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OBA Minimum Skills & Selection Criteria
By Division

Age and skill requirements for each Division are listed below. By registering your son/daughter, please
recognize the commitment you and your child are making to OBA. In all Divisions, players are requir ed to attend two practices a week and two games on the weekends; sometimes there might be a game during the weekday. At the Bronco and Pony levels, the time requirements are even greater. If there is a conflict with other activities, you need to adjust your schedule to work around the OBA practices and games. Once teams are selected, roster changes are not allowed.

Many parents wonder whether their child is ready for the next Division in OBA.  To help you better understand where your child stands, or where they need more development, below are the minimum skills requirement for each Division of OBA.


Birthdates:  Children born between 5/1/01 and 4/30/03; 7-8 years old on 4/30/2010

Minimum skills:

• Able to play catch with a hardball baseball and catch the ball with a mitt
• Able to throw with a relatively normal (but still developing) throwing motion
• Able to properly hold and swing a bat at a slow (over or underhand) pitch

Birthdates: Children born between 5/1/99 and 4/30/01; 9-10 years old on 4/30/2010

Minimum skills:

• Greater proficiency in playing catch and catching a baseball in a mitt
• Understand basic baseball rules
• Able to throw a baseball with a relatively normal throwing motion and increasing pace and accuracy. Target throwing distance of 60 feet (base distance).
• Generally able to field ground balls with a mitt, and demonstrate proper form (i.e., glove on the ground, between player's feet, and with "alligator mouth" or "garbage can lid" use of two hands)
• Developing ability to catch fly balls in the outfield with a mitt, including those that require judging velocity and flight path and moving to the ball (i.e., should be able to catch at least 5 out of 10 fly balls hit to them in the outfield)
• Able to properly hold and swing a bat at a faster paced pitch (35-40 mph batting cage speed), including pitches from Mustang-level players, and make semi-consistent contact.
• Basic baserunning skills
• Able to remember and generally follow coaching signs

Goals in Mustang

• To develop ability to properly square up for a bunt
• To begin to think about and work on footwork
• To learn to slide and understand basic baserunning philosophy and strategy
• Begin to read pitches

Birthdates: Children born between 5/1/97 and 4/30/99; 11-12 years old on 4/30/2010 Minimum skills:

• Good understanding of basic baseball rules
• Very good to excellent ability to throw and catch a baseball (i.e., rarely drops or misses the ball)
• Able to throw a baseball with a normal throwing motion with still increasing pace and accuracy. Target distance 70 feet (base distance).
• Able to field ground balls proficiently and demonstrate proper form (including balls requiring backhanded fielding)
• Able to catch fly balls proficiently in the outfield, including those that require judging velocity and flight path and moving to the ball
• Able to properly hold and swing a bat at any speed pitches (minimum 45-50 mph batting cage speed) and consistently make contact
• Able to properly square up and execute a bunt
• Solid baserunning skills and increasing speed (i.e., able to slide and has a good understanding of baserunning rules)
• Begin to read pitching
• Able to remember and follow coaching signs with high proficiency

Goals in Bronco

• To increase proficiency at reading pitches
• Good and developing footwork
• Beginning to develop "expertise" at one (and hopefully more) positions, including ability to cover/backup bases, etc., when ball does not go to the subject player

Birthdates: Children born between 5/1/95 and 4/30/97; 13-14 years old on 4/30/2010

Minimum skills:

Generally speaking, the expectations at the Pony level are very high. A player must be proficient in all
aspects of the game, and must possess very strong throwing, catching, fielding, baserunning, and batting
skills.
All skills required for Bronco, plus:

• "Expertise" at one (and hopefully) more positions
• Understands strategy and is becoming more adept at situational issues depending on position played
• Strong batting skills and able to read pitching
• Throws with accuracy and velocity
• Strong baserunning skills
• Knows and can demonstrate proper footwork at preferred positions