OMYBS Competitive Baseball FAQ
1. What is a competitive/select baseball team at OMYBS?
- OMYBS defines a competitive or select team as a team of players that participate in baseball activities outside of the spring & fall recreational programs offered by OMYBS
2. What competitive baseball programs does OMYBS offer?
- OMYBS supports competitive/select baseball through 3 separate avenues
i. Participation in GBBA (Greater Birmingham Baseball Association) tournament activities after the conclusion of the traditional REC season (Ages 6 & up)
ii. Participation in the OTM (Over the Mountain) baseball league (Ages 11 & 12)
iii. Providing field access to “travel” baseball teams in the community (these are referred to as either “travel” and “select” teams by OMYBS)
3. What is the post-season GBBA tournament?
- OMYBS participates with other baseball programs in the metro Birmingham area in the post-season GBBA tournament at ages 6 & up. This tournament is designed to provide additional baseball to players in the rec programs at each park in a more competitive format. The tournament is held in May & June at various local baseball parks in the Birmingham area (Hoover, Homewood, Mt. Brook, Vestavia & Trussville).
- Players must have participated in the rec program in order to be eligible for the GBBA tournament. The tournament is generally divided into multiple brackets based on the level of competition (AAA, AA & A). There is no limit on the number of teams OMYBS can sponsor in each age group or division.
- Tournament fees and uniform costs are the responsibility of each individual team.
- It is the responsibility of the Rec coaches in each age group to organize and form teams for the GBBA tournament
- OMYBS will help facilitate team formation and provide field access for practice times and games based on the OMYBS Competitive Program Rules & Regulations
4. What is the OTM Baseball Program?
- The OTM baseball program is an opportunity for pre-formed competitive teams to participate in an organized baseball league with other competitive teams in the Birmingham metro area
- Players in the OTM program are not eligible for the rec program or the post-season GBBA tournament
- Games will be held both at OMYBS facilities as well as other parks in the Birmingham area – most games are typically held on weeknights but schedule can vary from year to year
- Teams that would like to play in the OTM league must contact the Baseball Commissioner & Competitive Commissioner at OMYBS and request registration in the OTM league
- Teams in the OTM program will register as an entire team. OMYBS does not register individual players for the OTM baseball program or assist in forming OTM teams
- OMYBS will provide field access for practice time and games based on the OMYBS Competitive Program Rules & Regulations.
5. How does OMYBS work with “travel” baseball teams in the community?
- OMYBS does not help form or administer travel baseball teams
- Travel teams may request practice time at OMYBS facilities based on the guidelines in the OMYBS Competitive Program Rules & Regulations
6. Will competitive/select teams take facilities away from the rec program at OMYBS?
- The primary goal of OMYBS is provide a quality recreation baseball program for the Oak Mountain community,
- For ages 8 & below:
i. As a general rule, OMYBS will not allocate field space for ages 8 & below to teams except for Rec teams or post-season GBBA teams
ii. No GBBA team can practice prior to the date outlined in the current OMYBS Competitive Program Rules & Regulations
iii. GBBA practices are limited to Sunday afternoons prior to the completion of the spring Rec program
i. GBBA teams (made up of Rec players) are allowed to practice only on Sunday afternoons beginning with the start of the rec baseball practice schedule,
ii. OTM teams will be allotted regularly scheduled practice time only after all Rec teams have been giving a recurring weekly practice time
iii. Travel teams will only be allocated practice time if any is available after Rec & OTM teams have been allocated regularly scheduled practice and game times
iv. Rescheduled Rec games will always take priority over Travel/Select team practices
7. How will the addition of Competitive/Select teams affect the Recreational program?
- We believe that by allowing competitive/select teams to form, it will actually enhance our recreational program. Our goal when looking into adding a competitive aspect to our program was to make absolutely certain that we protect the integrity of the REC season. From Opening Day until the conclusion of end of season tournament, our recreational program will be the focus. Our hope is that by adding a competitive aspect to our organization, that we will be able to keep better coaches and players in the program for longer. Better coaches and players make for better baseball! The only real change is that we will provide players and coaches that desire more baseball with facilities to practice and extend their season however they choose.
8. Why should my child play REC baseball instead of skipping REC and only playing on a travel team?
- We believe that playing recreational baseball can be beneficial to players or all skill levels. Playing on a REC team can offer your child experience and reps at multiple positions that they may not get to play on when playing on a travel team. This is especially true once the child reaches kid pitch at 9 & 10 years old. In a REC league, your child is likely to have more opportunities to pitch in games and gain valuable experience and self-esteem. Even the most gifted players at all levels can benefit from the confidence they gain by excelling among their peers and friends. In addition:
i. Playing recreational baseball is good for the community. Most travel teams are formed because of the friendships people made while playing REC baseball.
ii. The kids enjoy playing with their friends.
iii. The REC season is played while the kids are still in school. There are no late Sunday nights driving home from Montgomery at 10:00pm with school on Monday morning
iv. You will have access to OMYBS Practice fields for a fraction of the cost (through normal registration fees) travel teams pay to rent practice space.
v. If you have multiple kids playing in different age groups you have a better chance of watching them both play on a Saturday.
vi. It is cheaper to play REC baseball.