Q. What age groups play at PYBSA?
A. PYBSA offers 6 age groups, from BlastBall to Pony. The age groups break down as follows.
BlastBall (T-Ball) 4 year olds
Shetland (T-Ball) 5 - 6 year olds
Pinto (Coach Pitch) 7 - 8 year olds
Mustang (Kid Pitch) 9 - 10 year olds
Bronco 11 - 12 year olds
Pony 13 - 14 year olds.
Softball follows the same age group structure except there is no t-ball age group offered.
Q. How do I know which age group my child will play in?
A. That depends if its softball or baseball. Softball's age is determined by the child's age as of January 1 of each year. In baseball the age is determined by the child's age as of April 30th. PYBSA will strictly adhere to PONY Rules regarding age; NO EXCEPTIONS.
Q. How are the teams choosen?
A. All teams are choosen via a draft. For all leagues there will be an evaluation day that allows coaches to look at the talent that is new to the league. The evalutions are open only to players who are moving up or who did not play at PYBSA last year. All kids who register make a team. The evaluations just allow the coaches to determine who they may want on their team. All players returning to the same league will play on the same teams as last year. However, the parent does have the option of putting their child back into the blind draft and being on another team.
Q. Can I request to be on a certain team?
A. No. Player draft rules are listed in the PYBSA Local Rules and were established to distribute players as evenly as possible among all teams.
Q. As a head coach I have someone who wants to help me, how do I make sure someone else does not pick his/her child so they can be my assistant?
A. We allow the head coach to protect up to 4 players prior to the draft as long as they were not already on another team in the same league. We require a signed note/verifiable e-mail from the child's parent/guardian stating that they give their permission for their child to be protected by a particular coach; NO PHONE CALLS WILL BE ALLOWED ON DRAFT DAY!. See PYBSA Local Rules for more information.
Q. How much is my registration and what does that provide?
A. Spring registration is $90 ($255 for Prime Teams). The majority of the registration fee goes toward paying infrastructure costs such as phone, trash, electricity, umpires, equipment, field maintenance, uniforms, etc. Because we receive no outside funding other than free water from the City of Saginaw, PYBSA must be self sufficient.
Q. Why does PYBSA have a mandatory fundraiser during spring?
A. In order to keep costs as low as possible, we require all players to participate in the fundraiser.
Q. Why must parents "volunteer" to man the concession stand periodically during the season?
A. It allows us to keep costs and registrations fees as low as possible.
Q. How do I find out when my child's games are?
A. Your coach will provide you with a schedule. Shortly after the season begins, the schedules will be posted on the web site along with team rosters.
Q. I am interested in coaching my son/daughters team, how do I become a coach?
A. Being a youth coach can be one of the most rewarding experiences an adult can do and PYBSA is always in need of good coaches. Because we are an all volunteer association we need people who are interested in working with young people and teaching them the game of baseball/softball. If you are interested in becoming a coach, make sure you either get your name on the coaches signup form or make sure you check the head coach or assistant coach option on the registration form. The Board of Directors will select the coaches each year. We require that all coaches fill out a coaching contract and agree to certain duties and also fill out a back ground screening form. If you are new to the association we may ask for a couple of references from people within the association. If you want more information on becoming a coach contact one of the Board Members.
Q. Does PYBSA have a rulebook?
A Yes. PYBSA league play abides by the Official Rules of Major League Baseball. Where applicable, MLB rules are superceded by PONY rules (available at www.pony.org) and lastly all rules are superceded by the PYBSA local rule book which is available on our website by clicking on LOCAL RULES.
Q. My child's team was not credited with play a game, why would this be?
A. Most likely because the coach or Team Mom didn't enter the information into the scoring log. Have you coach contact the Baseball or Softball Administrative Director to correct the situation. It is the Head Coach's responsibility to enter game scores immediately after the conclusion of each game. Failure to do so in a timely manner (usually with 2 weeks) could cause the game to be officially recorded as a tie game.
Q. Can I practice on PYBSA fields?
A. No. In the spring we have games on the fields all of the time. Coaches must find their own practice fields unless permission is granted by the PYBSA Board of Directors and ALL teams have an equal opportunity to use the field. In the fall, teams may use the fields as scheduled by the field directors.
Q. How do I find out about rainouts?
A. Your coach is responsible for calling you about rainouts or you can check the website. If the website or your coach does not explicitly say games are off, then games are on.
Q. What time are the games cancelled?
A. During the week, we make a decision whether we can play by 4:00 pm. On the weekend, we try to make the call as early as possible which is usually by 8:00 am. The website and rain out number are immediately updated in case of cancellations.
Q. How are official standings determined if teams play a different number of games for any reason?
A. The league champion will be determined by best overall record in the respective league. In case of equal records, the following method will be used to declare a champion:
- Over-all record for the entire league.
- Head-to-Head Margin of Victory
- If still tied, the over all run differential will determine the champion.
Q. What is the End-of-Season tournament?
A. Teams will be seeded based on their final regular season results. Each division will then play a single elimination tournament, with the championship game being played on the final day of the tournament.
Q. How do I become a sponsor?
A. Sponsorship is badly needed by PYBSA since we get no funding from the City of Fort Worth or Saginaw. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor please contact the President or Vice President or e-mail
info@pybsa.org for more information.
Q. Why did I get a ticket for parking on the side of the road next to the drainage ditch?
A. Parking anywhere other than the parklot across from the fields or behind the Pony field is strictly prohibited and violators are subject to being towed at the owners expense.
