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Coming Off A Highly Successful First Season, ENYPONY Program For Supplemental/Extended House League Play Seeks To Expand...
ENYPONY, a subsidiary of ENYTB, was founded in 2009. It is designed to expand playing opportunities for recreational level teams participating in house league programs operated by ENYTB members. It also is open to individual teams playing on a par with typical house league teams.
A diagram of this "league-of-leagues" extended recreational level program can be viewed by clicking here.
ENYPONY program goals included:
(1) Affordable;
(2) Sanctioned play;
(3) Flexibility;
(4) Customized scheduling;
(5) Regular Season component - Includes Inter-member Supplemental Travel Play on an optional basis; and,
(6) Include Tournament opportunities to extend the season.
Seven house leagues joined ENYPONY in its inaugural season and registered approximately 75 recreation level teams at all ages from 9U through 16U. Charter members included: Ballston Spa Junior Baseball; Burnt Hills Baseball; Brunswick Baseball; Twin Town DevilCats; Waterford Summer Baseball; Spring Youth Baseball and Halfmoon Baseball.
REGULAR SEASON - Nearly 40 teams participated in inter-member supplemental travel play during the regular season. Teams were grouped into three age divisions: 9-10, 11-12 and 13/16 combined.
NOTE: Under PONY rules, combined aged teams are allowed to break up into individual age-specific teams for PONY sanctioned tournament play. For example, a member could have four mixed aged teams at 13/16 for purposes of both internal house and supplemental play and, at season's end, qualify four separate single aged All-Star teams for PONY sanctioned tournament play e.g., 13U; 14U; 15U; and, 16U.
The regular season schedule included six Saturdays and ended the weekend after Memorial Day (no play was scheduled on Memorial Day Weekend). Teams played different opponents each week.
Each team was charged a total fee of $35.
POST-SEASON - The ENYPONY tournament structure includes two tpes of tournaments.
Each member was guaranteed one berth in the District Level Tournament of the PONY National Championship Tournament Series (NCTS), at each age level in which had registered at least one team. The PONY NCTS uses an All-Star team format that includes ages 9-10, 11-12, 13U, 14U, 15U, 16U and 18U (18U teams can include as many as three 19 yos).
Each PONY NCTS berth was priced at $250, all inclusive i.e., including ump fees and baseballs for a double elimination format, and team trophies.
All tournaments were played in the latter half of June, following the conclusion of regular season play.
2009 PONY District Champions were:
9-10.............Spring PONY All-Stars
11-12............Ballston Spa PONY All-Stars
13...............Twin Town DevilCats PONY All-Stars
14...............Twin Town DevilCats PONY All-Stars
15...............Twin Town DevilCats PONY All-Stars
16...............Ballston Spa PONY All-Stars
The winners of these entry-level tournaments advanced to the next level and played the tournaments teams from the ENYTB travel league.
In addition to the PONY District Tournament, ENYPONY also sponsored a Tournament Of Champions (ToC) for each age group to determine the best-of-the-best local PONY recreational team at each age level. This tournament did not use an All-Star team format. Instead, berths in the ToC were awarded to the top finishing team within each participating house program, based on regular season play.
Each ToC berth was also priced at $250, all inclusive i.e., including ump fees and baseballs for a double elimination format, and team trophies. Additional ToC berths were available to members on a buy-in basis.
In 2009, only one age division participated in the ToC but it was a dandy. I attended this tournament and witnessed some excellent baseball as Twin Town and Ballston Spa went back and forth in a thrilling semi-final game won by Twin Town. Twin Town then eliminated Burnt Hills to set up a rematch with Ballston Spa in the finals. BSPA used excellent pitching and clutch defense to prevail as the first ever ENYPONY ToC Champion.
We hope to build on the successful first year of this program in 2010. Our goals are to increase participation in regular season inter-member supplemental travel play and to increase participation in tournament play, especially the ToC. Last year's members will be meeting soon to review last year's experience and work on the new program for the coming season. A 2010 membership will be held in February.
ENYPONY is accepting new members for 2010 through April 10th, when registration will officially close. Schedules will be released soon thereafter and play will begin as early as April 17.
