20 September 2011
Dear LCYO Parents,
Recently Jon Stearn, in his Fall President’s letter announced that the league would be changing the way we form teams and compete at the Mustang (9-10) and Bronco (11-12) levels for the Spring 2012 season. I’d like to follow up and expanded upon that topic in an effort to make sure there is an understanding of the change and why our board has voted to make it before registration opens next month.
Concept:
· To split the league at the Mustang and Bronco levels into a two tier format; One purely recreational division and another division playing a more competitive level of Baseball.
· The Competitive Division would be populated with our elite level players. Kids that have made a major commitment to develop their baseball skills and typically play the sport year around. They likely play both in LCYO and on another competitive Club, Travel or Tournament team. We estimate that this group represents approximately 30% of all registered players.
· The Recreational Division will be comprised of kids that enjoy playing baseball in a positive community based program but aren’t interested in playing the game at advanced competitive levels or are new to the sport and would benefit from playing against a like peer group that allows them to advance their skills and enjoy the lessons and benefits of playing team sports against players at their ability and interest level. We estimated that this group will represent approximately 70% of all registered players.
Purpose:
· To improve the baseball experience for all by allowing kids that are of a like or similar ability and interest level to play with and against each other.
· To try and keep more overall players playing baseball longer; allowing the children from our community the opportunity and encouragement to continue their athletic enjoyment and life learning experiences afforded though team sport.
· It’s believed that this change may encourage more children to continue playing baseball longer.
· The more experienced, completive level players are more likely to stay in the league because they will be better challenged by the higher overall level of play and heightened competitive environment.
· The more recreational or developmental level players may be encouraged to continue in the sport and advance their passion, skills and confidence because they’ll be playing with more like level players.
· The recreational league players will also have increased opportunity with more reps at bat and without the elite players eating up the Pitching, Catching, SS and 1st base positions he will have more opportunity to play and learn key and challenging positions in the field.
Why:
· We are observing a changing environment in youth sports that stretches beyond our league and sport.
· The gap of ability, enthusiasm and frequency of play between our lowest and highest level players appears to be growing.
· It’s submitted that this gap is pushing players at both levels (elite and developmental) out of the game and/or our league.
· The recreational level kids are quitting the sport in frustration and the elite kids are choosing to play club or travel ball exclusive of the community league.
· We see this model in other leagues and sports.
· Carlsbad Lightning Soccer would a good example of this model. They offer the kids from our community an opportunity to play either Recreational or Competitive soccer.
The hard fact is we are seeing a very significant drop off in the number of kids playing in our league at age 9 and above.
In the spring 2011 season LCYO fielded the follow number of teams per age group
TeeBall (5-6) 22 teams
Pinto (7-8) 28 teams
Mustang (9-10) 22 teams
Bronco (11-12) 12 teams
Pony (13-14) 4 teams
The numbers for Teeball and Pinto have been steady or growing over the past five years. The number of kids playing at Mustang and beyond have been dropping and fast. As recently as the Spring 2010 Season LCYO fielded 24 Mustang, 16 Bronco and 8 Pony Teams.
The numbers are telling, kids at all levels of ability and interest have been exiting the league in increasing numbers starting at age 9 and accelerating as the age increases.
It’s hard for me to believe that we are maximizing our community value as a organization when more than 60% of the kids playing at 8 will be finished playing community baseball with their schoolmates and neighborhood friends at the age of 10.
Our board has researched and discussed this change for more than a year. We have spoken in detail and sought out input and advice from other baseball leagues, PONY local and regional officials, past members of our board, coaches from our league and parents from our community. We also have looked at models from other sports (i.e. soccer, basketball). While this move does bring change, we believe that it will create a better playing experience for all of our kids, at all levels of ability and interest, while preserving a community based program.
