OBSA PONY Baseball
PONY Division
Boy and Girls 13-14 years old
Pony League Goal
Pony is OBSA's program for 13 and 14 year old boys and girls, most of whom have played organized baseball. The primary goal of the Pony League program is to provide a positive, introductory-level baseball experience for 13 and 14 year old boys and girls. While we want players and teams to practice, prepare and strive to win, the focus of the Pinto League is on player skill development, teamwork, sportsmanship, fun, and an a greater understanding of the game.
Managers and Coaches
Each Pony team has a manager (or head coach) and one assistant coach who assist the manager in all aspects of organizing and running a team. Interested parents who wish to volunteer for a manager or assistant coach position are encouraged to do so. You can volunteer to manager or coach on-line at http://www.oswegobsa.org/
Interested parents not able to make the commitment are encouraged to volunteer and help out in some way. Most coaching staffs consist of two parents of 13 and 14 year old boys and girls.
Managers and coaches play a very important role and are expected to carry out the goals of the program and to create a positive team environment by:
1. Organizing constructive practices and teaching players how to play the game so they can improve their skills through drills;
2. Preparing the team for each game emphasizing trying hard and playing their best in hopes of winning and providing a fun experience to all involved;
3. Teaching the rules and showing respect for rules and the game;
4. Promoting sportsmanship and teamwork with respect for umpires and other players.
The Pony League provides direction and instruction to Pony Managers and Coaches including a pre-season meeting, a coaching clinic, preseason practices, practice plans, game strategy and more.
How Players are Assigned to Teams
After registration begins December 2, 2009 and ends January 29, 2010, 13 and 14 year old boys and girls will be required to attend player evaluations on February 28, 2010, from 2:30 to 5:30 pm at the OHS Field House. The evaluations consist of a brief, individual set of throwing, catching, hitting and running drills with all the coaches in attendance. All players will be drafted by the coaches the following week and will then be notified by their coaches as to what team they will be playing on. The draft is an attempt to balance out the talent of the players on each of the teams. NOTE: OBSA does not honor car pooling requests. Parents are encouraged to make car pooling arrangements with teammates once the rosters are distributed.
Teams, Practices, Picture Day, and Games
The Pinto League typically has 10 - 14 teams. Each team is usually composed of 11-13 players. Teams have pre-season practices (1 to 2 per week for two weeks) and two (2) pre-season Instructional Games and fourteen (14) regular season games - most games are at OHS #3 (Oswego High School), Old Traughber Junior High, or Bednarcik Junior High #1. Typically, Pony League players play 1 game during the week and 1 game during the weekend. Four to six practices are scheduled during the season based on field availability and the number of makeup games needed. Weekday games Monday through Friday begin at 5:30 pm and games on Saturday or Sunday begin at 9:00 am and run throughout the day. Please note that games may be schedule at 7:50 pm during the week and weekends on OHS #3. OHS #3 has lights. The kids play on a 80' diamond with a 54" raised mound pitching distance.
The Picture Day will be held at Old Post Elementary on May 8th, 2010 starting at 8:00 am. This event, one of the season's highlights, kicks off the regular season.
The regular season concludes at the end of June. Playoffs begin immediately after the regular season with a single elimination tournament, based on the regular season standings. An In-House All-Star Tournament is conducted at the conclusion of the regular season tournament.
Some Noteworthy Pony Rules
The OBSA has a Code of Conduct for coaches, fans, umpires, and players. The conduct of coaches, players, fans, and umpires is expected to be exemplary, with only positive cheering and comments allowed. Managers and coaches should not make calls for the umpires and managers may only dispute rules (not judgment calls) after calling timeout and discussing with the umpire and the other team's manager. Managers are responsible for communicating our Code of Conduct to players and fans. Pony Division pitchers may pitch a maximum of 4 innings per game, with a maximum total of 10 innings per week. A pitcher must rest a minimum of 40 hours after pitching 4 consecutive innings in a game. Click here to view full rules.
