BYBA-Belton Youth Baseball Association, is a garbage organization

7,713 Views | 29 Replies | Last: 1 yr ago by BohunkAg
agsalaska
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AG
How hard is it to run an organization like that?

If anyone ever wonders why rec baseball is crashing, look no further.


NM. Probably the wrong board.
The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you never know if they are genuine. -- Abraham Lincoln.
c-jags
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No. Definitely right board.

I'm in.

I know wonderful parents and members of the community that turn into complete psychos out there.
agsalaska
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Haha. So do I. Probably the same people.


How can a town full of so many smart, successful, caring people have an organization be so incompetent that they cannot even run a website, much less a league.

I have a couple of pretty good friends that left the Board over the last few years because of it. And the last president, who was a good one, just resigned. Now it is total garbage.

It sucks really. It is happening all over the Rec baseball world. Most of them blame it on select leagues, but that's not true.

The best kids in Belton from 10u thru 14u dont play BYBA because of the organization, not the competition. And next year it will hit 8u.

Sucks.
The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you never know if they are genuine. -- Abraham Lincoln.
OutdoorAg
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The last president was a really good one. Hard to bet that this president is the nephew of the last one. Night and day difference.
Gardening Ag
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Not sure what your specific beef is but it would be helpful to know your specific complaints.

I know most of the board members and from my view the organization is doing very well.

* Every year it seems like more kids sign up for the draft and we have to scramble to find coaches. I know we had about 200 new players enter the draft last year just for 10U
* There is a lot of oversight on the draft so teams are picked fairly. This is not the case in some surrounding towns.
* Financially, you could not ask for a better Treasurer then we have. I've heard through the board members that the books were really sketchy in the past and that we are doing very well now and there is very transparent accountability.
* I don't know what's going on with the website but it was always up-to-date in prior years. Remember that these are all volunteers so I'm not surprised things like that don't get updated.

Again, it would help to know your specific complaints. The only complaints I've seen in the last 5 years I've been involved, are parents that are upset that their snowflake kid isn't starting every game when they literally couldn't catch a ball if you dropped it in their glove.
BohunkAg
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It's damned hard to get good help. I've had experience as long as my kids have been playing and helping out in youth sports. There are bad administrators of course, but usually the folks running the league are just trying to do their best and there ain't enough of them.
BohunkAg
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AG
Also, my mantra has always been that if I don't like the way stuff is being run, get in there and volunteer. That way I can only be mad at myself.
BeltonAggy2020
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I know this is three years later, but this is indeed still true. I am so disappointed in the league and the lack of oversight and professionalism that this league has.

I chalked the first bad experiences I had with my daughter being in the league to just that team. Now that my son has had his first experience in the league, I see that there is a systemic problem with how the league is "organized" and the people who are involved in it. Coaches are not supervised to ensure they adhere to the by-laws, and anything set in place to make the league fair is completely ignored by those who want to only advance their own children or friends' young ones. I notice many of the same coaches come back each year, along with the same kids. I get that. But there is very much a "good ol' boy" club in both how the teams are picked and setup so that they can play with their buddies and family friends. Those not in this club do not receive the same treatment or abilities to advance their skills. The "draft" does not respect the protected player status at all.

This year I witnessed it grow even worse. We had to stop playing because of how unfair the team was ran with no oversight. The same 5 children were always the start of the lineup each inning, regardless of who was last in the lineup the previous inning. Astonishingly, these same 5 children were all related to the coach. A few weeks ago, the team manager, let's just caller "Wendy", screamed at a kid and her mom, called her a b*%&h, and told them not to come back. Haven't seen them since. Yesterday, after 3 innings of seeing my son not get to bat, I lost my patience and pulled him from the league. The e-mail I sent to the BYBA president is still unanswered, as was my last one when I addressed these concerns. The only reply I got was from the Facebook message to the league page there, where I was simply told "No Refunds".

The whole league is self serving and a scam. I won't even go into detail about how all the minority children are apparently on the same team separate from the rest of the kids. If only there was someone on the board or the staff who actually cared about the game and not so much about themselves.

There are some good local alternatives though. There is talk of a Morgan's Point intramural league that sounds promising.
c-jags
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I don't love baseball but I thought about getting my sons involved probably 7 years ago when my oldest was in 2nd or 3rd grade and I was told by somebody in the league (a friend that was a coach) that I was starting him too late and nobody would pick him up. I've seen people that I thought were reasonable turn into psychopaths on the diamond and am glad to have avoided it.

