Posts by Michael DeSanto

Happy New Year! We hope you had a wonderful holiday season capped off with a pleasant New Year’s celebration with family and friends. Now that 2026 has finally arrived, OYO is ready to kick off our programs for the year, too! And this starts with the Winter Workouts you registered your ballplayer for this winter — our first-ever workouts at the newly-renovated Bullpen at Lee Road Park.

To get you ready for the workouts at The Bullpen, which begin on Saturday, January 10, 2026, here are some FAQs. Of course, if you have any additional questions or need something more, less or different before the workouts begin, then just let us know.

What time is your ballplayer’s weekly workout session?
Below is the summary of workout times for each baseball and softball age group.

BASEBALL

SOFTBALL

Where is The Bullpen located?
After several years of facilitating workouts outside the Lawrence area, we’re bringing them back home. The Bullpen is situated within Lee Road Park at 6200 Lee Road, Indianapolis. Upon arrival, here are some notes:

• After entering Lee Road Park, drive until you see a gravel road on the right
• Drive slowly on the two-lane gravel road (recommend 10 mph speed limit)
• Park near the entrance on the west end of the facility (and do not park where you may block cars entering/leaving the area on the two-lane drive)

How should players dress for the workouts?
Players should wear clothes they would normally wear to a team practice. The facility is climate-controlled and should be reasonably comfortable, but we recommend players come prepared with a sweatshirt as needed.

What equipment does my ballplayer need and what should they wear?
We are asking every player to have their own helmet, bat and glove. In addition, your ballplayers should wear indoor practice attire, including tennis shoes or turf shoes. No cleats and/or spikes are permitted.

What’s not permitted at The Bullpen?
To help preserve the facility for all participants and age groups, we kindly ask each player and family to adhere to some basic guidelines including:

• No rubber cleats or metal spikes! (Players who wear cleats or spikes will not be permitted to participate until a pair of tennis shoes/turf shoes are available)
• No sunflower seeds
• No gum chewing
• Only clear drinks (e.g. water) in the workout area
• No throwing balls against the wall
• No aggressive use of ball carts or ball buckets
• Wear helmets at all times in the cages

Who are the facilitators in 2026?
All our sessions will be hosted by veteran OYO coaches. All sessions will be customized for each age group, and individual volunteer instructors will help players execute the drills being taught at the workouts. The facilitators per age group are outlined below:

• BASEBALL
  • JRO-RB (Saturday) | Andre Beever, Rodney Younger
  • JRO-RB (Sunday) | Heath Groves, Drew McCall, Rick Walther
  • MB | Michael Houde
  • SM-JBB | Heath Groves, James Oliver
• SOFTBALL
  • 08U | Jenny Keve, Michael Keve
  • 10U | Mark Wolfred, others tba
  • 12U-14U/16U | James Enochs, Endiyah Gonzalez

Can more ballplayers register for this year’s Winter Workouts?
Yes. While we have formed wait lists for the Minor Baseball and Super Major/Junior Baseball sessions, all softball age groups and the Junior Rookie/Rookie session on Sunday evenings still has limited openings. New ballplayers can register directly online.

Got Questions?
If you have any questions or need additional feedback or insight, then please email us and we’ll be sure to provide the information or support you and your ballplayer need!

Thank You!
As always, thank you for choosing OYO as your place for baseball and softball. We particularly appreciate your participation in our Winter Workout program!

On this Giving Tuesday, communities everywhere are invited to support organizations that matter to them. OYO has always been shaped by one guiding belief:

We exist so every child can grow – on and off the ballfield, in skill, in confidence and in character.

This year, we have the opportunity to strengthen that mission in a powerful new way with the addition of the OYO Bullpen, our indoor training facility designed to give athletes year-round access to meaningful development.

For the first time, OYO players will have a consistent space to train during the winter and off-season – a space where they can get intentional reps, build confidence and continue improving no matter the weather. This is a significant milestone not only for our league, but for every young athlete who will benefit from it.

