Posts by Michael DeSanto

• 0 Openings Available | 39 Teams
• 1 Opening Available | 30 Teams
• 2 Openings Available | 3 Teams

• 08U Softball | 3 | Blue Devils, Purple Aces, Yellow Jackets
• 10U Softball | 6 | Blue Devils, Bruins, Bulldogs, Hurricanes (2), Irish
• 12U Softball | 6 | Bruins (2), Bulldogs (2), Ducks, Irish
• Challenger | 1 | Cubs
• Tee Ball | 9 | Blue Jays, Diamondbacks, Giants, Pirates, Rays, Red Sox, Royals, White Sox, Yankees
• Junior Rookie | 1 | Mariners
• Rookie | 4 | Indians, Royals, Tigers, White Sox
• Minor | 0 | SOLD OUT!
• Super Major | 6 | Angels, Indians, Mariners, Marlins, Padres, Yankees

All but one of our 10 rec travel teams now have a coach and are making plans for their rec travel season. We hope your ballplayer will join us for this competitive all-star season in 2023!

We offer two rec travel programs — Bombers for baseball, Red Storm for softball — which offer a more competitive experience for interested ballplayers seeking additional game opportunities on Sundays and after the rec league season ends.

These teams are formed in late March and early April based on player participation at tryouts hosted at OYO. So, discover the coach for your child’s age group — and ages are based on the player’s age as of January 1, 2023 (for softball) and April 30, 2023 (for baseball). Bomber Up! Go Storm!

As the spring season is about to begin, so is our rec travel/all-star program.  As parents of a ballplayer between the ages of 6-12 and in either baseball or softball, who might be seeking even a more competitive experience throughout the season, then the rec travel/all-star program is right for you.

ABOUT REC TRAVEL PROGRAM

At OYO, we offer a wide range of programs to help players of all levels of skill, interest and passion experience more baseball and softball.  As a registered family, you’re already intended to participate in our primary and most popular program — Spring Ball recreational league.  However, we also offer a rec all-star/travel program for all our rec league baseball and softball players who are seeking even more baseball and softball development and competitive game opportunities against teams from across Central Indiana. From experience, we know when families hear “rec travel” the misconceptions quickly follow. We’d like to set the record straight on our travel program before you and your ballplayer miss out on a tremendous opportunity this spring and summer.

BACKGROUND

Our baseball travel program is named the Oaklandon Bombers. Our softball travel program is named the Oaklandon Red Storm. And we offer two different levels — full-time travel (FTT) and recreational travel (RT). The full-time travel teams were selected last August and are all set for the 2021 season.

Our RT squads are the same as “all-star” teams selected in other leagues. The minor difference is these teams are formed during the practice season. Then, they practice or play games on Sundays during the recreational league season before coming together to play in local tournaments against similar clubs from other regional youth baseball and softball programs in June and July. A typical RT Bombers/Red Storm regular season runs from April through July in which the team will participate in 4 to 5 tournaments (again, all in Central Indiana).

Only those players who play in our recreational program can tryout for and be selected to play for the RT Bombers or Red Storm. These teams do require families to pay an additional fee to participate, and those fees vary from team to team.

TRAVEL TRYOUT PROCESS

Here is how OYO will manage the rec travel tryouts for age groups we’re able to support this season (based on eligible coaching volunteers):

• Only players who were registered at OYO, are eligible to tryout for a Bombers or Red Storm rec travel team.
• Players must attend a tryout to be eligible for a team. If a player cannot attend the scheduled date(s) and time(s), then they may request an alternate tryout date within two weeks of the posted tryouts for the respective age group.
• OYO will seek to accommodate multiple teams in any age group where the interest from players is supported by qualified and eligible coaching candidates.
• No fees are required to participate in any tryout session.

RED STORM TRYOUT OVERVIEW | SOFTBALL

To be eligible for an age group in Red Storm, the player must not be older than the team’s age as of January 1, 2023. Attendance is mandatory, unless other arrangements have been made with the team’s coach prior to the tryout to schedule an alternate time. There is no fee to participate in tryouts.

Players should arrive 15 minutes prior to the scheduled tryout time and should not wear any hats or uniform apparel affiliating them with any past travel team involvement (at OYO or elsewhere). However, a team-branded batting helmet is acceptable.

A full list of Red Storm rec travel coaches and tryout schedules appears below.

