Parent Meeting
• 501c3 Not-for-Profit Organization • Provides youth baseball and youth softball leagues • Ages 4 through 14 • 2017 Enrollment = 1,355 • 10 Parks • Oz, Wrightwood, Jonquil, Trebes, Lawrence & Lakefront, Waveland & Lakefront, Seward, Stanton, Clarendon, Gill
• 19 Diamonds
• Mission – Create a world-class youth sports organization • Philosophy – Development • • • •
Physical and Athletic Sportsmanship and learning how to handle failure / disappointment Drive, Determination, Competitiveness, Work Ethic Social and Interpersonal
• Goal • Play competitive baseball and softball • Prepare for the next level
• 100% Volunteer Run • 13 Member Board of Directors • Steve Randall, Jon Mejdrich, Dimple Patel, Joe Pultz, Jerry Leonard, TJ Tzur, Jeff Patton, Chris Dopp, Jason Hockman, Adam Ochstein, Heather Zimmerman, Michele Legacy-Gugino, Andy Goldberg
• Division Commissioners • Raveen Rao (4), Bill Gibbs (5), Nora Atassi (6), Steve Beard (7), Kathy Buck (8), William Krantz (9), Grace Armstrong (10), Dimple Patel (12), Scott Mulcahy (14), Rocco Sansone (8u Softball), Pete Ruegsegger (10USoftball), Kevin Carter (14U Softball)
• 350 Coaches
• The OPBA is not an entity of the Chicago Park District • The OPBA is a 3rd party partner with the Chicago Park District • Chicago Park District partnership status has to be applied for every year • The OPBA invests annually in Park District facilities • Past Capital Projects • Lawrence Field 4 and 5 renovations • Seward Park renovations and drainage • Resurfacing Oz, Trebes, Jonquil Parks
Baseball is not a Contact Sport…
…but that doesn’t mean it isn’t dangerous.
The focus is on development, first for safety, then for skill mastery. It requires practice, practice, practice (at home).
• Baseball is NOT a drop off sport • We want your child to learn, be safe, and have fun • Baseball requires repetition… • And it starts at home
The Importance of Father / Son Activities We all know about the importance of fathers spending time with their sons. The relationship a boy has with his father greatly shapes the man he will become in the future. You can help mold your boy into a man
you’ll be proud of by taking him on special father/son activities. These kinds of activities allow you to spend some needed one-on-one time with your boy. And they’re particularly conducive to bonding. Men don’t like
to sit face to face and talk about their feelings. It’s much easier to open up when we’re doing something side by side, and we can just let the talk flow naturally as we cast a fishing line or tinker with tools. Source: http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/06/15/11-best-fatherson-activities/
America’s pastime has brought fathers and sons together for over a century. Sure, it’s a bit cliche, but there’s something about playing catch with a baseball that can really bond a father and son. What’s nice about playing catch with your son is that it can provide opportunities to really open up and have deep conversations with him about life. Even if you don’t get all philosophical, the time you spend in the front yard showing
your son how to throw a split seam will be a memory he’ll keep for the rest of his life. The father/son bonding power of playing catch is so real, it even lasts beyond the grave!
• Doesn’t require much space • Get whiffle balls or badminton birdies
• 30 Major League Baseball Teams • 240 Minor League Baseball Teams • 38 Independent League Teams • 7700 Professional Baseball Players • 1 in 10,000 youth baseball players will play professionally • News Alert: Your child isn’t the 1 BTW - NCAA rules limit 11.7 baseball scholarships per university
• Overall • • • • • •
Positive demeanor, role model for players Organized and effective practices focused on development Has a game management plan every game with player rotation Provides good communication to parents throughout season Makes sure every player improves and has fun Adheres to “Coaching Guidelines” for age division
• Player Treatment • Fair, Equal, Favoritism?
• Philosophy • ROOTS • ELM
• 2nd Goal = Winning
• Be present • Be supportive • ROOTS • ELM
• Be social • Have fun • Hold coaches accountable (via evaluations)
• Be positive and enthusiastic when cheering • Cheer for both teams • Be supportive before/after games and practices • Always support the coach • Emphasize what happened (Great Hit!, Nice Throw) • Avoid what you think should happen (Throw it! RUN!) • Instruction should be left to the coaches (even if and especially when you disagree) • Let your children figure it out on their own.