The training area inside the Bullpen includes roughly 2,400 square feet of turf. Today, for Giving Tuesday, we invite you to symbolically sponsor a square foot of that turf for $5.

Your gift goes far beyond helping offset the $16,000+ expense associated with purchasing and installing the new turf. More importantly, your financial support will fuel the training, coaching and year-round development that will happen on that turf for every OYO athlete in 2026 and beyond.

If OYO has played a meaningful role in your family’s life, we invite you to be part of this next step.

Sponsor a square foot today!

Thank you for supporting OYO and helping us build year-round development opportunities for our players.

With much appreciation and gratitude,
The OYO Board of Directors

We’re making great progress in transforming the indoor facility at Lee Road Park into OYO’s new home for player development and training for all our rec league participants, All-Star players and Full-Time Travel team members. We appreciate the continued interest and support in this effort and our partnership with the City of Lawrence to make this new chapter possible.

To help mark this milestone, we are proudly rolling out the new name for this facility — The OYO Bullpen! The logo above will be used in all promotions for this new training location for all our ballplayers and teams. More exciting news to come, but we hope you’re eager to check out The OYO Bullpen soon!

If you have a baseball player who is interested in being a member of our 07U Bombers or 10U Bombers teams (based on age as of April 30, 2026) or a softball player interested in our 12U All-Star Red Storm team (based on age as of September 1, 2025), then now’s the time to learn more about OYO’s All-Star program. Final tryouts for each team are set for Saturday, November 15!

BOMBERS TRYOUT DETAILS | RED STORM TRYOUT DETAILS

The OYO Spirit Store is open once again and is accepting orders through Sunday, November 23 at 11:59 p.m. All orders will be shipped to your home in time for the holidays! Don’t miss this chance to outfit (or gift) your ballplayer and/or fan with OYO, Bombers or Red Storm apparel!

PLACE YOUR ORDER FOR OYO, BOMBERS AND RED STORM SPIRIT WEAR SOON!

Courtesy of The City of Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department, Veterans Memorial Park has been experiencing a valuable makeover for all our families and fans. In October, the city has paved and repaved a vast majority of our walkways, which includes our first-ever paved path back to Fields 10-12. OYO truly appreciates our tremendous partnership with the City of Lawrence and the continued support and generosity they offer to the Oaklandon Youth Organization!

REGISTER TODAY!

With the spring and summer seasons behind us and Fall Ball wrapping up, is your ballplayer already expressing the fear of missing out on his or her favorite sport? At OYO, we certainly are! So, don’t let the offseason keep your ballplayer from doing what he or she enjoys most…playing baseball or softball! OYO has just the right solution — and in a brand new location that is closer to home than ever before, too!

ABOUT THE PROGRAM | Every winter, we welcome all baseball and softball players to come join us indoors to knock off that winter rust with our Winter Workouts program!

DAY | All sessions will be held on Saturdays

DATES | Saturday, January 10 thru Saturday, March 14 (regular season practices will begin March 16)

SESSIONS | 10 weekly sessions running 90 minutes each (for players ages 9 and older) and and 10 weekly sessions for running 60 minutes each (for players age 8 and younger) The scheduled times are as follows:

• 9:30-11:00 a.m. | 12U Softball + 14U/16U Softball
• 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Super Major + Junior Baseball (only 3 openings left)
• 12:30-1:30 p.m. |  Junior Rookie + Rookie (currently sold out)
• 1:30-2:30 p.m. | 08U Softball
• 2:30-4:00 p.m. | 10U Softball
• 4:00-5:30 p.m. | Minor (currently sold out)

FEE | $100 per ballplayer

PARTICIPANTS | Winter Workouts are open to past OYO players, prospective OYO players and ballplayers in the community just looking for a chance to get some off-season practice in before the spring season starts. It is not a requirement for participants to play in OYO’s 2026 Spring Season — any interested ballplayer may participate.

LOCATION | The Bullpen at Lee Road Park, 6200 Lee Road, Indianapolis, 46236

FACILITATION | Each workout session plan will be developed and executed by veteran OYO rec league coaches and leaders. The workouts for all baseball and softball age groups will focus on hitting and fielding and, where applicable, pitching and catching.

