ELIGIBILITY | For a ballplayer to be eligible for the 12U Red Storm team in 2023, the player must be age 12 or younger as of January 1, 2023. This team will be structured as a true 12U full-time travel team and consider players of any birthdate of ages 2010 or later.

 

TEAM FOCUS | The 12U Oaklandon Red Storm squad is focused on bringing consistent coaching, a competitive experience, more focused development and higher-level of play to a team of travel ballplayers. Following an exciting fall season, where the team played in five tournaments, earned a 22-8 record and competed in four championship games, the squad is looking forward to an exciting and challenging spring and summer season of softball. Designated a B-level team, the 12U Red Storm squad will provide a faster pace of development than a rec league experience but do so in a balanced environment where team members also can pursue other sports and interests, especially in the offseason. A preliminary schedule for the season includes:

• July | Team Formed
• August-October | Weekly practice(s), four Fall tournaments through mid-October
• November-December | No Activity, individual lessons encouraged
• January-March | Weekly indoor workout + weekly conditioning session (possibly 1-2 indoor tournaments in February/March)
• March-May | Outdoor practices, more alliance games than tournaments
• May-July | Practices and more tournaments than alliance games
• Mid-July | Season concludes

 

PLAYER DEVELOPMENT EMPHASIS | The offseason workouts and early season practices will be very fundamentals-driven. We will be adopting and teaching singular approaches to key skills, such as hitting, fielding, throwing, baserunning and more. We will offer more flexibility with pitching to accommodate those who are working with pitching coaches to not impact that development or investment.

During the Red Storm practices, we will ask all players to learn and become acclimated at multiple positions to build a strong depth chart. As we enter the tournament season, a more structured line-up will be used and tweaked only as needed. Player rotations will occur but on a more limited scale and a ballplayer may not play a defensive position during a game.

 

FAMILY/PARENT INVOLVEMENT IS KEY | Once the team is selected, all families are expected to be actively involved with creating and contributing to a memorable and productive team experience. There are many capacities where parents will be asked to participate and help fill key roles, including:

• Game/Tournament Scheduling
• Grounds Maintenance (specific to our field)
• Scorekeeping
• Team Parent/Uniforms
• Fundraising/Financials
• Marketing/Social Media
• Sponsorships
• Social activities/Trip Logistics

 

TEAM FEES | A very preliminary estimate for the player fee for the team is projected to be $1,450 (before any deductions for recruited sponsorships and other fundraising activities). This number likely will change as more concrete expense projections. Families will need to make a $250 non-refundable payment within 48 hours of accepting the offer to join the 2023 Full-Time Red Storm team to secure their roster spot. Then four additional payments would need to be made in the amount of $300 by October 15, January 15, March 15 and May 15. Again, all amounts are subject to change, especially with the successful generation of supporting funds and more accurate pricing for major expenses. The fee will cover all expenses related to:

• Workout facility
• Conditioning program
• Tournaments
• Uniforms
• Bat bags/helmets
• Umpire fees
• Equipment/training aids
• Softballs
• Team banner
• Social activities
• Miscellaneous expenses

 

ABOUT HEAD COACH | Michael DeSanto has been a mainstay on the travel circuit for baseball and softball for more than 15 years. Also a member of the OYO Board of Directors, he volunteers his time to help support all facets of the league's recreational and travel programs. Michael has been coaching baseball and softball teams since 2001. As the team's head coach, Michael's primary focus will involve player development, practice plans, game day lineups, ongoing communication with all families and providing a safe and fun environment for our softball players.

 

CONTACT INFORMATION | Michael DeSanto, the 12U FTT Red Storm head coach, can be contacted at mdesanto317@gmail.com or 317.345.9006 (mobile).