Orinda Baseball Association (OBA)

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 required 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.

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
2011 REGISTRATION GUIDELINES

1. ELIGIBILITY: Pinto Division is 8 and under.  Player birthdays must fall between MAY 1, 2003 AND APRIL 30, 2005.  Players born after May 1, 2005 can register on the waiting list.  The cutoff between being 8 and 7 is April 30th, 2004.

   1. If we exceed 96 players during the online registration period a Waiting List will be              compiled for all players who register and are not in the first group of 96.

      1. Waiting List preference will be given to:

1. Returning 8 year old players.
2. First year 8 year old players.
3. 7 year old players. 
4. 6 year old players.

1. There are no games on either weekend of Spring Break. 
2. Most games are on weekends, both Saturday & Sunday.  You will have some weeks where you play both days. 
3. The season concludes with a Playoff beginning the first week of June.

1. TOURNAMENT – Two 12 player teams will be selected by the Managers and the Commissioner in late April to represent OBA in an 8U tournament. 
2. ALL STAR – One 12 player team will be selected by the Managers and the Commissioner the first week of June to represent OBA in an 8U tournament in San Bruno over the 4th of July weekend. 
3. More detailed Information on Tournament and All Star team selections will be provided at your team meeting prior to the start of the season.

The Goal of Pinto is to develop the skills necessary to play Mustang baseball.

• 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

• 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

• 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

• "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