MAXIMUM CAPACITY | Although the workouts don’t start until early January, the number of roster openings in each division is limited to only the first 20 players who register. Once we reach capacity, we will add all interested players to a wait list. Don’t delay, register today!

REGISTER | Visit LeagueApps today to register your ballplayer for the Winter Workouts!

Thank you for choosing OYO as your place for baseball and softball! We look forward to welcoming you to our new and improved Winter Workouts this winter!

Oaklandon Youth Organization (OYO) has partnered with the City of Lawrence Parks Department to bring athletes a new indoor training home at Lee Road Park.

Renovations this fall will add batting cages, improve bullpens and maximize training space in ways that will transform the building into a year-round home for OYO baseball and softball. Winter workouts will be the very first program hosted there, starting in January 2026.

Why It Matters

• Year-Round Opportunities | Athletes can keep training when outdoor fields close
• Player Growth | A space built for skill development at every level
• Community Investment | A partnership that keeps Lawrence families playing close to home
• Pathway for All | Supports OYO Rec League, All-Star and Full-Time Travel programs

Renovation Timeline

• October-December 2025 | Renovations in progress
• Early January 2026 | Celebration event early January
• January 10, 2026 | Facility opens with Winter Workouts

Facility FAQs

Where is the new facility located?
The facility is located in Lee Road Park, 6200 Lee Road, Indianapolis, 46236.

What improvements and renovations are being made?
While there are a series of short-term and long-term improvements and enhancements planned to renovate the facility, below are the improvements being completed in the next 90 days:

• Exterior
  • Gravel pathway to facility
  • Parking lot closer to facility
  • Lighting for increased safety and security
• Interior
  • HVAC units
  • Wallboard replacement and painting
  • Improved lighting for player safety
  • Additional batting cages
  • Improved pitching areas
  • Strength and conditioning resources

When will it be ready?
The indoor facility renovations will be completed by early January.

Who will use the facility?
The facility will be used by all interested players who are currently affiliated with – or interested in becoming a part of – the OYO family. This facility will welcome participants in every level of baseball and softball programming we offer, including the OYO Rec League, All-Star program and Full-Time Travel.

How can you or your business support the renovations associated with the new indoor facility?
We welcome service, labor and financial donations that can help provide the following resources and developments:

• Asphalt paving
• Gravel
• Door and lock services, including garage doors
• Wallboard installation
• Insulation replacement
• Painting services
• Electrician services
• Interior and exterior lighting
• Minor interior construction support
• Baseball and Softball equipment needs (e.g. L-screens, batting cage nets, ball buckets and carriers, baseballs and softballs)

If you are interested in donating services, please send a message to the league. If you are interested in making financial donations on behalf of the facility, contact the OYO Sponsorship Committee.

How will this benefit players long-term?
The Lee Road indoor practice facility will serve as the new home for year-round baseball and softball training and player development for all interested youth baseball and softball players in Lawrence and the surrounding communities. Be a part of this exciting new chapter! Here are three upcoming action items for you and your ballplayer(s)!

• Register now for Winter Workouts (opens October 3)
• Learn about sponsorship opportunities 
• Sign up for the Spring Baseball & Softball Season (2026 registration opens in December)

Congratulations to all 2026 OYO Board Members! On Tuesday, September 9, 2025, the current OYO Board elected a new slate of board members to help continue serve the OYO families in 2026 and beyond. This unprecedented group of 65+ board volunteers will work tirelessly to uphold The OYO Way and continue to grow our program to serve more than 2000 ballplayers from 1500 families each year. These board members will assume their official roles on November 1, 2025.

At this time, we still have three chairperson vacancies on the 2026 OYO Board of Directors as well as the President-Elect position. Read this article to learn more about the remaining opportunities to join the board and how to submit your nomination today!

Don’t forget to thank an OYO Board Member today for their tireless and selfless efforts on behalf of all our OYO ballplayers and families.