Now Accepting Nominations for Seasonal Jim DeSalle Leadership Award

The OYO Board of Directors is excited to announce a special recognition program to honor the spirit of leadership and service that helps make OYO such a special place—The Jim DeSalle Leadership Award.

 

This award is presented twice each year — once in the Spring and once in the Fall — to celebrate coaches and umpires who lead by example and reflect the values of the OYO Way: Development. Respect. Life Lessons. Fairness. Character.

 

The award is named in memory of Jim DeSalle, a longtime supporter of youth sports and a passionate advocate for community involvement. Jim’s dedication as a coach for his son and an umpire to many along with his steady presence and his commitment to building up those around him left a lasting impression on the OYO community.

 

To Lead Like Jim means to show up, to give back and to lead with humility, kindness and purpose — on and off the field.

 

  • Nomination Deadline | Wednesday, September 30
  • Recipients Announced | October 13 Board Meeting
  • Eligible Nominees | Coaches and Umpires (nominated by umpires, coaches and board members) currently involved in the 2026 Fall Ball season
  • Nomination Form | LEAD LIKE JIM DESALLE NOMINATION FORM

 

We hope you’ll help us celebrate those who give generously of their time, guide with integrity, and lead the way Jim did—with heart and community spirit.

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Important Game Day Reminders for Umpires and Coaches

Thank you for an amazing start to our Fall Ball season. We appreciate the incredible perseverance and dedication everyone has shown throughout a very wet August limiting practice times and umpire development opportunities. Those conditions aside, it’s been remarkable to see how all facets of OYO are working together to create a great experience for all our teams, ballplayers and families. 
 
After the first two weekends — and one-third of the regular season — a few recurring themes surrounding game-related rules are surfacing. As a result, I am consolidating and addressing seven of the most prevalent topics here so all coaches and umpires can be on the same page for the remainder of the season.
 
1. BASEBALL PITCHING RULES
The current rule has been in place for Minor, Super Major and Junior Baseball since at least 2017, if not longer. Yet, in unprecedented fashion, there seems to be increasing confusion about how many innings a player can pitch this fall. In short, during the Fall Ball regular season that features doubleheaders, pitchers can pitch following a “per day” limit. This rule was developed more than a decade ago with the input of, among others, those in the medical field and sports medicine that helps ensure player safety is at the forefront. The feedback then and now remains the same. 
 
So, for Minor Baseball, a pitcher can pitch three innings in one game and none in the other. And, for Super Major and Junior Baseball, a pitcher can pitch four innings in one game and none in the other. This should be managed on the honor policy — as well as in accordance with safety for the ballplayers.
 
Please note, this flexibility does not apply to Tournament Sunday. For the tournament, a hard-fast rule and limit is in place. In Minor, Super Major and Junior Baseball, teams can only pitch a pitcher two innings per game (and no limit for the day). This helps ensure rules are being followed without a paper tracking system that is hard to maintain on a very fast-paced tournament day. So, we recommend working to develop as many pitchers as you can this fall. You will need at least three on Tournament Sunday!
 
For the official wording of the rule, you can download the rules here and review page 16 for Fall Ball pitching guidelines (which are different from Spring Season).
 
2. BAT ELIGIBILITY
We encourage all coaches to communicate with their teams about approved bats for the OYO rec league. While this is a much more prevalent topic in baseball, it’s becoming increasingly more relevant for softball too.
 
Baseball | For the baseball bat eligibility guidelines, which vary slightly for Junior Baseball compared to the other younger divisions, you can access the policy here.
Softball | The list of “non-approved bats” is growing. What once started as only a dozen ineligible bats now involves a list of nearly 60 bats in their latest report.
 
Accountability | The penalty remains in effect and will be enforced if a player and/or team are found in violation of the policy. See below.
All Leagues | On first usage of an illegal bat, the batter shall be declared out. If the ball was put in play, anyone put out is out and all runners not put out are returned to the base occupied before the ball was put into play. Also, both the team and head coach are each issued a warning. Every time an illegal bat is found for the remainder of the game, the batter and acting head coach are ejected and the aforementioned penalty to the batter and baserunners are applied. When the ejected player’s turn appears in the lineup, the offensive team is charged an out for that at bat.
 
3. COACH-PITCH DIVISIONS | UMPIRES CALL TIME, NOT THE PLAYERS
The largest rules-related misunderstanding at OYO occurs in Junior Rookie, Rookie and 08U Softball. The common belief is a player must call for time for the umpire to call time. False!
 