BOMBERS TRYOUT OVERVIEW | BASEBALL

To be eligible for an age group in Bombers, the player must not be older than the team’s age as of April 30, 2023. Attendance is mandatory, unless other arrangements have been made with the team’s coach prior to the tryout to schedule an alternate time. There is no fee to participate in tryouts.

Players should arrive 15 minutes prior to the scheduled tryout time and should not wear any hats or uniform apparel affiliating them with any past travel team involvement (at OYO or elsewhere). However, a team-branded batting helmet is acceptable.

A full list of Bombers rec travel coaches and tryout schedules appears below.

If you missed the popular OYO Shopping Day at Dick’s Sporting Goods in early March, no worries! We’ve partnered with Dick’s Sporting Goods to identify even more savings for you and your ballplayer.

Download this coupon sheet to take advantage of great discounts on footwear, apparel and equipment. These coupons are good for the remainder of the 2023 calendar year. And, if you are in need of what equipment your ballplayer needs, check out our helpful guide online.

Go shopping today for your needs, and take the field tomorrow ready to play! As always, thank you for choosing OYO as your place for baseball and softball — and thank you for supporting Dick’s Sporting Goods, too!

During the past several weeks, all of us at OYO have been humbled by the amazing and generous support of the local business community. Dozens of businesses and organizations have graciously stepped forward to make a difference. We truly value the investment businesses are making in OYO so, in turn, we can, invest in our ballplayers and fields, too. However, there’s still a lot more work to be done to ensure every team has a team sponsor ($525 per team for spring and fall) and every park amenity available has a sponsor (ranging $1250-$1950 per package).

TEAM SPONSORSHIPS
We have team sponsorships available in 2023, including:

• Double Play | Spring and Fall Seasons | $525
• Teamwork | Fall Ball Team only | $200
• Spring Season Teams Needing Sponsors (as of 7 a.m. on March 24)
  • Junior Baseball | Up to 2 more sponsors
  • 14U/16U Softball | Up to 2 more sponsors

FIELD AND AMENITIES PACKAGE SPONSORSHIPS
What’s more, when a business sponsors a field, a walkway, the bullpens or the batting cages, they are providing critical funds to help maintain and upgrade the park, improve our program and ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all our ballplayers and families. In exchange for their support, the supporting company will receive an exclusive sponsorship of one of these fields or park amenities at Veterans Memorial Park all year long. We have the following 10 opportunities for naming privileges on the following fields or amenties for one year:

• MVP | Field 3 | $1500
• MVP | Field 4 | $1500
• MVP | Field 5 | $1500
• MVP | Field 7 | $1500
• MVP | Field 8 | $1500
• MVP | Field 10 | $1500
• MVP | Field 11 | $1500
• On Deck | Batting Cages (all three cages) | $1950
• Clubhouse | Walkway Street Signs (one path left) | $1250
• Bullpen | Bullpen Signage | $1250

Can we count on your company’s support in 2023? Or can you make a referral to a company that can support OYO in 2023? Help us continue as one of the largest and most impactful non-profit organizations dedicated to local youth baseball and softball in Central Indiana. Learn more about the OYO Sponsorship program online. And, if you have any questions or need more information, please email the OYO Sponsorship Committee.

Thank you for your interest, consideration and referrals! We look forward to an amazing season!

OYO Board Members recently conducted an important meeting for both new (and returning) OYO Families. This meeting provided an introduction to OYO’s operations and helped set expectations for the upcoming Spring Season. Our families discovered The OYO Way and how it will be carried out throughout the season to maximize the experience our ballplayers and families will enjoy as part of the OYO Family.

We look forward to an exciting 49th Season of baseball and softball at Veterans Memorial Park, the home of OYO. The attached presentation provides all the details necessary to make plans for all the excitement the season will bring.

If you missed the meeting or simply want to access the presentation to capture key dates, learn more about key policies or simply have a handy reference on hand for the 2023 Spring Season, then download the 2023 New Family Orientation presentation. If you have any questions about the upcoming season, please contact an OYO Board Member today.

Also, you can access our 2023 season summary overview here.

As always, thank you for choosing OYO as your place for baseball and softball this spring!

Come take the field at OYO this spring — and encourage your friends to do the same! We have room for more ballplayers! So, be sure you are registered and then tell your friends there’s still space for them for the 2023 Spring Season.