• Chicago Park District Bench Program • • • •
$5,000 to install a park bench in Oz Park (or other park) Includes a 2”x10” cast bronze plaque with your inscription Bench will remain in park for at least 10 years A great memorial
• Trebes Park Renovation • • • • • • •
In conjunction with the TPAC Install synthetic turf Renovate baseball diamond and safety fences Increases the park usability Decreases maintenance costs Fixes drainage problems Increases the OPBA’s ability to play more games and practices
• Oz Park is seeking volunteers for Summer Camp Counselors • Must be ages 13 – 15 • June 28 through August 4 • Monday through Friday • 10:00 – 4:00 • Qualifies for HS volunteer hour commitment
Regular Season Ends • Baseball ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐
4U, 5U, 6U: June 18 7U, 12U: July 8 8U, 9U, 14U: June 25 10U: July 11
• Softball ‐ 8U, 10U: June 17 ‐ 14U: July 9
• Softball ‐ 8U ‐ Start June 18 ‐ End June 24
‐ 10U ‐ Start June 23 ‐ End June 25
‐ 14U ‐ Start July 15 ‐ End July 16
• Baseball ‐ 4U, 5U, 6U, 7U: No playoffs ‐ 8U, 9U, 14U ‐ Start July 8 ‐ End July 16
‐ 10U, 12U ‐ Start July 14 ‐ End July 23
• Tryouts at the end of July • Specific dates to be announced • Consists of: • • • •
Fall Season Winter practices Spring season Tournaments
• 2017 Season • Baseball only • August 26 through October 29 • 8U, 10U, 13U (no HS students)
• No make up games • No practice field allotment • Capacity is LIMITED • Registration will open on June 28 at 8:00 am CST • Cost = $150 per player
• Registration will open on Monday, November 6 at 8:00 am • Set calendar reminders and get in right away • Capacity in 12U, 10U, 9U, 8U, 7U, 6U will be reached within 48-72 hours • There are over 200 people currently on the 2017 wait list • Many people who played this year will miss out on 2018 because they didn’t register in time • Wait list is processed on first come, first served basis ONLY when someone drops from the league. • No preferential treatment, no favors, no exceptions
• 19 Diamonds
• Mission – Create a world-class youth sports organization • Philosophy – Development • • • •
Physical and Athletic Sportsmanship and learning how to handle failure / disappointment Drive, Determination, Competitiveness, Work Ethic Social and Interpersonal
• Goal • Play competitive baseball and softball • Prepare for the next level
• 100% Volunteer Run • 13 Member Board of Directors • Steve Randall, Jon Mejdrich, Dimple Patel, Joe Pultz, Jerry Leonard, TJ Tzur, Jeff Patton, Chris Dopp, Jason Hockman, Adam Ochstein, Heather Zimmerman, Michele Legacy-Gugino, Andy Goldberg
• Division Commissioners • Raveen Rao (4), Bill Gibbs (5), Nora Atassi (6), Steve Beard (7), Kathy Buck (8), William Krantz (9), Grace Armstrong (10), Dimple Patel (12), Scott Mulcahy (14), Rocco Sansone (8u Softball), Pete Ruegsegger (10USoftball), Kevin Carter (14U Softball)
• 350 Coaches
• The OPBA is not an entity of the Chicago Park District • The OPBA is a 3rd party partner with the Chicago Park District • Chicago Park District partnership status has to be applied for every year • The OPBA invests annually in Park District facilities • Past Capital Projects • Lawrence Field 4 and 5 renovations • Seward Park renovations and drainage • Resurfacing Oz, Trebes, Jonquil Parks
Baseball is not a Contact Sport…
…but that doesn’t mean it isn’t dangerous.
The focus is on development, first for safety, then for skill mastery. It requires practice, practice, practice (at home).