323 youth flag football has been a good experience. While it has imperfect reffing, I feel like they do a good job of not letting too many dads trying to live vicariously through their kids go off.
agsalaska
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AG
What age group are they letting the same five kids bat to start an inning?

Unless you are pre t I have a LOT of trouble believing they are not following a batting order. Are you sure they are not just scoring seven runs and turning the lineup over at the same time

Also I was there last night. Can you give me a specific game?
The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you never know if they are genuine. -- Abraham Lincoln.
agsalaska
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In all farness, starting a kid in 2nd or 3rd grade is really late. Usually at that point they are so far behind the other kids that there is not a lot the coaches can do in the limited time they have to get them caught up. Kids learn some very basic things in t-ball and coach pitch that they don't want to have to deal with in kid pitch. Things like getting in and out of the dugout, using the restroom before the game, knowing when it is your turn to bat, knowing not to randomly swing bats or throw balls, not playing in the dirt, etc. Never mind the basic rules and how to catch and throw and protect themselves at the plate.

We have one this year and had one last year that started in third grade. Fortunately the parent this year understands how far behind her son is and appreciates what we are doing. The parent last year didn't get it.


Yes, there are certainly some crazy parents. And coaches. And even grandparents. But it is a loud minority.
The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you never know if they are genuine. -- Abraham Lincoln.
agsalaska
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I am not going to directly respond to everything that guy said because a lot of it is nonsense. And considering he has one post in his life on this site I doubt he comes back.

But a lot has changed at BYBA since I posted this in 2019. Most importantly we have a new President who is 100% the right person for the job. He has been involved in youth sports in Bell Co his entire life, is a head umpire, and probably the most respected person in baseball around here.

The board turned over and the new folks have done a great job and have the right focus. I doubt BYBA has been healthier in a long time than it is right now. We are in the midst of having a great season at all levels.

The good ole boy thing he was raging about is exactly what keeps the league thriving. It is not perfect, but he is dead wrong about it being rigged. There are lots of active, engaged parent/coaches who stick together and know how to be competitive. If it wasn't for those groups of coaches the entire thing would fall apart. They are not perfect and yes, a few of them do miss the 'equal play' part of rec ball. But for the most part they create a great environment .

Last, the one thing I have noticed after five years of coaching in this league is some parents have an expectation that they can just drop their kid off once a week at practice and the coaches will teach them how to play baseball. That's a recipe for certain failure. If you are not working with your kid outside of the organization he is going to fall behind quickly. And coaches, myself included, are not going to pitch a kid or play him at 1B or whatever when the only time he touches his glove is when we make him.

The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you never know if they are genuine. -- Abraham Lincoln.
Lake08
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I soon as I read, "after my son didn't play within the first three innings" I knew it was the typical parent that thinks their child deserves to start, but reality is they just aren't good. Stop wasting your time on texags and play catch with him
agsalaska
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The parents that kill me the most about playing time/positions/etc. generally have zero understanding of how dangerous baseballs and baseball bats are. There are t ballers that already achieve 30-35 mph exit velocities off of baseball bats. There are coach pitch kids that can already hit the ball to the fence on the main fields and over the fence on the small field. There are 10u pitchers and catchers that throw 55mph and can even touch 60mph with their fastballs.

We set the expectation every year with parents that if I can't toss a ball to your kid and he catch it, he is not playing in the IF. Period. Thats at all levels. And if he cannot recognize an inside pitch at 10u, we will bat him when we feel it is safe(either we trust the other pitcher or he doesnt throw hard). I have been pretty lucky with parents for the most part minus one from last season, but I always hear from board members having to explain those things to parents.
The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you never know if they are genuine. -- Abraham Lincoln.
c-jags
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i have a superstar athlete son and a mediocre to above average athlete son. i consider myself incredibly even keeled and logic minded but i can still be kinda stupid as a parent when it comes to my kids' playing time.

even though i am completely aware that my average son is indeed average, i still get kinda fiery when he doesn't get as much playing time as other average players when i know good and well that the coach is doing his best and making the best decision. my wife will get frustrated when the more athletic son gets pulled during big leads and i try to remind her that he gets more meaningful playing time than anybody else usually.

it's our kids. we all get stupid and illogical.
BohunkAg
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AG
Sounds like every Little League ever in every aspect.
c-jags
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My kids aren't playing, but went to watch friends play FC Belton this weekend.

