The focus of the OPBA is on development and this goal is an important tenant in the OPBA team creation policy. 

• Development begins with the physical and athletic development of our players. While baseball and softball are the catalyst, we are developing motor skills, coordination, and agility that can be used in other sports and other facets of life.
• Development doesn’t stop there as we are also developing behaviors like sportsmanship and how to handle adversity. Under the protection of sport we are enabling our children to face and overcome challenges in a safe environment.
• We are developing drive, determination, and competitiveness by teaching our players to give their best effort regardless of the situation and to strive to improve regardless of circumstance.
• We are developing interpersonal and social skills by assigning players on teams comprised of players they don’t already know. While they may not understand it, they are learning how to work with people from different walks of life and to respect them for their differences as well as their similarities.
• Essentially, we are developing a community and we are thrilled you are a part of it.

Team Creation Policy: 8-14 Year Old Divisions

Goal: Create Competitively Balanced Teams
Committee: OPBA Coaches and OPBA Board Members
Process: Teams will be created by using a formula intended to competitively balance each team. The formula will include prior year player ratings which were assessed by the prior year coach, new player evaluations, and general knowledge of an individual player’s ability. Each Head Coach will be paired with their child and will be able to request up to 2 assistant coaches plus one additional player for their team (siblings will be counted as 1 player). The team creation committee will honor these requests only if they comply with the OPBA policy of creating competitively balanced teams. There will be a limit on the number of OPBA All Star players allowed per team. This number will be different for each age group; determined based on the total number of All Star players in the age group.

Team Creation Policy: 4-7 Year Old Divisions

Goal: Randomly create teams
Committee: OPBA Coaches and OPBA Board Members
Process: Teams will be created by random selection. Unlike the older divisions, there are no player ratings at the 4-7 year old divisions. Each Head Coach will be paired with their child and will be able to request up to 3 assistant coaches.

Friend/Coach Pairing Request Policy

OPBA will NOT be taking requests from parents to pair their child with a friend or a coach. Coaches are the only individuals who may make requests, and must do so consistent with the team creation policy.  This is consistent with our goal listed above to develop interpersonal and social skills by assigning players on teams comprised of players they don’t already know. While they may not understand it, they are learning how to work with people from different walks of life and to respect them for their differences as well as their similarities.  If you firmly believe that your child must be paired with another individual, we encourage you to volunteer as a coach.