It’s interesting to note that LCYO has gone through some very significant changes over its 32 year history. For example at our founding the center of our program was a empty church owned field on Alga Parkway. We started by offering the kids from our community a place to play baseball and soccer. As time went on the league added softball and moved away from soccer. For much of its history LCYO was an independent league, not affiliated with PONY or any other national association. The goal was to create an opportunity to allow the children of our community a structure to play sports in a positive and community based non-profit program and today that remains our goal and reason for existing.
It’s time to change and adapt again. It’s worth noting that there are several larger PONY affiliated leagues in the Los Angeles area that have already successfully adapted this model. Based on our discussions with league officers we believe that other North County leagues are likely to make this change in coming seasons and in fact our neighbors at Carlsbad Youth Baseball (CYB) have agreed that changing to this format would be a benefit to the kids in their league as well.
The Officers of CYB and LCYO have worked very closing in examining the benefits and possible pitfalls of this change. This working relationship and shared vision has lead to a partnership and agreement to play a interleague schedule for the Mustang and Bronco Competitive Divisions in the Spring 2012 season.
The Recreational Division will remain an intramural program and LCYO teams will continue playing one another in a format very similar to what the kids have experienced in past seasons.
Alignment and Format:
There will be no change to the team formation or league format at the TeeBall (5-6), Pinto (7-8), Pony (13-14) or Colt (15-16) levels
The Mustang (9-10) and Bronco (11-12) Divisions will each be split into two groups:
Mustang American (Recreational) and Mustang National (Competitive)
Bronco American (Recreational) and Bronco National (Competitive)
The American League (Recreational)
· Teams will play as one division in Bronco and be divided into two sub-divisions (North/South) for Mustang.
· Each will play an full season schedule against one another.
· No Interleague play.
· The American League will continue to play LCYO local rules
All in all the American League will look and operate in a very similar fashion to past seasons.
The National League (Competitive)
· Teams will play an inter-league schedule against other LCYO NL teams and CYB Competitive teams.
· The National League will play modified PONY All Star Tournament Rules.
Player Evaluation and Draft:
· ALL age eligible league players will go through a planned evaluation day.
· Players will be graded and ranked on their performance ability by league appointed non-interested observers.
· This “official” evaluation will be used by the NL Managers along with their own observations and any past experience or knowledge of the players to draft their teams.
· Any registered player is eligible to be drafted by a National League Team unless the players parent specifically opts out at registration and requests that their child only be placed on a Recreational (American League) team.
· All NL Managers are free to pick any league eligible, registered player regardless of actual ranking.
· The National League teams will hold their draft first.
· Each NL team will draft a total of 11 players.
· The American League (recreational) coaches will then draft teams from the remaining player pool.
· The AL draft will go 12rds or until all available players are selected
In short, LCYO will continue to offer an opportunity for your child to play community based baseball with his schoolmate, friends and neighbors.
LCYO will retain it values and goals. We will continue to be a community resource focused on providing the children of the greater LaCosta neighborhood an opportunity to enjoy the sport of baseball and experience the life lessons gained from team sports in a positive environment.
We believe that this is the correct course of action and hope that it will result in more kids playing baseball for a longer period of time.
If your son/daughter is interested in playing baseball in a purely recreational environment our league will continue to provide that opportunity for him or her and place them on a team with players at their interest and ability level.
If your son/daughter is looking for a more advanced, competitive playing experience our league will now offer them a chance to have that, while continuing to play in a community based league with and against their schoolmates, friend and neighbors.
I’d like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that LCYO is a community based non-profit organization and is completely volunteer run. Thanks to the efforts and contribution of time from more than 500 coaches, team parents and league administrators we strive to provide a positive environment for the children of LaCosta from aged 5 – 16 to enjoy the benefits and experiences of playing Baseball and Softball.
If after reviewing this you have any questions, suggestions or concerns, please contact me. If you’re asking something in the nature of a league wide question, procedure or rule I’ll ask that you post it to the LCYO FACEBOOK page and I’ll answer it there. If you have a specific question regarding your child please email me at baseballdirector@lcyo.org.
I hope that your children enjoy playing in our league!
Regards
Michael McCrory
LCYO Vice President / Director of Baseball