4 yellow cards and a yellow and a red for a coach. Several warnings to the crowds. It was pretty epic. My kids played FC Belton for 4 years and this was our first to not and I have never once seen a yellow.
agsalaska
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We played FC Belton for years. My daughter finally left two years ago to play Select. I never in the five or so years we went there ever saw anything like that.

People are just becoming more and more unhinged every year. Not just at sporting events but in all walks of life.
The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you never know if they are genuine. -- Abraham Lincoln.
3rd Generation Ag
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agsalaska said:

In all farness, starting a kid in 2nd or 3rd grade is really late. Usually at that point they are so far behind the other kids that there is not a lot the coaches can do in the limited time they have to get them caught up. Kids learn some very basic things in t-ball and coach pitch that they don't want to have to deal with in kid pitch. Things like getting in and out of the dugout, using the restroom before the game, knowing when it is your turn to bat, knowing not to randomly swing bats or throw balls, not playing in the dirt, etc. Never mind the basic rules and how to catch and throw and protect themselves at the plate.

We have one this year and had one last year that started in third grade. Fortunately the parent this year understands how far behind her son is and appreciates what we are doing. The parent last year didn't get it.


Yes, there are certainly some crazy parents. And coaches. And even grandparents. But it is a loud minority.
Due to covid restriction, my second-grade grandson played in the metroplex for the first time this year. Coach pitched in their league. He went from having no baseball IQ (but is a great athlete) to making the all-star team for the league at the end of the season. I loved seeing how everything they did in practice and warm-ups was intentional and geared to making the kids all better players. Great coaches for his team. So a second grader can catch up. Yes, he and his brother play catch and practice batting with my son.

His younger brother was playing for the first year in tball (kinder). Coaches did little to make the players better and it is clear that great coaching is the answer. We are all hoping that when the little one moves up next year, he will get this great team of coaches. We wish they could be on the same team, but the 7 year old will be moved to kid pitched next year.
agsalaska
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3rd Generation Ag said:

agsalaska said:

In all farness, starting a kid in 2nd or 3rd grade is really late. Usually at that point they are so far behind the other kids that there is not a lot the coaches can do in the limited time they have to get them caught up. Kids learn some very basic things in t-ball and coach pitch that they don't want to have to deal with in kid pitch. Things like getting in and out of the dugout, using the restroom before the game, knowing when it is your turn to bat, knowing not to randomly swing bats or throw balls, not playing in the dirt, etc. Never mind the basic rules and how to catch and throw and protect themselves at the plate.

We have one this year and had one last year that started in third grade. Fortunately the parent this year understands how far behind her son is and appreciates what we are doing. The parent last year didn't get it.


Yes, there are certainly some crazy parents. And coaches. And even grandparents. But it is a loud minority.
Due to covid restriction, my second-grade grandson played in the metroplex for the first time this year. Coach pitched in their league. He went from having no baseball IQ (but is a great athlete) to making the all-star team for the league at the end of the season. I loved seeing how everything they did in practice and warm-ups was intentional and geared to making the kids all better players. Great coaches for his team. So a second grader can catch up. Yes, he and his brother play catch and practice batting with my son.

His younger brother was playing for the first year in tball (kinder). Coaches did little to make the players better and it is clear that great coaching is the answer. We are all hoping that when the little one moves up next year, he will get this great team of coaches. We wish they could be on the same team, but the 7 year old will be moved to kid pitched next year.
Some can, but most cannot. Your grandson has the advantage of being a great athlete and having a brother that will play catch with him. In my experience the vast majority of them cannot.

And, to clarify, I was really referring to kids that do not start until kid pitch. Your grandson started in coach pitch which is great. The kids that do not play until kid pitch are at a huge disadvantage. One thing I did not mention earlier that kids learn in t ball and coach pitch is not to be scared of the baseball. That is much easier to teach when a coach is throwing it over the plate at 25mph vs a kid throwing inside fastballs at 55mph.


