Public schools including Mill Valley Middle, Hall Middle in Larkspur and Del Mar Middle in Tiburon have the opportunity to participate in a new countywide athletic league run by the Marin County Office of Education.

The Marin Middle School Athletic League, or MMAL, replaces what MCOE described as a patchwork system in which individual sports were managed by different organizers and varied from school to school. About 5,000 student-athletes are expected to participate this year, according to an MCOE announcement published Wednesday, Oct. 7.

Competition began the week of Sept. 14.

The league covers 17 public middle schools and several private schools countywide, according to MCOE’s athletics page.

The MMAL offers six sports spread across three seasons. Fall sports are cross country, girls volleyball and boys flag football. Winter brings girls and boys basketball. Spring includes boys volleyball, girls flag football, boys and girls soccer, and track and field.

Marin County Superintendent of Schools John A. Carroll said the league expands opportunities for students and provides more consistent support for athletic directors and coaches. The launch followed more than a year and a half of planning.

Michele Brovelli Smith serves as the league's commissioner. Each school still manages its own registration and athletic program. Families should contact their school's athletic director for sign-up dates, tryout information, available sports and eligibility details.

MCOE has launched a dedicated MMAL website with schedules, a parent handbook and resources for coaches and athletic directors, according to the announcement.