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PONY BASEBALL & SOFTBALL ORGANIZATION SUGGESTED RESTART PROTOCOL

For those organizations who are planning a return to practice/play, please review the suggested restart protocol available at this link to the Pony Website:  CLICK HERE.  The decision to return to practice and/or playing games is a league decision that must be made based upon the guidance and direction from the health officials in your specific jurisdiction as well as the needs/desires of each organization's members.  

You can also review the Centers for Disease Control COVID-19 Considerations for Youth Sports:  CLICK HERE.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact Region Director Ken Hawkins or North Section Director Tony Stapleton.


PONY BASEBALL & SOFTBALL STATEMENT REGARDING COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK UPDATED 4/24/2020

PONY Baseball and Softball offers its deepest sympathies to all who have been impacted by COVID-19 throughout the world. These are challenging times for everyone, but our company’s 69-year history assures us that our organization, our people, and the communities we proudly serve will rebound. We are resilient and will all emerge stronger and more united than ever to serve our youth. 

We want you to know that PONY is currently working through all possible scenarios for 2020 regular season play, some form of tournament play and possibly World Series play.  These scenarios would provide eligibility for our teams and leagues in all age groups of PONY Baseball and Softball. 

Our priority is to insure a safe environment for a local league season. Once the regular season commences, PONY will evaluate the amount of time remaining in the summer and hopefully offer a version of 2020 tournament play.  This could consist of a single state tournament if permissible under that state’s law, and in some circumstances, a multi-state  Zone tournament as allowable. We are also consulting with each state that hosts a World Series to determine what course of action to take for 2020 World Series tournaments. 

We recognize that elected officials are beginning to announce timelines for relaxing their strict measures taken to mitigate the coronavirus. In some areas stay-at-home orders could be lifted as early as May 1, while several areas have not yet announced an end to their restrictions.

On a federal level, in the United States, the President last week issued guidelines that will allow governors to take a phased and deliberate approach to reopening their individual states. Governors will devise and announce a plan that meets the diverse circumstances of their state.

Many of our spring and summer PONY facilities are located on school, municipal or public park grounds. PONY advises you check with local and state officials regarding the use of these facilities and in what phase they will reopen. 
 
As our elected officials consider rolling out plans to reopen, we must ensure the health, safety and welfare of our PONY players, families, volunteers and fans. Most states are considering reopening in phases.  Therefore, PONY encourages each team and league to consult their local and state health officials and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) for guidelines and timeframes. 

Our world is facing an enormous challenge. With sports at all levels on hold, we realize more than ever the importance of your PONY programs and how much we all miss the daily routine of practice, games and the social interaction. 

Please adhere to your state mandate for reopening. Be sure to continue to take safety measures at your fields and parks. Be mindful of social distancing on the field and in the stands, personal hygiene and facemasks for players and fans. 

Be safe and we hope that you use an abundance of caution as you consider reopening your league.

Pony Baseball and Softball is proud to announce an Alumni Scholarship for graduates of Pony 14U™, Colt 16U™ and/or Palomino 18U™ leagues. In order to be considered for a scholarship a baseball or softball player must have played on a Pony affiliated Pony™, Colt™ and/or Palomino™ team for at least two years prior to application and be a senior in high school. 

Likewise an application must be submitted prior to May 1st, 2020 along with the School & Community Activities Form, an Essay on the designated topic, an Official Secondary School Transcript, test results from either the SAT, ACT or TOEFL, a copy of the Letter of Acceptance from the school you are planning to attend, a Notarized Letter confirming participation in an affiliated league and two Letters of Recommendation.

When the aforementioned information has been received, the Scholarship Committee will consider the application complete.

The Scholarship Committee will administer eight scholarships annually, one each to the four United States Zones (North, East, South, and West), Asia Pacific Zone, Caribbean Zone, Canada and Mexico.

The study showed that:

• There are four fundamental tenets to creating fun—internal, external, social and contextual factors that make up the complete fun experience for kids.
• Eleven fun factors lie within the fundamental tenets and include being a good sport, trying hard, positive coaching, learning and improving, game time support, games, practices, team friendships, mental bonuses, team rituals and swag.
• The 11 fun factors are each defined by the various 81 fun-determinants—specific, actionable behaviors that foster fun.
• Among the 11 fun factors, being a good sport, trying hard and positive coaching were the most important when it comes to fun; together, these three factors were coined the “youth sport ethos”—a collection of 28 fun-determinants that set the standard for promoting a culture of fun.
• Swag—such as having a cool uniform or the latest sports gear—was rated as the least important determinant of fun.
  

 The video and articles are worth some time as we strive to protect our nation's youth through baseball and softball programs.

PONY PARTNERS WITH DUGOUT CAPTAIN - OFFERS FREE COACHING HELP

Pony Baseball has partnered with Dugout Captain to provide assistance to coaches in practice planning, drill selection and workout planning.  This is a much needed improvement to our League's programs and is free to all Pony members! Coaching baseball is challenging, regardless of your experience level. Pony Baseball's objective and the mission of Dugout Captain is to ensure that baseball is fun for our participants by supporting a positive, safe, and developmental environment for ballplayers to grow as athletes and individuals. Dugout Captain helps coaches do that through drill videos, practice plans, and training lessons, all built upon the philosophy that we can train champions and prepare them for the big leagues, while also ensuring that they have a smile on their face. It is our belief that the pressures, experiences, and adversities faced through sport teach life skills and character traits that will help players throughout their lives.  This program, which normally costs leagues hundreds or thousands of dollars is free to Pony Members.  For more information or to sign up your league, click here.