Q. What does PONY stand for?
A. PONY is taken from the first letters of each word in the slogan, "Protect Our Nation's Youth."
Q. Does this League have Softball?
A. Yes. Ages 6 to 14. Four divisions – 7U, 9U, 12U and 15U.
Q. Where are games played?
A. Our games are held at Luxford Elementary School located at 4808 Haygood Road Virginia Beach, Virginia 23455 and Arrowhead Elementary School located at 5549 Susquehanna Dr. Virginia Beach Virginia 23462. On occasion, we also inter-league with other local PONY programs.
Q. What else does my child need?
A. Bayside PONY recommends that your child has cleats, glove, baseball pants, socks, and belt (color to be determined by coach). These items are not included in the registration fee, and are not provided by Bayside PONY.
Q. What are the ages for each level of play?
A. Our age year for baseball runs from Apr 30 to Aug 31. Our division ages are as follows: Shetland is age 3-6, Pinto is age 5-8, Mustang is age 8-10, Bronco is age 10-12. If your child turns the earliest age listed for a specific division before Apr 30, then they will play in that age division. For example, your child is 8 years old but they turn 9 on or before Aug 31, then they will play in Mustang, and so on for the other divisions.
Q. Can my siblings play on the same team?
A. Yes, If the siblings can play in the same division.
Q. Do Board Members or Coaches get paid?
A. No. Bayside PONY is a non-profit organization run and coached strictly by unpaid volunteers. It is a common misconception that Board Members get paid, but no one, not even Executive Board Members, get paid at all. We do it because we want to make a difference and because the league couldn’t function without all our volunteers.
Q. How can I volunteer as a Board Member or Coach?
A. Bayside PONY is often looking for coaching volunteers. If you would like to coach simply register to do so during our open registration (registration has an option for both players and coaches). If you would like to volunteer to be on our board, simply contact our Volunteer Coordinator about any open positions. You can find a list of positions, to include open ones or those being filled on an interim basis, on our website under the “Contact Us” tab. For more information on each available position, please refer to the Bayside PONY By-Laws.
Q. What training is required to be a coach at LCA?
A. All training is provided at no-cost by the league. Each coach and board member is required to complete the following brief online courses: Concussion Training, Child Abuse Training (Required by the state of Virginia), and Bullying Training. We also provide access to an online coaching program for both novice and experienced coaches.
Q. If I coach or am a Board Member, can I claim it as volunteer time?
A. Yes. Some organizations, to include the military, have programs that assign credit to those that volunteer for non-profit organizations.
Q. I want to coach, but have no experience coaching; does this matter?
A. No. While experience is very valuable, it is not required and many of our coaches gain their first experiences by volunteering with Bayside PONY. It is best if you at least have a knowledge of the game, or have played it, but some of our coaches have done so without such and have become excellent coaches. The key is to have a passion and willingness to learn, and there are several coaches and board members within our organization that are willing to pass on their knowledge.
Q. Are background checks completed on coaches and board members?
A. Yes, for the safety of all our players, a background check is initiated on all coaches and board members before they are allowed to manage a team or participate in any events.
Q. If I have questions or concerns regarding my child(ren), his/her team, the rules, or the league in general, who do I contact?
A. The first contact for any of your questions or concerns should be your team manager. If your team manager does not reach an adequate solution you can contact the Division Vice President. If either cannot help you, please contact the league president.
Q. What if I have financial difficulties but want my child to play?
A. If you are having financial difficulties, go to our website and send the President your email request. This is confidential and will not be shared with anyone. Our goal at Bayside PONY is to give every child the opportunity to play baseball or softball.