other organizations within the city,” McDonald said. One of these potential options is to construct a new field instead of locating a preexisting one.
Currently, the committee is seeking additional members from the community interested in volunteering to aid with the task. There are some restrictions in finding a new location as the field needs to fall under the boundaries of the league, which runs from the northern tip of Everett to around 132nd Street.
“We are hopeful that by working with the community partners, we can find a new home and continue to serve all of the youth in our community. And we don’t want to have to turn anybody away. Our biggest goal and mission is to be welcoming to youth of all demographics to come play a sport,” McDonald said.
To join the volunteer committee or share ideas for a new field, please contact communications@everettlittleleague.org or umpireinchief@everettlittleleague.org.