So, coaches, we encourage you to curtail the practice of teaching players to ask for time. Instead focus on players simply having control of the ball in the circle or in front of the lead runner. The only four ways an umpire will call time are when:
  • A pitcher’s helper has control of the ball in the circle
  • Any player on the field has control of the ball in front of the lead runner
  • A coach-pitcher receives the ball from the player (NOTE: if you put your hands up for them to throw it and then put them down to result in an errant throw…the umpire will still call time)
  • The ball goes out of play (outside the field of play through a dugout opening or over the sideline fence)
 
4. ALL DIVISIONS | COURTESY RUNNER IS ALLOWED…USE THEM!
We want to help all teams maximize their actual live game-time experience. However, we often witness as much as seven minutes between half innings. In a four- inning game that can amount to nearly 50 minutes of teams getting ready. That’s half of the time allotted for a game on Sunday. To counter this, first, we encourage coaches to have lineups ready and posted and players to hustle in, hustle out. However, the largest time-sucking effort is getting a catcher ready. And all too often, the catcher is on base with two outs adding to the lengthy gap between innings. So, we also encourage all teams at all levels (except JRO which does not use a catcher) to utilize the OYO courtesy runner rule. See below!
Courtesy Runner for Catcher Rule | Teams may substitute a runner for the catcher only when there are two outs. The substitute runner must be the last available batter in the order that is not a current base runner. 
 
5. GAME TIME LIMITS
During the Fall Ball regular season, the handling of how games start and end are handled differently. All games are scheduled for 1 hour and 45 minutes (except for last weekend’s Photo Day schedule of 1 hour and 30 minutes).
  • Start Game | All 9 a.m. games start with the playing of the National Anthem. However, all subsequent game time slots (11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3:15 p.m., 5:15 p.m.) start as soon as the umpire is ready.
  • End Game | All games in all five time slots will end when announced by an OYO Advisor on Duty over the PA system. If both coaches and umpires agree to stop play a few minutes early as they are between half-innings, then that is acceptable only if all three parties agree. Otherwise, keep playing until the “Ballgame” announcement is issued.
Please note, on Tournament Sunday, this all changes. And the start and end times of all games will be handled exclusively by the umpire(s) on the field.
 
6. DON’T STALL…DO WHAT’S RIGHT FOR THE KIDS
This past weekend, I personally learned of baseball and softball teams intentionally stalling late in the game of a regular season game. This is disheartening and simply not reflective of The OYO Way.
 
Remember, we don’t keep standings so wins and losses do not matter. The tournament is a blind draw (computerized draw) so outcomes have no impact on the tournament pairings. So, when you stall, you take away playing opportunities from players which in turn results in less development experience they need to help you be ready for Tournament Sunday and beyond.
 
Be a good sport, always play the game right and with the intention to maximize the experience!
 
(And for good measure, on Tournament Sunday, umpires will be prepared and authorized to counter any blatant attempts at stalling late in a tournament game.)
 
7. WINS AND LOSSES DO NOT MATTER IN REGULAR SEASON
We understand baseball and softball is a competitive sport. We track batter counts and outs. Teams keep score and use scorebooks. Players recognize wins and losses. Yet, in the end, everyone wins when players develop and enjoy playing the game. Too often this fall, we are being approached about “what happens when a game stops mid-inning, who wins?”. If it really matters to you, then you simply revert back to the last complete inning (unless the home team is ahead and winning). 
 
Again, though, I emphasize it does not matter. Personally, my response to those inquiries is always “did you have a chance to teach solid fundamental baseball and softball skills to all players?”. If so, then your team just won the day, not the game. So, our encouragement is to keep the eye on the bigger picture and develop all your ballplayers this fall, notwithstanding the scores and outcomes each Sunday. Then, come Tournament Sunday, when scores and wins/losses do matter, your team will be more than ready!
 
8. FIELD CARE MATTERS EACH AND EVERY WEEKNIGHT AND GAME DAY
Here’s our friendly reminder to all coaches to keep taking care of the fields. Even during long dry spells like the one we’re enjoying, how we maintain our fields after practices and games will keep the fields playable when we experience our next heavy rainstorm. Please always take 5-10 minutes to rake in the areas that are heavily used (e.g. batter’s box, pitcher’s area, around each of the bases).
 
Also, on game days, the home team is responsible for chalking the field (and removing contents after chalking) while the visitor team is responsible for raking following the game.

We appreciate all your assistance with these important contributions to helping keep our fields playable for all our families.
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REMEMBER, THE OYO WAY BECAUSE OUR BALLPLAYERS ARE WATCHING YOU!

As we prepare for the stretch run of our regular season and the thrills of our annual rec league tournaments, here are some friendly reminders about the OYO Code of Conduct.

