Each year, Carlsbad Youth Baseball, or CYB, serves hundreds of players and their families in Carlsbad and the surrounding cities.
“Like thousands of other local baseball leagues throughout the world, our organization was inspired by the desire to provide an opportunity for Carlsbad children to play baseball in an organized program,” said Tom Watson, president of the nonprofit organization.
The Carlsbad Business Journal sat down with Watson to discuss CYB, which has a policy to never refuse a child who wants to play but can't afford it.
CBJ: When was CYB founded and what was the inspiration behind it?
Watson: Youth baseball has been played in Carlsbad since before the 1950s, when Lew Chase organized a community effort to build the fields that bear his name and still form our main home at the corner of Chestnut and Harding streets. In the early 1990s, the local baseball leadership decided to abandon Little League in favor of PONY baseball. As a result, CYB was legally incorporated in its current format in 1992.
CBJ: What is the organization's mission?
Watson: To provide the opportunity for all children, regardless of skill, experience and financial status to have a positive and fun experience learning the fundamentals of baseball, teamwork and sportsmanship.
CBJ: What programs does CYB offer?
Watson: PONY Baseball is similar to Little League, but we play by more advanced rules. For example, we allow kids to take lead offs and pitch from a stretch starting at age 9, whereas in Little League those skills aren't taught until 13. The kids really like being given the opportunity to master these skills. We follow PONY age guidelines and have separate programs for ages 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14 and 15-18. Our primary season is in the spring, but we also offer an instructional program in the fall. The fall program is designed to allow kids to play baseball as a secondary sport. Our team managers and coaches are all volunteers, so we also offer a training program for coaches so that the kids get the best possible instruction within budget constraints. Finally, we have an in-house umpire program that consists of adults and teens. We offer an outstanding umpire training and development program, which has received tremendous recognition for its work.
CBJ: How does the organization help the community?
Watson: The families in our program often develop friendships that start out at Chase Fields when the kids are in Pinto League and last a lifetime. One of the best things about our program is that every season we have teens and adults who come back to help out. Just this season, we had two former players in their early 20s offer to coach one of our teams and they did a fantastic job.
CBJ: Why are the services CYB provides needed?
Watson: As an organized entity, there are several things that we can provide that individual families cannot. There is a lot of behind the scenes work required to handle registration, organize teams, develop schedules and etc. Also, we run our programs at a cost that most families can afford. Thanks to the help of our sponsors, we are able to provide financial assistance to children who want to play, but whose families aren't able to afford it.
CBJ: How do you measure success?
Watson: We measure ourselves in several different categories, including finance and performance. Our performance measures are based on an end of year survey that is sent to all of our parents. Nearly all of the parents polled this year said they would enroll their child again next season.
CBJ: What needs does the nonprofit have?
Watson: Our biggest needs are for volunteers and sponsors. Since Carlsbad is such a fantastic community, we don't have as many problems in these areas as many organizations. Our board has done a good job over the past several years in raising funds, which put us in a strong position with financial reserves, but we can always use financial contributions.
CBJ: How can people get involved?
Watson: Our fall season is starting soon, so if you have kids who want to play, sign them up now. It's a great time for new or developing players to learn. People can also just come out and watch the games. Those who want to coach can contact us through our Web site and we will put them on our list of volunteers for next season. The same applies for other types of volunteer jobs.
CBJ: Is there anything else you would like to add?
Watson: On July 21, we and other baseball organizations in Carlsbad attended the City Council meeting to support the proposal to re-name Poinsettia Field No. 1 as Thorp Field in memory of Mitchell Thorp and in appreciation of the family's many years of service to Carlsbad's baseball community. Mitchell passed away last year at the age of 18 after batting an unknown illness for five years. In 2006, we sponsored a walk-a-thon event that raised nearly $100,000 for Mitchell's medical expenses. I think this proposal is a great example of what our community can do to preserve important elements of our history and our culture.
