Players Play, Coaches Coach and Fans Cheer

With great anticipation, all our coaches, players and fans are entering the final weeks of our Fall Ball season, including 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.

What’s more, our one-day single-elimination tournament will bring lots of cheers and exciting finishes. We also will witness coaches — and parents — beginning to lose focus of 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 players, fans, opposing teams and 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.

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 and/or the fan being removed by the advisor on duty (AOD). Yes, coaches are responsible for their fans. Please work together to make this a memorable experience for the players!

Make a difference by praising publicly, critiquing privately.

Thanks again for all you have done for the children and families of OYO!