Winter 2019/2020 Newsletter
The So Cal North Region is busy preparing for the 2020 season.
We held our Annual League Presidents meeting on Saturday, November 23 at William S. Hart. It was well attended. The power point was sent out to the league presidents and they are encouraged to share it with their boards.
LEAGUE REGISTRATION
Yes, registration is now available at www.pony.org.
When your league is ready to register please go to the PONY website and follow the instructions below.
For initial registration click on 2020 Baseball / Softball Registration.
If you need to ADD teams later click on Add Additional Teams.
I recommend that you wait to register until your player registration is completed so you will get the best rates available. You must register prior to your first regular scheduled game to avoid possible late fees. Also don’t forget to order your tournament patches at the same time. PONY will pay the shipping and you will have them when tournament time rolls around.
Be sure you have your unique membership number from 2019 as it will save you a lot of time when you register. Remember to register all of your teams even the divisions that you do not enter into tournament play, such as your 3 and 4 year olds. We will be cross checking the number of teams that you register against your schedules.
2020 RULE CHANGES
There are numerous rules changes. Attached to this newsletter is the complete list of rule changes and the wording that will be in the 2020 rule books.
Here are a few of the rules changes:
1. Change to the 10 run rule,
2. Creation of the new league for 3 and 4 year old players,
3. Modification to the pitch smart rules,
4. All organizations will be required to do annual background checks on all officials, managers, coaches, umpires, volunteers and staff (or any other individuals that may come into contact with the minors of the organization). Background checks at a MINIMUM must be a search from the national sex offender database but additional checks such as ID Search and National Criminal Search are recommended
BY LAWS
It is vitally important that your league has a set of bylaws by which they operate. Using previous bylaws is perfectly fine. However, please vote on and approve them through your normal process and change the date to reflect the current season of play. Having bylaws and following what is in your bylaws is important in protecting your league.
It is extremely important to include in your bylaws any modifications that you make to the PONY rules, such as the use of the 2 ¾ bat.
Should you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me. Once the bylaws are approved send an electronic copy to Raina and myself.
2020 PONY SANTION TOURNAMENTS
The dates for the 2020 PONY Sanction Tournaments have been set. The dates for the Super Regions, Zones and World Series are firm. However, the dates for district, section and region tournaments are tentative. These dates depend upon the host facilities and the number of teams that register. The North Region tournament spreadsheet will be updated as contracts are signed with the hosts.
We do our best in selecting hosts but have many things that must be taken into consideration.
Although travel distances may be an issue for the teams and the parents, it is at times our only option. Of course it would be ideal to have a more centrally located tournament for all of our teams. We simply don’t have the host facilities and directors available. That is why teams must travel.
New for 2020 in the North Region will be a post season tournament that will be held in Bakersfield for all divisions and teams who do not advance to a region or higher tournament. Dick’s Sporting Goods has offered to sponsor this tournament. Dates and details will be finalized soon.
BAT TESTING
PONY Baseball will continue to implement bat testing as we move forward. You can expect this testing to be conducted at the Open and Region Tournaments. We now have 3 machines for the North Region, one of which we can use for the 2 ¼ bats. 2 ¾ bats are NOT allowed for PONY Sanction Tournaments.
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA)
The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, State and local government, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation, and telecommunications. It also applies to the United States Congress.
To be protected by the ADA, one must have a disability or have a relationship or association with an individual with a disability. An individual with a disability is defined by the ADA as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such impairment or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment. The ADA does not specifically name all of the impairments that are covered.
If you have children that are signing up to play in your league that may have a disability that meets the protection of the ADA please ensure you and your board of directors are aware of the situation. It will not hurt to ask the parents up front. You must be accommodating and flexible to their needs.
Title II of the ADA requires that State and local governments give people with disabilities an equal opportunity to benefit from all of their programs, services, and activities (e.g. public education, employment, transportation, recreation, health care, social services, courts, voting, and town meetings).
If you have any questions at all or are unsure of your responsibilities, please contact me as soon as possible. I will put you in contact with Mr. Abe Key (President of PONY Baseball and Softball) to assist if necessary. Mr. Key is the ADA representative for PONY Baseball.
CHAMPIONS DIVISION
Do you have a CHAMPIONS DIVISION? Are you aware of the program? There are many boys and girls with special needs in your area who would love to play baseball in an organized league. There is no better feeling then to see those kids enjoying what we too often take for granted.
Please consider setting aside a couple of hours a week to bring in a Champions Division. You could make Sundays your Champions Day. Invite all players from all divisions to help out. This truly is a way to give back to the kids in our communities. Please call me if you have any questions on how to get this started in your league.
SOFTBALL
Does your league have any affiliation with a Girls Softball league? PONY Softball recently wrapped up the West Zone World Series. If you have any questions about how to register those teams with PONY Baseball and Softball please let me know. I will get you in touch with the Girls Softball Directors for the West Zone.
Again, thank you for all you have done as volunteers for the youth of our communities. If you have any questions, comments or feedback please let me know.
Sincerely
Elaine
Elaine Magner
Region Director
North Region
West Zone
PONY Baseball and Softball
[email protected]
(805) 832-2015
