“The Game and Me”

Wouldn't it be cool to have your sports related memories or anecdotes published? To be able to save that memory forever and share it with others? Well, here is your chance!

Kelly O'Neil, editor and avid sports fan, is collecting these stories to share in the book "The Game and Me".  He believes (and is right as far as I'm concerned) that there are so many of these sports stories out there just waiting to be told.

So here is the scoop:

WHO: Editor, dedicated sports fan and father of three Kelly O’Neil is looking for your most memorable sports story.

WHAT: You’re invited to submit your sports-related memories and anecdotes for consideration in “The Game and Me” (Synergy Books).

WHEN: Submissions for “The Game and Me” will be accepted on an on-going basis until a sufficient amount of material has been collected.

WHERE: To submit your short story and see submission guidelines, please visit www.thegameandme.com.

WHY: Americans have long had a love affair with sports. From baseball to football and sports in between, “The Game and Me” is a celebration of sports and those who’ve been shaped by the game. Whether you were at the game, watching from home, playing or coaching we want to hear about the unforgettable sports moments that changed your life, inspired you and touched your heart.

Keeping score

Position Chart

Do you "keep the book" at your child's baseball or softball games?  Have you ever wanted to, but didn't know how to keep score of a baseball game.  It's not that hard once you get the hang of it.  

At the beginning of most scorebooks they have instructions for keeping score.  Numbers are used for all the positions to make it easier to keep track of everything.  Familiarize yourself with the terms used at a site like Sunset Park Little League Guide to Scorekeeping.  

Some leagues for younger kids will keep a much simpler book.  They will simply record if someone got out or reached base.  Then they will darken the line around the bases as they advance.  Filling in the diamond shows that a run has scored.  This basic amount is usually the minimum required by leagues to make sure the score is right. 

If you have an IPhone, Blackberry or Android phone you can get an app to score the game with.  iScore and GameChanger are two of the apps available to do this.  Once you have a scorebook or a smartphone app, watch some games on tv and practice what you have learned.  

Fundraising

There are many different ways you can raise money for your team. Here are some options. 

Raffles can be big money makers especially if you can get all your prizes donated by local businesses.  Then the only cost you will have is printing the tickets.  

You can sell products to raise money.   From beef jerky to seat cushions there are opportunities to sell many things.  Some of them you get the product and then sell them one by one.  While others you take orders from a catalog. 

Another option is selling discount cards or coupon books.  They provide great value for the price if used regularly.  You can raise money much faster selling $20 coupon books than with the $1 items. 

Many large corporations such as Nike and Microsoft offer grants available to youth sports organizations.   Some government agencies also help with funding youth sports.

Fundraising is a great way to help keep costs down for parents. We all know the expenses can rack up fast for our kids sports. Just check out STATS DAD for more on the cost of youth sports. 

PONY Baseball

PONY stands for Protect Our Nation's Youth. The concept for the name originally came from boys at the local YMCA in Washington, Pennsylvania and stood for "Protect Our Neighborhood Youth," but change  in the early 1950's (when PONY became a national organization) from "Neighborhood" to "Nation's."

Check out the history of Pony Baseball.

For the most part Pony Baseball uses two year age brackets. Traditionally it goes like this...

Shetland- 4-6yr olds

Pinto- 7-8yr olds

Mustang- 9-10yr olds

Bronco- 11-12yr olds

PONY- 13-14yr olds

Colt- 15-16yr olds

Palomino- 17-18yr olds (+ three 19yr olds)

Check out this video that explains how the divisions work.

Dixie Baseball

Dixie Youth Baseball was organized in the state of South Carolina in 1955. The name of the program was Little Boys Baseball. In 1962 the name was changed to Dixie Youth Baseball.

Dixie Youth Baseball has leagues in eleven states across the south. They have five divisions of play.

A is t-ball for ages 6 and under and uses 50' baselines.

AA  is ages 8 and under and is played differently in different leagues.  Some leagues have pitching machines while others have coach pitch. They use 60' base paths and 46' from the pitching rubber to home plate.

AAA uses the same field dimensions and is for ages 10 and under.

For the 12 and under age group they have 2 divisions.

- The Majors Division which uses the dimensions of the lower divisions.

- "O" zone division which has 70' base paths and 50' from rubber to the plate. This level has open bases (you can lead off and steal), and regular baseball rules.

Dixie Boys Baseball is for ages 13 and 14, with an 80' base path and 54" pitching distance.

Dixie Majors uses a 90" base path and a pitching distance of 60'.  They are for ages 15-19. At the end of local league play a Pre-Majors team, ages 15 and 16, may be selected for tournament play.

 

Their intent was to develop a program which would give local leagues more control in deciding how their leagues are run. There are basic fundamental rules each league must follow, but customs will vary and leagues may establish policies for the operation of their local program.