Atherton Little League asks committee for park Wi‑Fi and space for batting cage ahead of July tournament

My name is Ryan Braniff. I'm a Little League volunteer board member, and the minors division plays at Holbrook Palmer Park, the league told the Atherton Parks and Recreation Committee on May 7.

Braniff, who said Middle Atherton Little League is an affiliate of Little League International and serves players roughly ages 4–12, updated the committee on league operations and asked the town to consider two facility changes: park internet access to enable livestreaming and a permanent batting cage near Holbrook Palmer Park's left‑field line.

The league enrolls about 200–300 players annually and operates as a parent‑run nonprofit funded by registration, sponsorships and donations. Braniff said the league signed a lease that gives it exclusive use of the baseball field from February through June and that the town recently extended that lease for an additional five years.

Braniff said the league will co‑host the District 52 Minors postseason tournament — with teams from Redwood City, Palo Alto and other district towns — at Holbrook Palmer Park from July 13 through July 18. "We're co‑hosting the District 52 Super Bowl Minors Tournament," he said.

On streaming, Braniff asked the committee to investigate providing internet at Holbrook Palmer so families and grandparents can watch games remotely. "We would love to have some sort of internet access at the parks so we could stream for all the families who get so much out of watching their grandparent or their grandkids play," he said. A resident who identified herself as a grandparent echoed the benefit, saying streaming allowed relatives to follow a child's at‑bat when they could not attend in person.

On a separate request, Braniff described a community proposal — not a formal application to the committee — for a permanent batting cage at Holbrook Palmer near the railroad tracks behind the left‑field line. He said a parent who owns an Atherton homebuilding business has offered to donate a full site design at no cost; Braniff called the idea exploratory and said no capital ask has been made of the town yet.

Committee members advised Braniff to start with staff on the Starlink/Wi‑Fi idea and to return with a formal proposal for any fixed batting cage. Staff said they would pass the league’s request along and that if the league brings a concrete proposal it would be routed through staff and then to the committee for review.

Braniff emphasized the league’s gratitude for Holbrook Palmer: "That division plays at Holbrook Palmer Park ... it's just a really special place," he said. He also said the league provides scholarships to ensure participation regardless of ability to pay.

The presentation concluded with committee members inviting the league to return with any formal proposals about internet service or a batting cage so staff could assess site, safety and permitting issues.