OYO President Welcome!

Dear Coaches,

 

Greetings! We are thrilled to have your team participating in our David Manlove Memorial Tournament! This tournament is very near and dear to our hearts at the Oaklandon Youth Organization (OYO). This tournament honors one of OYO’s former players, David Manlove, who was an outstanding baseball player at OYO from 1990-1997 and went on to play on the freshman baseball team at Lawrence Central High School. David developed an addiction to drugs and alcohol which eventually led to David’s death after he “huffed” from a can of computer duster before jumping into a swimming pool and his heart went into cardiac arrest.

 

The following year, David’s parents Kim and Marissa Manlove approached OYO about making a donation in David’s memory. After exploring the options for remembering David, the OYO Board of Directors elected to remember David by hosting a tournament in his name. Almost every year since — and 2024 will be no different — the umpires donated their time to umpire multiple games. What’s more, it has helped us maximize our donations to The 24 Group, a foundation founded by the Manlove family to help families affected by addiction. We have been committed and dedicated in helping the Manlove family help teens and their families who are suffering from various forms of addiction. Through a nearly all-volunteer tournament operation, we have been able to donate more than $45,000 to The 24 Group in David’s honor and educate more than 5000 youth baseball players and their families on the risks of drug and alcohol addiction. What’s more, if you have time between your games and you would like your team to hear from Kim or Marissa Manlove, then just ask and we can make it happen for you! On Tournament Sunday in early June, just stop by the Manlove tent near Fields 1 and 4 to indicate your interest.

 

So you see, this one-day tournament is one of the highlights of the year for us at OYO. A chance to bring the community together on a beautiful sunny day (which has always been David’s special contribution every year), raise awareness, play some competitive baseball and softball, and give back to this important cause is paramount to what OYO is all about. Family. Friends. Community. Serving. Baseball.  Softball.

 

We welcome you and your team to OYO, and we hope you have a wonderful experience at this meaningful tournament in early June. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

 

Play Ball!
Michael DeSanto
OYO President | OYO Vice President, Game Day Operations
317.345.9006