Hey Bengals,
We're just 1 week away from our House League season starting on Tuesday May 24th. It's been a busy off-season getting prepared for our first full season since 2019, and we wanted to share some last minute updates and important information before our 2022 season begins...
Uniforms:
For week 1, coaches will be provided with the pants and hats for their players. Unfortunately the supply chain issues and delays that we all face today have also affected our house league jersey order. We were expecting to have the jerseys this week so that coaches could also pick them up with their equipment, but unfortunately we are still waiting. Players are asked to simply wear a tshirt or sweater for week 1, and the conveners and volunteers will ensure that jerseys are provided to the teams as soon as they are available.
Schedules:
The House League schedule has been finalized and should be posted on the website in the next day or two. We apologize for the delay, but when we extended House League registration we had a 25-30% jump in our numbers and had to work on diamond allocations and adjusting permits to fulfill our needs. As soon as the schedules are posted our members will again be able to download the SportsHeadz app and access their team via the email used during registration.
Umpires:
There has been a significant decrease in the amount of umpires available, across Ontario. Here in Orangeville we face a similar struggle, particularly when it comes to our older teen and adult umpires. Some of our Representative coaches have signed up to Umpire, but there is still a significant gap. We have raised our pay rates for the 2022 season, and are still looking for umpires. For more information, please reach out to our Umpire In Chief - Phil Lankhof.
5U Rally Cap:
Our
Rally Cap Page has been updated, and coaches are encouraged to review the information in advance of the first week. We're excited about adding this new program to the OHMBA, and while we know there will be challenges (as there is with implementing any new program), we look forward to all feedback from our coaches, parents and players.
7U coaches are also encouraged to review the information, as 1 team each week with practice instead of playing a game, and coaches are encouraged to utilize the Rally Cap drills and structure for that practice.
Fields Improvements:
Town Operations has confirmed that the resurfacing of Princess of Wales, and the Springbrook Shack & North diamonds will take place this summer. Current contractor schedules have work starting on Princess of Wales around the middle of June, expected to last 2 weeks. The work at Springbrook will take place immediately afterwards, with all works scheduled to be completed by the middle of July.
This is bound to have an impact on our scheduling, and we are already exploring options to move/reschedule games, while waiting for confirmation of start dates from the Town. It will be great to have 3 newly resurfaced diamonds, even though there will be some inconvenience while the work is completed.
Shack Renovation:
We received notification from the Town that the Committee of Adjustments meeting will review our application at the June 1st meeting. We are expecting our application to be approved, with our build permit to be issued following a 20 day appeal period after approval (approx. June 22). The Shack / Snackbar will not be operational during the season, and a portable washroom is being secured so that facilities are available at the diamond.
There is a lot going on this season for the OHMBA, and we hope you'll enjoy being a part of the developments as we continue to grow and develop the Orangeville baseball community. As always, we welcome and appreciate your constructive feedback and support, and we look forward to seeing everyone back out on the fields soon.
Bengals Ready?
#Ready2Roar
Sincerely,
Your OHMBA Executive
#Community #Leadership #Development