For many children, youth PONY sports leagues are a major part of outdoor fun. Santa Barbara has many groups that play and the local parks are filled with baseball and softball games.
Spring, summer and fall means youth PONY sports leagues for a number of children and Santa Barbara has many different teams playing both baseball and softball. PONY stands for Protect Our Nations Youth and is an international softball and baseball organization that runs tournaments and competitions all over the world. With rules, standings, coach guidelines and training, PONY is a well run, professional level organization that allows local team access to a network that links players together in the city, county, state, country and world.
Santa Barbara’s youth PONY sports league is part of the North Region Coast and usually starts registering children 3 to 4 months before the season starts. Eight to twelve year olds usually meet at MacKenzie Park and fall leagues start forming teams in August and practices and games start after Labor Day. Each team has one weekday practice and one Sunday afternoon game per week and this year SB Pony Fall Ball season runs September, October, and November.
The PONY leagues focuses on developing a culture and playing environment that finds a balance of fun, competition, and skill development. There are pledges for parents, coaches, players and umpires and everyone is encouraged to take the pledge and honor it so that the league becomes a place for children to learn about life lessons as well as baseball and softball. The PONY sites have articles covering everything from draft day disappointments to teaching arm action and are filled with ideas and encouragement.
Volunteers are crucial in the leagues and literally the teams would not exist without them. From coaches to uniform and equipment suppliers, almost everyone involved in the season is volunteering. Parents help out as coaches and assistant coaches as well as bringing after game snacks and helping out with the logistics of transporting the team to away games.
Youth PONY sports leagues are a beloved part of many children’s lives. Learning to play softball or baseball, being a part of a team, focusing on excellence and good sportsmanship, and being able to win, lose, and tie games with other teams the same age is all part of the experience of being in a PONY league. Add to that the memories that will last for a lifetime and signing up a child for a season or volunteering for one sounds like a great idea.