Although a move towards a full-time travel program for OYA might make sense for the younger age groups, it is my opinion (and also the opinion of many of our parents) that the current part-time travel option (with players also participating in the recreational league) is most appropriate for the older players for the following reasons:
- OYA's Pony League is much smaller than the younger leagues. Removing 14 of its most talented players from the league (and potentially up to 28 players if a 13 year old Warriors' team is formed) would destroy the recreational league--making it just a shell of what it is today. With the creation of full-time travel teams, the Pony League could lose up to 20% of its players!
- Several of our players have fathers who are coaching or assisting teams in our recreational league. With the formation of a full-time travel team, players are not eligible to participate in the recreational league so it is likely that the Pony League would lose a large number of excellent coaches and assistants. I'm probably missing some names, but at least 8 fathers of Warriors' players are actively and effectively participating in the OYA Pony League!
- Our Warriors players provide excellent examples for other OYA recreational players. Having Warriors on recreational teams throughout the league elevates the play of all 135 players in the Pony League.
- Our Warriors benefit by playing in the recreational league as they gain valuable experience playing positions (e.g. pitching) that they might not necessarily get as often as a member of the travel team.
- One of the stated goals of using the full-time travel team option to develop players for high school baseball doesn't necessarily apply to all of the Warriors--a third of which will already be in high school in 2010.
- The Warriors are already slated for an appropriate level of competition in the Chicagoland Metro League and the in-house tournaments. If we move to the full-time travel option, the team is no longer eligible to participate in the Metro League or the in-house tournaments. I think our overall record (14-10) as well as the number of very close games shows that this is the appropriate level of competition for our team at this time.
- As younger full-time Warriors' teams advance through the years, it will make sense for the Pony League to move in that direction at some point. I would estimate that this will take between two and three seasons.
A few other things are changing whether the team moves forward as a full-time or remains as a part-time travel team:
- All coaches will be subject to approval by the Board on an annual basis. The criteria for approval (i.e., baseball knowledge, ability to communicate with players, sportsmanship) is much stricter than in the past to ensure a positive experience for all Warriors' players. I have expressed my interest in coaching the 14U Warriors for 2010. The head coach will be named prior to the tryouts as that is clearly a factor for many parents and players.
- The registration fee for this year's team was $415. The estimated fee for the full-time travel option is just under $1,000. If the 14U team remains as a part-time travel team, the registration fee would land much closer to $415 than the $1,000 amount. However, I would propose increasing it somewhat to fund more development options for our players (i.e., creating individual development--hitting and pitching-- action plans with the assistance of professional baseball instructors as needed).
- Open tryouts for all roster spots will be held on an annual basis. The tryout evalations will be conducted by an independent team assigned by the OYA Board. An independent tryout helps to ensure that all players (those currently on the team as well as new players who wish to play for the team) are evaluated in an objective manner. Our existing coaches, including me, are too close to the current players to make that objective assessment. These tryouts are preliminarily scheduled for August 22nd and August 29th.
Please do not hesitate to call me at 708-846-1466 with any questions or comments. I will also be available after tonight's practice if you wish to discuss this further.