Last, BYBA and coaches are one of the reasons the Governor changed his initial re start date of youth sports in the summer of 2020. I do not remember the exact dates but the original re-start plan started too late in the summer for any league to do anything. We(me), as well as two organizations from Houston were able to get a letter to his desk explaining the impact of those dates. He very quietly amended those dates. Hugh Shine helped us immensely and it saved the season. I have heard crazy covid restriction stories hurting youth rec ball in the big cities and we were fortunate that BYBA and the parent org TTAB were so dedicated to the kids.
The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you never know if they are genuine. -- Abraham Lincoln.
3rd Generation Ag
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AG
I sort of dread kid pitch. My memories of my son at that stage was spending more time dodging bad pitches than hitting the ball. I would not allow kids to pitch till ten if I had any say in it. But my grandson LOVES baseball. He is also really fast. One issue running bases is that he almost catches the runner in front of him. He has to slow down at times. He is seven and will turn 8 at the end of the summer. He is one of the youngest second graders.

The younger one was really bored in t ball. I do think it is because all they worked on was which direction to run bases and how to catch the ball and he already knew both of those things. Again, I think it is the coaching. Great coaching in the coach pitch, not so good in tball.

Last year they did not try to play because it is not cheap and many games were canceled if players or coaches had covid. Just not worth the investment for a few games. Understand that even with allowing kids to come to school, up here the big majority of kids were virtual all year by choice. City life is just different.
agsalaska
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Have his parents considered trying him out for a Select team?

There are lots of different options in Select. My son plays both. He plays at a pretty high level of Select ball and plays league during the week. The pitching can be an issue for sure, but last night at BYBA we faced a 9 year old that was exceptional. He and my son each pitched four innings and only had two walks and one hit batter between them. And the kid that got hit leaned into it. That is certainly an exception to the rule though when it comes to 9 year olds pitching.

Like it or not, and especially in the big cities, there has been a huge talent drain from rec ball towards select ball. We have largely avoided it in Belton because the leagues cooperate very well with the better select teams, but that's not very common. But the talent drain makes the pitching very, very bad in some rec leagues.
The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you never know if they are genuine. -- Abraham Lincoln.
3rd Generation Ag
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Nine year olds pitching worries me. Back in the 80's when my son was in Hillside Little league, Laredo, only the ten year olds on the teams were allowed to pitch. They used to say it was bad for the shoulder for them to pitch at an early age. Wisdom of the time. I realize it has changed.
BohunkAg
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3rd Generation Ag said:

Nine year olds pitching worries me. Back in the 80's when my son was in Hillside Little league, Laredo, only the ten year olds on the teams were allowed to pitch. They used to say it was bad for the shoulder for them to pitch at an early age. Wisdom of the time. I realize it has changed.
My personal opinion is that it's OK as long as they don't start throwing curve balls until later. I don't think that needs to happen until they are 12 or 13. I think that's why you see so many arm injuries these days. We did let ours start throwing a curve until we felt his arm could handle it....and we are still careful with how much he throws it.
agsalaska
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BohunkAg said:

3rd Generation Ag said:

Nine year olds pitching worries me. Back in the 80's when my son was in Hillside Little league, Laredo, only the ten year olds on the teams were allowed to pitch. They used to say it was bad for the shoulder for them to pitch at an early age. Wisdom of the time. I realize it has changed.
My personal opinion is that it's OK as long as they don't start throwing curve balls until later. I don't think that needs to happen until they are 12 or 13. I think that's why you see so many arm injuries these days. We did let ours start throwing a curve until we felt his arm could handle it....and we are still careful with how much he throws it.
That is the general position of most people in the business today. Even 12 is a little young for it really. MLB actually puts out very detailed instructions for youth pitchers, specifically around types of pitches, arms, rest, etc. I think it comes from Ohio University Med School but that may be wrong. Anyway that is the guidelines that we follow.

I think it is pretty important for nine year olds to pitch for a couple of reasons. For one they need to learn proper mechanics so they don't hurt their arms and the younger they learn those things the better. And two they need to learn how to throw strikes before they are throwing so hard it can hurt the batters. For example, my son in Select this year has thrown 20 and 1/3 innings and has hit one batter and walked nine. Another pitcher on the team has thrown 18 innings and only hit two batters and walked 12. When they were nine, and Id have to go back and look, they averaged about a walk an inning and a hit batter every three innings.

