Why OYO?

Why should you choose the Oaklandon Youth Organization instead of other leagues in the community? When families come to OYO (from Lawrence and from as far as Greenfield, Fortville, Noblesville, Anderson, Tipton, Speedway, Greenwood and more), they become part of the OYO Family.

 

Whether an elderly fan needs help to reach the field of his/her favorite ballplayer; if an injured player requires attention; for reliable coaching and player development; or if you’re looking for a familiar and friendly face to sit with at the ballgames, OYO delivers. Most of our families look forward to their evenings and Saturdays at the ballpark. These are examples of The OYO Way – and we work hard to ensure we meet this standard.

 

Following are some specific examples of how we deliver, and what your family can expect:

  1. FAIR PLAY RULES ENSURE MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUR PLAYER | OYO is a fair-play league focusing on player participation, training, and development. We like to develop players with overall skills. OYO has rules that require every player to play infield and outfield at least one inning per game. Also, no player can sit out a second inning unless all of the other players have sat at least one inning.
  2. MULTIPLE TEAMS IN EACH DIVISION, SO YOU’LL FACE DIFFERENT OPPONENTS REGULARLY | You won’t get tired of playing the same teams over and over. The wide appeal of our program helps ensure that you won’t play the same teams as often because OYO offers multiple teams in each division.
  3. START AND FINISH WITH ONE PROGRAM | Not only are we a program that begins at age 4 for all young boys and girls, and our baseball and softball players can participate through the age of 16.
  4. ONE PLACE FOR SPRING BALL AND FALL BALL | If you plan to play more than one season, then we offer the best in both.
  5. RECREATIONAL TRAVEL/ALL-STAR PROGRAM | We offer a rec travel program for interested rec league players who are seeking more baseball and softball than what our traditional rec season brings. What’s more, we also offer a full-time travel baseball and softball program too under the OYO umbrella.
  6. FULL-TIME TRAVEL/ALL-STAR PROGRAM, TOO | We also offer a full-time travel baseball and softball program, too, under the OYO umbrella for baseball players ages 9-16 and softball players ages 11-18.
  7. OUR COMMUNICATION KEEPS YOU IN THE LOOP | We strive to keep all our families informed all the time. Whether it is via informative weekly emails, a comprehensive website, or even a custom team page built by your coach or team parent, you will be in the know. LeagueApps is the one-stop resource that ensures communication is seamless.
  8. CODE OF CONDUCT | OYO participants have adhered to a Code of Conduct for nearly a decade to help ensure a positive experience for everyone involved – and it is enforced when violated.
  9. LARGEST CORE SET OF VOLUNTEERS OF ANY PROGRAM | Not only do we enjoy the support and assistance of 300 head coaches, assistant coaches, and team parents to ensure a successful season, the league is managed and operated by an elected, all-volunteer Board of Directors comprising of more than 45 OYO parents and other supporters.
  10. BEST CONCESSION STANDS | We offer a full-service facility that includes two full-service concession stands with public restrooms. Our concession stands provide a quality experience and a wide array of hot and cold food items and beverages at very competitive prices.
  11. THE MOST FIELDS…AND A COMMITMENT TO MAKE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS | We offer a full-service facility that includes 14 quality fields, three batting cages, covered dugout rooftops with concrete floors and sheltered seating areas. We’re in the process of building a short-term and long-term plan to improve each and every field at OYO during the next several seasons.
  12. NO CONCESSION STAND OR UMPIRE ASSIGNMENTS | We provide an efficient concession stand operation that allows you to sit back and watch your ballplayer enjoy his/her game. Moreover, we provide a quality umpire program that allows you to limit your visits to the ballpark for only when your ballplayer plays.
  13. NO LONG LINES AT EVALUATION SESSIONS | We use an elaborate system to evaluate players at the end of each season, and we capture new player evaluations at the time of registration. As a result, you and your ballplayer won’t have to stand in long lines to participate in an ineffective pre-season evaluation. Does it work? Yes, when we follow the processes and procedures for building teams, we earn more net-positive scores in our enf-of-the-season surveys of our families. Since your time is important to us, we put in the effort behind the scenes to save you time on your weekends and evenings during the offseason!
  14. PROTECTING OUR YOUTH: BACKGROUND CHECKS CONDUCTED | All our Board members and coaches are screened to ensure our children participate in a safe, healthy environment.
  15. COMMITMENT TO SAFETY | We have a Safety Director on our Board and policies to deal with dangerous weather conditions and medical emergencies. What’s more, we also have two AEDs onsite (located in each concession stand) for any heart-related medical emergency experiened on the premises.
  16. PERSONAL INFO SECURITY | OYO has partnered with LeagueApps to secure all your data and transaction information 100% of the time with login requirements and online security certifications. Your security is important to us.
  17. YOUR OPINION COUNTS | We listen to your feedback. OYO has implemented a formal opportunity for families to express their feedback about their experience. The feedback received from the OYO Satisfaction Survey has resulted in many enhancements.
  18. EVERY PLAYER CAN PLAY AT OYO FINANCIAL MEANS NOTWITHSTANDING | This is a long-standing tradition since OYO has been founded in 1975. We believe financial means should never keep a young ballplayer from taking the field. As a result, we have a scholarship program available for families to assist with their registration fees, in part or full.
  19. ROBUST SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM KEEPS OYO AFFORDABLE | We work hard each and every season to seek support from our regional business community and businesses where our families are employed around Central Indiana. The financial support we received is greatly appreciated and helps keep our registration fees low while providing top-quality premises and experiences for all our ballplayers.
  20. LONG-STANDING TRADITION | Since 1975, OYO has offered a strong, consistent player development-focused program and will be celebrating its 50th year of baseball and softball.

 

Ask any family who has joined us from another area league if they made the right decision. If you are new and considering making the switch, then let us connect you with a family who used to participate in your league and they can tell you first hand about The OYO Way.

We hope those are plenty of reasons to join – and return – to the OYO program. Check us out today – and like thousands of other families, you won’t be disappointed!  Experience The OYO Way!