Carlsbad Youth Baseball:
(760) 599-3210
www.carlsbadyouthbaseball.org
“Like thousands of other local baseball leagues throughout the world, our organization was inspired by the desire to provide an opportunity for Carlsbad children to play baseball in an organized program,” said Tom Watson, president of the nonprofit organization.
The Carlsbad Business Journal sat down with Watson to discuss CYB, which has a policy to never refuse a child who wants to play but can't afford it.
CBJ: When was CYB founded and what was the inspiration behind it?
Watson: Youth baseball has been played in Carlsbad since before the 1950s, when Lew Chase organized a community effort to build the fields that bear his name and still form our main home at the corner of Chestnut and Harding streets. In the early 1990s, the local baseball leadership decided to abandon Little League in favor of PONY baseball. As a result, CYB was legally incorporated in its current format in 1992.
CBJ: What is the organization's mission?
Watson: To provide the opportunity for all children, regardless of skill, experience and financial status to have a positive and fun experience learning the fundamentals of baseball, teamwork and sportsmanship.
CBJ: What programs does CYB offer?
Watson: PONY Baseball is similar to Little League, but we play by more advanced rules. For example, we allow kids to take lead offs and pitch from a stretch starting at age 9, whereas in Little League those skills aren't taught until 13. The kids really like being given the opportunity to master these skills. We follow PONY age guidelines and have separate programs for ages 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14 and 15-18. Our primary season is in the spring, but we also offer an instructional program in the fall. The fall program is designed to allow kids to play baseball as a secondary sport. Our team managers and coaches are all volunteers, so we also offer a training program for coaches so that the kids get the best possible instruction within budget constraints. Finally, we have an in-house umpire program that consists of adults and teens. We offer an outstanding umpire training and development program, which has received tremendous recognition for its work.
CBJ: How does the organization help the community?
Watson: The families in our program often develop friendships that start out at Chase Fields when the kids are in Pinto League and last a lifetime. One of the best things about our program is that every season we have teens and adults who come back to help out. Just this season, we had two former players in their early 20s offer to coach one of our teams and they did a fantastic job.
CBJ: Why are the services CYB provides needed?
Watson: As an organized entity, there are several things that we can provide that individual families cannot. There is a lot of behind the scenes work required to handle registration, organize teams, develop schedules and etc. Also, we run our programs at a cost that most families can afford. Thanks to the help of our sponsors, we are able to provide financial assistance to children who want to play, but whose families aren't able to afford it.
CBJ: How do you measure success?
Watson: We measure ourselves in several different categories, including finance and performance. Our performance measures are based on an end of year survey that is sent to all of our parents. Nearly all of the parents polled this year said they would enroll their child again next season.
CBJ: What needs does the nonprofit have?
Watson: Our biggest needs are for volunteers and sponsors. Since Carlsbad is such a fantastic community, we don't have as many problems in these areas as many organizations. Our board has done a good job over the past several years in raising funds, which put us in a strong position with financial reserves, but we can always use financial contributions.
CBJ: How can people get involved?
Watson: Our fall season is starting soon, so if you have kids who want to play, sign them up now. It's a great time for new or developing players to learn. People can also just come out and watch the games. Those who want to coach can contact us through our Web site and we will put them on our list of volunteers for next season. The same applies for other types of volunteer jobs.
CBJ: Is there anything else you would like to add?
Watson: On July 21, we and other baseball organizations in Carlsbad attended the City Council meeting to support the proposal to re-name Poinsettia Field No. 1 as Thorp Field in memory of Mitchell Thorp and in appreciation of the family's many years of service to Carlsbad's baseball community. Mitchell passed away last year at the age of 18 after batting an unknown illness for five years. In 2006, we sponsored a walk-a-thon event that raised nearly $100,000 for Mitchell's medical expenses. I think this proposal is a great example of what our community can do to preserve important elements of our history and our culture.
Carlsbad Youth Baseball:
(760) 599-3210
www.carlsbadyouthbaseball.org