With great anticipation, all our coaches, players and fans have now entered the final phases of our Spring Season – the final two weeks of the regular season followed by the OYO Tournament.  The excitement and enthusiasm are on the rise.  This is the time of year where teams can showcase what they have learned on the ballfield but also where coaches and parents can teach many life lessons.

As we approach what will surely be a memorable, exciting tournament, we look forward to lots of cheers and exciting finishes.  We’re also want to remind coaches, players and parents to stay focused on the big picture.  Here’s an important reminder about The OYO Way!

 

Know Your Part – And Approach It Positively

How we handle ourselves when we interact with umpires — and how we manage our fans when they get excited over a call or play — is critical.  It will make all the difference between positive memories and life lessons that will have these young baseball and softball players continue playing for years to come or that will scare them away from a game they have truly enjoyed during the rec season.

So, what’s your role? Umpires umpire, coaches coach, players play, and fans cheer positively.

 

Choose Words, Actions Carefully

It is important to remember if a coach or fan demonstrates disrespectful actions toward an umpire or opposing team member, then the coach runs the risk of being ejected by an umpire or the fan being removed by the advisor on duty.  And, yes, coaches are responsible for their fans.  Please work together to make this a memorable experience for the players!

 

In addition, each family (parents for themselves, their ballplayer and their guests) signed the OYO Code of Conduct at the time of their registration. If necessary, we will enforce the Code of Conduct when the actions of any coach, player or parent do not represent The OYO Way.

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Know Where Your Field Is, Where to Park and General Park Rules

We look forward to the sounds of happy ballplayers playing the game of baseball and softball as they take the field at Veterans Memorial Park, the home of OYO, starting this week. With so much excitement and enthusiam building with our ballplayers, coaches and families, this will be a wonderful week to start the season for teams in every division, on every field.

That said, we want to do what we can to make your arrival and navigation around the 14-field, 3-batting cage, 2-concession stand facility and 40-acre premises as easy and smooth as possible.

Before heading to Veterans Memorial Park, take a moment to access and review the park layout map outlining the field assignments around the park.

In addition, make sure you also follow the parking recommendation signage around the entrances on where to best park so you can secure the shortest walk to your field.

Lastly, be sure you know the rules around Veterans Memorial Park, especially the NO PETS ALLOWED (except for service animals). Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!

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REMINDER: NO PETS AT OYO AT ANYTIME

Please respect the rules and policies at Veterans Memorial Park by not bringing your pets to practices or games. And please share this information with any family member who may attend your favorite ballplayer’s practice or game on any weeknight or weekend.

As spring weather turns into wonderful summer weather, everyone is eager and excited to come to the ballpark to take in the action. And based on our latest observations, this includes your favorite pets. However, OYO and the City of Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department have specific policies regarding pets at Veterans Memorial Park. As signs around the park indicate, all pets are not permitted even if they are on a leash, unless they are a service animal for any child or adult.

So, effective immediately, if an OYO Advisor on Duty (AOD) observes pets at the ballpark, our volunteer board member will politely remind you of this policy and ask you to depart the premises and find a safe place for your pet before returning to the game. Please note, with the warm temperatures, we emphasize taking your dog home and coming back — and not leaving your dog in a hot car while watching the game.

We also have a variety of important Park Rules, and we ask for your support in abiding by the following Park Rules for the safety and comfort of all players and spectators.

  • No alcoholic beverages
  • No firearms
  • No smoking or tobacco products permitted in park
  • No parking in designated areas or in grass areas
  • All players must be accompanied by an adult at all times
  • No small children on the fields or left unattended by an adult
  • No dogs or pets in the park
  • No roller blades, skateboards or bike riding allowed
  • No hitting hard balls into fence
  • No swinging bats outside common playing areas and around batting cages
  • Watch and play at your own risk

We apologize for any inconvenience resulting from this policy. Thanks for your cooperation and understanding.

And, most importantly, please share this information with all your visitors who come to the park to cheer on your favorite ballplayer(s) and team(s)!

PARK RULES

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Coaches’ Corner | September 17, 2026

OYO Coaches:

Thank you for all your efforts for an amazing and memorable Fall Ball season. Your tireless effort and incredible work with your ball club is truly appreciated and genuinely valued by all. As we approach the stretch run of our 19th annual Fall Ball season, below are five timely and important reminders as we prepare for our final two weekends of the regular season — and our Fall Ball rec league tournament in early October.

 

1. Pre-Tournament Coaches‘ Meeting Is MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 at 7:45 P.M. at OYO | (Tee Ball coaches do not need to attend this meeting)
Preferably your team’s head coach or, alternatively, a team representative must attend this important and required meeting. This meeting is set for Monday, September 28 at 7:15 p.m. at OYO on Field 2. What’s more, your attendance helps you earn additional coach incentive dollars, and also keeps you eligible to coach in the rec league tournament! (Please note, if needed due to rainy conditions, we will move the meeting indoors to Jenn Park. Announcement will be made the day of the meeting, if needed.)