Both of those kids' fastballs are about 10mph faster this year than last(mid 50s). Big difference hitting a kid throwing 44mph instead of 54mph. And for the hitters they have to learn how to protect themselves. Better doing that against slower pitching.
The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you never know if they are genuine. -- Abraham Lincoln.
3rd Generation Ag
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Not arguing. I know two on my high school students who were both all state pitchers and one that went on to the majors had dads in high school that actually counted not innings but number of pitches and would insist coach take them out at whatever magic number they used. The coach wanted to win games, but the dad's were looking at the kids future.
agsalaska
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AG
I'm not arguing either. Enjoying a sane conversation on TexAgs.
The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you never know if they are genuine. -- Abraham Lincoln.
BohunkAg
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3rd Generation Ag said:

Not arguing. I know two on my high school students who were both all state pitchers and one that went on to the majors had dads in high school that actually counted not innings but number of pitches and would insist coach take them out at whatever magic number they used. The coach wanted to win games, but the dad's were looking at the kids future.
That's really important. Counting pitches. We are pretty protective about how much our son throws. I was told by someone too that it's important to factor in all the warmup pitches and throwing they do. In the end, it's not going to matter if you win games when they are 9 to 12 years old. You want them to learn to do things the right way, whatever it is.
3rd Generation Ag
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Bo, I know a lot more now. Jude, the seven year old is having a great year even if it is his first to play. Yes, he is still lacking on baseball smarts, but is learning quickly. Yes, it is pony league rec ball..a great place to learn the game. He will be 8 next month so this is coach pitch..but he was nominated for all stars and was one of 12 of 35 at try outs who made the first team of 12. They had a second team of 12 in their league since so many play. He is playing third base and second. To me he is best at second, but they like his really strong arm thowing runners out third to first. And he is LOVING it, even in this heat when the weekend tourneys are 100 degree plus. I am mentioning it since we talked of pitchers. He has another year in coach pitch..and needs it to learn more of the baseball smarts..but his all star coach said he really is ready to move up. My son knows that Jude is still not always comfortable with what to do after he catches the ball..and will probably keep him in coach pitch for another year.
But coaches are telling his dad that with his strong and accurate arm, he needs to be on the mound when we get to kids pitch. I still fear a nine year old pitching...but the coaches promise that when taught to do it the right way, it does not harm his arm for later. We will see. All stars have only lost one game..by one run..at a non pony league tourney (pony restricts bats is that make sense) to a select team from somewhere with big bats. Coach said they needed to learn how to lose and he still had our guys playing by our rules. Guess we are going to be a baseball family. The six year old will for sure move up. He is bored in tball even if his little team were the "league champs".
BohunkAg
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3rd Generation Ag said:

Bo, I know a lot more now. Jude, the seven year old is having a great year even if it is his first to play. Yes, he is still lacking on baseball smarts, but is learning quickly. Yes, it is pony league rec ball..a great place to learn the game. He will be 8 next month so this is coach pitch..but he was nominated for all stars and was one of 12 of 35 at try outs who made the first team of 12. They had a second team of 12 in their league since so many play. He is playing third base and second. To me he is best at second, but they like his really strong arm thowing runners out third to first. And he is LOVING it, even in this heat when the weekend tourneys are 100 degree plus. I am mentioning it since we talked of pitchers. He has another year in coach pitch..and needs it to learn more of the baseball smarts..but his all star coach said he really is ready to move up. My son knows that Jude is still not always comfortable with what to do after he catches the ball..and will probably keep him in coach pitch for another year.
But coaches are telling his dad that with his strong and accurate arm, he needs to be on the mound when we get to kids pitch. I still fear a nine year old pitching...but the coaches promise that when taught to do it the right way, it does not harm his arm for later. We will see. All stars have only lost one game..by one run..at a non pony league tourney (pony restricts bats is that make sense) to a select team from somewhere with big bats. Coach said they needed to learn how to lose and he still had our guys playing by our rules. Guess we are going to be a baseball family. The six year old will for sure move up. He is bored in tball even if his little team were the "league champs".
Sounds like the coaches are doing it the right way. That's very important. To me it's more important than them winning every game, as I said. Kids can learn life lessons from stuff like that. How they interact with others.
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