Remember the OYO Way Because Our Ballplayers Are Watching You!

We hope all our ballplayers, coaches, fans and umpires have had a wonderful and memorable season. We’ve been blessed as a league with wonderful weather, incredible coaching, memorable plays on the field and many new friendships. We truly appreciate you choosing OYO as your place for baseball and softball for your family, and we value your participation this fall.
 
It’s Tournament Time – For the Kids!
As we prepare for the thrills of our annual rec league tournament this weekend, here are some friendly reminders about The OYO Way and OYO Code of Conduct. We believe it is important we send out this information so we can all work together to ensure a positive environment for all our hardworking and deserving ballplayers and families. As we often say, it’s about the kids…and that’s especially true at tournament time!

With great anticipation, all our coaches, players, fans, umpires and volunteers are entering the final weekend of our 15th Annual Fall Ball season. 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 also want to remind coaches, players, parents, umpires and volunteers to stay focused on the big picture. Here are some timely and important reminders about The OYO Way!

 

Know Your Part – And Approach It Positively

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

So, what’s your role? It’s simple. 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 opposing team member or an umpire, then the individual runs the risk of being ejected by an umpire and asked to leave the park for the remainder of the day. And, yes, we’ve explained to all our coaches that they are ultimately responsible for their fans. However, if we all work together to make this a memorable experience for the players, then we will create an experience they will truly enjoy and remember!

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, parent or fan do not represent The OYO Way.

 

Help Make It A Memorable Day, Know The Rules on Game Day

At OYO, we follow the National Federation of High Schools (NFHS) rules for all our baseball and softball divisions. That said, we also have some customized exceptions to the rules for each division. As the season rolled along, we’ve experienced more game delays as a result of coaches or parents/fans not being familiar with the rules. Unfortunately, the game clock does not stop during these discussions and only hinders the development of our ballplayers from lengthy stoppage in play.

Before heading to the park on Sunday, we encourage you to review your division’s rules. Download the softball rules. Or, download the baseball rules. Having a very solid knowledge of your division’s specific rules can create a better game experience for your ballplayers, too. The more everyone knows the rules, the better equipped we are to help our players and teams abide by the rules and understand the calls made by our umpires.

 

We’re Here to Help!

If you have any questions leading up to Tournament Sunday, please email the OYO Board of Directors and we will help answer your questions. And if you need any assistance at the ballpark on Sunday, please locate any Advisor on Duty (AOD). We look forward to welcoming you at Veterans Memorial Park on Sunday, and we truly appreciate you spending your Fall Ball season with us at OYO!

 

With much appreciation!
The OYO Board of Directors
www.oyoball.org