• Baseball is NOT a drop off sport • We want your child to learn, be safe, and have fun • Baseball requires repetition… • And it starts at home
The Importance of Father / Son Activities We all know about the importance of fathers spending time with their sons. The relationship a boy has with his father greatly shapes the man he will become in the future. You can help mold your boy into a man
you’ll be proud of by taking him on special father/son activities. These kinds of activities allow you to spend some needed one-on-one time with your boy. And they’re particularly conducive to bonding. Men don’t like
to sit face to face and talk about their feelings. It’s much easier to open up when we’re doing something side by side, and we can just let the talk flow naturally as we cast a fishing line or tinker with tools. Source: http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/06/15/11-best-fatherson-activities/
America’s pastime has brought fathers and sons together for over a century. Sure, it’s a bit cliche, but there’s something about playing catch with a baseball that can really bond a father and son. What’s nice about playing catch with your son is that it can provide opportunities to really open up and have deep conversations with him about life. Even if you don’t get all philosophical, the time you spend in the front yard showing
your son how to throw a split seam will be a memory he’ll keep for the rest of his life. The father/son bonding power of playing catch is so real, it even lasts beyond the grave!
• Doesn’t require much space • Get whiffle balls or badminton birdies
• 30 Major League Baseball Teams • 240 Minor League Baseball Teams • 38 Independent League Teams • 7700 Professional Baseball Players • 1 in 10,000 youth baseball players will play professionally • News Alert: Your child isn’t the 1 BTW - NCAA rules limit 11.7 baseball scholarships per university
• Overall • • • • • •
Positive demeanor, role model for players Organized and effective practices focused on development Has a game management plan every game with player rotation Provides good communication to parents throughout season Makes sure every player improves and has fun Adheres to “Coaching Guidelines” for age division
• Player Treatment • Fair, Equal, Favoritism?
• Philosophy • ROOTS • ELM
• 2nd Goal = Winning
• Be present • Be supportive • ROOTS • ELM
• Be social • Have fun • Hold coaches accountable (via evaluations)
• Be positive and enthusiastic when cheering • Cheer for both teams • Be supportive before/after games and practices • Always support the coach • Emphasize what happened (Great Hit!, Nice Throw) • Avoid what you think should happen (Throw it! RUN!) • Instruction should be left to the coaches (even if and especially when you disagree) • Let your children figure it out on their own.
• Chicago Park District Bench Program • • • •
$5,000 to install a park bench in Oz Park (or other park) Includes a 2”x10” cast bronze plaque with your inscription Bench will remain in park for at least 10 years A great memorial
• Trebes Park Renovation • • • • • • •
In conjunction with the TPAC Install synthetic turf Renovate baseball diamond and safety fences Increases the park usability Decreases maintenance costs Fixes drainage problems Increases the OPBA’s ability to play more games and practices
• Oz Park is seeking volunteers for Summer Camp Counselors • Must be ages 13 – 15 • June 28 through August 4 • Monday through Friday • 10:00 – 4:00 • Qualifies for HS volunteer hour commitment
Regular Season Ends • Baseball ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐
4U, 5U, 6U: June 18 7U, 12U: July 8 8U, 9U, 14U: June 25 10U: July 11
• Softball ‐ 8U, 10U: June 17 ‐ 14U: July 9
• Softball ‐ 8U ‐ Start June 18 ‐ End June 24
‐ 10U ‐ Start June 23 ‐ End June 25
‐ 14U ‐ Start July 15 ‐ End July 16
• Baseball ‐ 4U, 5U, 6U, 7U: No playoffs ‐ 8U, 9U, 14U ‐ Start July 8 ‐ End July 16
‐ 10U, 12U ‐ Start July 14 ‐ End July 23
• Tryouts at the end of July • Specific dates to be announced • Consists of: • • • •
Fall Season Winter practices Spring season Tournaments
• 2017 Season • Baseball only • August 26 through October 29 • 8U, 10U, 13U (no HS students)
• No make up games • No practice field allotment • Capacity is LIMITED • Registration will open on June 28 at 8:00 am CST • Cost = $150 per player
• Registration will open on Monday, November 6 at 8:00 am • Set calendar reminders and get in right away • Capacity in 12U, 10U, 9U, 8U, 7U, 6U will be reached within 48-72 hours • There are over 200 people currently on the 2017 wait list • Many people who played this year will miss out on 2018 because they didn’t register in time • Wait list is processed on first come, first served basis ONLY when someone drops from the league. • No preferential treatment, no favors, no exceptions