If you think your organization might be interested in joining ENYPONY for the upcoming season, give Ed Frye a call today (518 356-9089).
A diagram of this "league-of-leagues" extended recreational level program can be viewed by clicking here.
ENYPONY program goals included:
(1) Affordable;
(2) Sanctioned play;
(3) Flexibility;
(4) Customized scheduling;
(5) Regular Season component - Includes Inter-member Supplemental Travel Play on an optional basis; and,
(6) Include Tournament opportunities to extend the season.
Seven house leagues joined ENYPONY in its inaugural season and registered approximately 75 recreation level teams at all ages from 9U through 16U. Charter members included: Ballston Spa Junior Baseball; Burnt Hills Baseball; Brunswick Baseball; Twin Town DevilCats; Waterford Summer Baseball; Spring Youth Baseball and Halfmoon Baseball.
REGULAR SEASON - Nearly 40 teams participated in inter-member supplemental travel play during the regular season. Teams were grouped into three age divisions: 9-10, 11-12 and 13/16 combined.
NOTE: Under PONY rules, combined aged teams are allowed to break up into individual age-specific teams for PONY sanctioned tournament play. For example, a member could have four mixed aged teams at 13/16 for purposes of both internal house and supplemental play and, at season's end, qualify four separate single aged All-Star teams for PONY sanctioned tournament play e.g., 13U; 14U; 15U; and, 16U.
The regular season schedule included six Saturdays and ended the weekend after Memorial Day (no play was scheduled on Memorial Day Weekend). Teams played different opponents each week.
Each team was charged a total fee of $35.
POST-SEASON - The ENYPONY tournament structure includes two tpes of tournaments.
Each member was guaranteed one berth in the District Level Tournament of the PONY National Championship Tournament Series (NCTS), at each age level in which had registered at least one team. The PONY NCTS uses an All-Star team format that includes ages 9-10, 11-12, 13U, 14U, 15U, 16U and 18U (18U teams can include as many as three 19 yos).
Each PONY NCTS berth was priced at $250, all inclusive i.e., including ump fees and baseballs for a double elimination format, and team trophies.
All tournaments were played in the latter half of June, following the conclusion of regular season play.
2009 PONY District Champions were:
9-10.............Spring PONY All-Stars
11-12............Ballston Spa PONY All-Stars
13...............Twin Town DevilCats PONY All-Stars
14...............Twin Town DevilCats PONY All-Stars
15...............Twin Town DevilCats PONY All-Stars
16...............Ballston Spa PONY All-Stars
The winners of these entry-level tournaments advanced to the next level and played the tournaments teams from the ENYTB travel league.
In addition to the PONY District Tournament, ENYPONY also sponsored a Tournament Of Champions (ToC) for each age group to determine the best-of-the-best local PONY recreational team at each age level. This tournament did not use an All-Star team format. Instead, berths in the ToC were awarded to the top finishing team within each participating house program, based on regular season play.
Each ToC berth was also priced at $250, all inclusive i.e., including ump fees and baseballs for a double elimination format, and team trophies. Additional ToC berths were available to members on a buy-in basis.
In 2009, only one age division participated in the ToC but it was a dandy. I attended this tournament and witnessed some excellent baseball as Twin Town and Ballston Spa went back and forth in a thrilling semi-final game won by Twin Town. Twin Town then eliminated Burnt Hills to set up a rematch with Ballston Spa in the finals. BSPA used excellent pitching and clutch defense to prevail as the first ever ENYPONY ToC Champion.
We hope to build on the successful first year of this program in 2010. Our goals are to increase participation in regular season inter-member supplemental travel play and to increase participation in tournament play, especially the ToC. Last year's members will be meeting soon to review last year's experience and work on the new program for the coming season. A 2010 membership will be held in February.
ENYPONY is accepting new members for 2010 through April 10th, when registration will officially close. Schedules will be released soon thereafter and play will begin as early as April 17.
If you think your organization might be interested in joining ENYPONY for the upcoming season, give Ed Frye a call today (518 356-9089).