Coaches Corner | Opening Day Lowdown

Coaches,

 

Greetings! We hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend, and we hope you are as excited about Opening Day as we are. To help you prepare for the start of the game season next weekend, here is the complete lowdown of what to expect leading up to and on Game Day to kick off our 2026 Spring Season of baseball and softball! Below are a dozen key takeaways, tips, updates and reminders for all coaches in our 12 and Under divisions during the 2026 Spring Season!

 

Amazing Teamwork on Uniform Distribution | Kudos to our Uniform Co-Chairs Jessica Berg and Joyce Donnelly for working diligently to receive more than 1000 uniforms more than a week before Opening Day for the first time in more than a decade. (For years, we’ve been distributing the uniforms the night before the parade.) What’s more we appreciate nearly all of our coaches working with the Uniform Committee to pick up your uniforms on Saturday. This efficient distribution process is a win-win-win for all — win for the coaches and teams, win for the committee and a win for our players and families!

 

Opening Day Parade Is Saturday, April 18 | We are confident everyone has seen the details about the Opening Day Parade. However, just in case you haven’t, then you can download all the information here! See you on Saturday morning at Oaklandon Elementary (between 8:15-8:45 a.m.)!

 

Team Banner at Parade | This is a popular question each spring. Banners are completely optional, but the kids do enjoy them, too! We’ve seen a wide range of banners too. Some are fancy custom-made banners. Some are simple banners hand-drawn or painted. And, others are easily created posterboard-style banners. The fancier the banner, the more it becomes a shared cost for the team, which the Team Parent can collect and manage. This shouldn’t fall on you alone as the team’s head coach!

 

Communication Is Key! | As they often say, you probably have not communicated enough until you feel you are overcommunicating! In a simple email or text, you can share reflections on the past week and provide updates for the upcoming scheduled activities for the week. It will help your team stay on schedule with you, and you also will learn when a player may be missing or late to a practice or game. What’s more, it keeps everyone involved. So, go forth and communicate with your team!

 

Have a Team Parent? | We hope so! Team Parents can go a long way in making your season as a coach a lot easier. They help with keeping the players in order in the dugout, purchase treat tickets, assist with little things during the games, can help create a team banner, etc. If you do not have a Team Parent identified, then send a message to your team and recruit one today! You’ll be glad you did…and so will all your players, too!

 

Treat Tickets Are A Hit! | This is a player favorite, of course! For $1 per treat ticket, a player can visit the concession stand following the game and select an item of choice from the Treat Ticket menu. Sometimes teams buy them as they go, and other times they buy a year’s worth of treat tickets all at once (number of regular season games + two tournament games … but remember Tee Ball does not play a tournament!). Ask a parent — or your Team Parent — to collect funds from the team and purchase/distribute these tickets after each game during the season!

 

Download the Rules | The latest OYO-specific rules are available on the website. You can download the baseball rules and softball rules and be in the know before your games begin! And, please pay particular attention to the “fair play” rules when constructing your lineups to ensure no player sits a second time before every sits out once (in MB, SM, 10U, 12U) and everyone plays one inning in the infield and one inning in the outfield every game before the game ends and/or time limit is reached.

 

Everyone Has a Role with the Fields on Game Day | It’s pretty simple, too. Before the game, the HOME team chalks the field. After the game, the VISITORS rake the field around the bases and high-traffic areas. Rakes can be found in the storage sheds closest to your field (located by Fields, 1, 3, 5, 12, 13). Again, the coaches are not expected to do this alone. Ask for help from your parents before and after each game (and practice!). And, as a quick reminder, please do not chalk the grass at any time!

 

Weatherline Is The Way to Go on Game Days | On game days, OYO will make the call if a game should be played or not. And, if we say fields are playable, then we ask both teams to come out to play the game. After all, when one team opts to not play, then it leaves a willing team without an opponent for the game. So, encourage your families to always check the OYO Weatherline powered by Champion’s Edge (317.767.5170) on game days for the latest updates.

 

Reminder, Saturday Practices Have Concluded, but Weeknights Continue for Four More Weeks | Saturday, April 11 marked the last Saturday practice for all teams in our 12 and Under divisions. Starting April 18, only games will be played on Saturdays. That said, your standing scheduled weeknight practice remains in effect through Friday, May 15. Starting Monday, May 18, weeknight games will begin and all teams should check their schedules in LeagueApps for details.

 

30 Teams Still Have Room for One More Player | Encourage your teams to help fill the last uniform on your roster. Three divisions have no openings (10U, 12U, MB). In the other divisions, select teams have only one opening as follows:

  • 08U Softball | Bulldogs, Purple Aces
  • Challenger | Reds
  • Tee Ball | All teams (except Bats and Redwings which are at capacity)
  • Junior Rookie | Blue Jays, Cubs, Orioles, Rays, Tigers, White Sox
  • Rookie | Angels, Athletics, Braves, Mariners
  • Super Major | Angels, Diamondbacks, Pirates, White Sox

 

Thank You! | As always, we truly appreciate all you do for OYO’s ballplayers and families! Without your incredible volunteerism and commitment, we would not be able to provide a memorable and quality experience for all our ballplayers and families. Thank you for making a difference, and thank you for choosing OYO as your place for baseball and softball!

 

Play Ball!