 

2. Player Evaluations Must Be Completed Online by EOD on MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 | (Tee Ball coaches are required to complete this evaluation)
Review this PDF for a complete overview of this process, including how you should properly assess players in comparison to all players in your division and appropriate skills expectations for the age group. Please complete your team’s player evaluations in LeagueApps by Monday, September 28. All player evaluations must be completed via a laptop/desktop computer as the app on your mobile device is not compatible with this feature. Once again, successful completion of this evaluation helps you earn additional coach incentive dollars, and also keeps you eligible to coach in the rec league tournament!

 

3. Tournament Schedules have been released and all details for Tournament Sunday are available online.
Check out our annual Fall Ball Tournament Central for individual division tournament brackets. The single-elimination tournament is set for Sunday, October 4. Tee Ball teams also will play their final regular season games on October 4, and those games are already scheduled in LeagueApps and will be played on Field 14.

 

4. Please ensure you and your players adhere to The OYO Way and the Code of Conduct to remain eligible to coach or play throughout the tournament. 
Per the OYO Code of Conduct, any individual who is ejected must sit out the team’s next game — and be reinstated by the league. Let’s work together to keep everyone in good standing, as we have all season long!

 

5. Got Questions?
If you need something more, less or different, please contact any of the following OYO Executive Board members (or your division commissioner) for assistance:
  • Aaron Campbell, Vice President of Baseball
  • Mario Covarrubias, Vice President of Softball
  • Anthony DeSanto, Vice President of Game Day Operations
  • Michael DeSanto, President

 

With much appreciation and gratitude!
The OYO Board of Directors

 

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IMPORTANT REMINDER ABOUT VEHICLE SECURITY

Tip of the day: Keep your cars locked and secure while keeping your valuables and personal belongings out of sight!

As you prepare to come to the ballpark today, next week and for future seasons, we want to remind all our ballplayers and their families to utilize basic safety practices to minimize vehicle break-ins and theft while enjoying a ball game.

Please keep all valuables (such as phones, purses, electronics, equipment and other personal belongings) out of view and also keep your cars locked and secure at all times. If possible, take valuables with you or even leave them at home.

We have had a long track record of safety in our ballpark through the cooperation of our families, and we hope this timely reminder will help reduce future incidents at Veterans Memorial Park.

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HELP US HELP YOU ON GAME DAYS! KEEP THE CART PATHS CLEAR

At OYO, we’re excited to have fans witness fun and exciting games up close.  The standing-room only cheering sections have provided true encouragement for our ballplayers.

We also realize the hot, sunny, weather conditions leave us all seeking some shade and cover. We encourage and welcome families to bring their tents, chairs and more to stay cool and safe.

That said, we simply ask for some consideration on where you set up your chairs and tents, especially when watching games on Fields 6-9. These four fields offer a very narrow path for our courtesy golf carts to operate. Our golf carts will be transporting guests needing assistance or deliveries to concession stands and fields only. If the areas are too congested, our Advisors on Duty reserve the right to ask fans to relocate to create less congestion.

Please follow our simple rule, no chair or tent should extend onto the paved asphalt paths at any time. This will ensure greater safety for all our fans and parents and less inconvenience for those watching our games and operating the carts, too.

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PRE-TOURNAMENT COACHES’ MEETING SET FOR MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28

Mandatory Pre-Tournament Coaches’ Meeting Is Monday, September 28 at 7:45 p.m. on Field 2. Tee Ball coaches do not need to attend this meeting.

We ask all head coaches (or a team representative in the event you cannot attend) to join us for this important and required meeting, which will help ensure every team approaches the tournament upholding The OYO Way, following the Code of Conduct and honoring and protecting what’s most important to all of us at OYO.

 

This meeting is set for Sunday, September 28 at 7:45 p.m. at OYO on Field 2. 

 

Once again, your attendance also helps you earn additional coach incentive dollars, and also keeps you eligible to coach in the rec league tournament the following weekend!
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COACHES MUST COMPLETE PLAYER EVALUATIONS BY SEPTEMBER 28

Player evaluations must be completed by Sunday, September 28. This applies for all coaches in all divisions, including Tee Ball.

 

The online process of coaches completing the end-of-season player evaluation has been a constant at OYO for 19 years. Please find attached a simple one-page PDF to complete your team’s evals in LeagueApps by Sunday, September 28.

 

What’s more, successful completion of this evaluation helps you earn additional coach incentive dollars, and also keeps you eligible to coach in the rec league tournament the following weekend!

 

Download the instructions here!
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