All future registrations will be handled on a first come, first serve basis. Once we reach maximum capacity, LeagueApps will automate a waiting list process (where players can register and be added to the wait list at no charge). That said, based on experience, we know we will receive a flurry of registrations as we approach the practice season. Don’t delay or you may find your ballplayer left off the ballfield this spring.

REGISTER TODAY! RECRUIT YOUR FRIENDS TODAY, TOO!
Let your friends, classmates, neighbors, and relatives know they can still join us for our spring season. Review our online overview for the 2023 Spring Season! Once gone, there will be no additional openings available, just wait lists unfortunately. Act now!

As registrations continue to flow in daily, we now one opening per team on most teams in each of our divisions. With registrations outpacing last year’s trends by 15%, we are quickly approaching maximum capacity and the openings remaining are all we have left to offer to interested families. So, act now!

Don’t Delay! Register Today!

OYO Board Members recently conducted our exclusive Coaches’ Meeting and Orientation for our softball and baseball coaches. This meeting helps ensure all our coach volunteers are aligned in how they will leverage our organization’s resources and collaborate frequently to maximize the development of all our ballplayers across the league. What’s more, they are prepared to demonstrate great teamwork in providing our young softball and baseball players a memorable on-field experience this spring.

We hope the information attached provides our coaches with the details needed to execute a quality experience for all our ballplayers and their families. If you have any questions about the upcoming season, please contact an OYO Board Member.

As always, thank you for choosing OYO as your place for baseball and softball this spring. And, we truly appreciate you sharing your talents and volunteering to be a coach this season. Play Ball!

Link to Coaches Meeting Orientation:

• Meeting Presentation
• Meeting Takeaways Summary
• Must-See Video for Proper Field Maintenance Techniques

Links to Helpful Baseball Coaching Resources:

• Rules
• Player Development Progression Framework | Baseball

Links to Helpful Softball Coaching Resources:

• Rules
• Player Development Progression Framework | Softball

Make a difference in your overall experience this spring by lending a helping hand to prepare the park for a season of ballgames and visitors.
As we prepare to open our 49th season of baseball and softball at Veterans Memorial Park, we are encouraging all our families to come open the park to ensure a memorable experience for all our fans and families. As an all-volunteer organization, OYO relies on and needs the support of all our families to help ensure our park is ready during our first week of practices.
We’re asking all coaches, full-time travel families, rec league parents and other willing volunteers (including ballplayers) to come out and assist with basic chores small and large to prepare our park for the start of the season. Service hours can be earned for participating in our Park Prep Day activities. This season’s schedule is:

• Saturday, March 11 | 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
• Sunday, March 12 | Rain Date, Times TBA, if needed

Please note, if weather forces us to cancel a scheduled work day, we will update the OYO Weatherline by Champion’s Edge (317.767.5170). Please check the Weatherline before coming out to the park, if the weather is questionable.
While we don’t anticipate family members to be able to lend their hand for all six hours, we hope every family can volunteer at least an hour or two to improve the quality of the surroundings at the ballpark. Please come out and make a difference — one that will improve your family’s experience all season long. And, we recommend you wear old shoes and bring work gloves.
Thanks for choosing and supporting OYO!

Click Here To Read Our Annual Letter!

• a strong sense of community
• care and concern for each family and player
• recreation and instruction for every player
• a progression of skills as players move through the program
• emphasis on character development
• fundamentally sound teaching of baseball and softball
• unquestionable transparency, responsibility and accountability

Great News!  Our friends at DICK’S Sporting Goods are hosting the OYO League Appreciation Day again this season. What’s more, there are even more days available to shop for all your baseball and softball needs — and any other items you and your family may need from DICK’s.

Once again this year, “save the dates”! You will have a four-day weekend window to purchase new gear — pants, gloves, bats, cleats and more — for the spring season. Mark your calendar, and make plans to shop at the Castleton Square Mall store from Friday, March 3 through Monday, March 6. Come show your support for OYO and also receive a 20 percent in-store discount throughout the store, not just baseball and softball merchandise.

To receive the discount, families should access the flyer online with the discount code or have a hard copy available. Be sure to use this coupon as this is specific to our organization, and it should be shown at the time of checkout. Once again, this coupon is only valid at the Castleton Square store on between March 3-6, 2023. Save the dates, and come take advantage of the savings!

Thank you for supporting DICK’s Sporting Goods and OYO!

P.S. If you are not quite sure what equipment you need for your OYO ballplayer, then check out the TWIO post for tips on what baseball and softball gear your ballplayer needs most.