Please join me us in congratulating the 2012 Spring Season Champions:

• 6u Pirates          Coach Lazzara
• 7u Ranger          Coach McMickle
• 8u Angels           Coach Burr
• 9u Pirates          Coach DeLatte
• 10u Braves        Coach Orkin
• 11/12u Reds     Coach Keene
• 15u Cardinals    Coach Ruff

Thanks again for giving us your players, and for your participation in coaching, or the concession stand.

This program continues to grow and develop and it's from the efforts of a dedicated group of volunteers - your Board of Directors.  Please thank them when you see them, and if you want to join in, and help, there are many opportunities without having to be on the Board - so get in touch with me.

Thanks again for a great season
Regards,

Scott Stachowski
President, HYA

 
HYA is pleased to announce the creation of a pilot summer baseball program for the 7/8 and 9/10u age group (Thanks to Ken Sisson for his efforts to work out the details with AYBA).  This pilot program will play with teams at Hopewell and also travel to Alpharetta for games with the Alpharetta Youth Baseball Association.

Games will most likely be played on Saturdays beginning on June 2nd and the season will end with a tournament on July 21st.  Due to field constraints, practices will be held on Friday nights.  AYBA will offer a Monday night clinic style group session in which HYA players will be also able to participate.
 
You can register now by going to the HYA website and teams will be created from the spring season assessment.  The fees will be $140 for the 7/8u and $165 for the 9/10u.  If you have a desire to coach you should indicate that as well.  More details will come about uniforms and scheduling and we ask your patience as we bring this new program forward - and quickly.  Let's try to complete registration by Saturday, May 19th.
 
Thanks for your interest and we look forward to a successful pilot of summer baseball for our HYA players and families.

HYA Board of Directors

The City of Milton, in partnership with the Hopewell Youth Association, has installed a state of the art Lightning Prediction and Warning System at Bell Memorial Park.
 
This system, manufactured by ThorGuard, Inc, is comprised of a detection system, warning horn and strobe light.  Located on top of the upper pavilion, it measures the negative electrostatic chares at ground level and the positive charges in the air.  These charges always build prior to a lightning strike.  When condition indicate that lightning is 30% probably within 12 miles of Bell Memorial Park, the horn blasts for 15 seconds as a warning to clear the fields, dugouts and open areas and to seek shelter.  Ninety-seven percent of the time when the alarm system is activated, lightning is visible within 15 to 30 minutes.  For more technical information about this system, visit ther website, www.thorguard.com .
 
The following procedures will replace our current policy (and will be incorporated to our rules book).
 
HYA LIGHTNING PREDICTION ALERT PROCEDURES

• Warning horn will blast for 15 seconds when a potentially dangerous lightning situation is approaching.
• The yellow strobe light atop the pavilion will continue to flash while there is still potential for a lightning strike.
• Clear the fields, dugouts, and open areas immediately and seek proper shelter (inside a building or automobile).  Do not seek shelter within dugouts or near tall objects such as field lights, fences, trees, etc.
• Wait for All Clear (3 short horn blasts), before returning to the fields.  A board member, or umpire, will assess field conditions if rain has showed at the same time and make a decision to resume play.
• If after 30 minutes the ALL Clear has not sounded, the game or practice is ended.
• Lead by example.  All adults should also clear the fields and seek shelter.
• System operates seven days a week from 8:00am to 10:00pm.

This park improvement comes from the reinvestment funds that HYA shares with the City of Milton as part of our Field Use Agreement.  This system will ensure routine and swift communication in the event of the threat of lightning near the park.

Parents,
 
The HYA Board of Directors has received a great deal of feedback regarding the recent banning of bats in our park.  We have spent countless hours in an effort to adopt a rule that is in the best interest of our kids and at the same time is consistent and fair for all involved.

It has become clear to our organization that the manufactures of youth baseball bats are constantly changing the way they market and produce certain models.  Therefore we are making a change in our policy that will pertain directly to the size and weight of the bats rather than to specific brands or models.  

HYA Recreation League Bat Rule (effective Fall 2010) –

8u or under age group:
HYA allows any 2 1/4” bat printed with a Bat Performance Factor (BPF) of 1.15 or approved by Little League Baseball.  Click here to see Little League Baseballs list of approved non-wood bats.

9u and older age groups:
HYA allows any 2 1/4” bat printed with a Bat Performance Factor (BPF) of 1.15 or approved by Little League Baseball.   Click here to see Little League Baseballs list of approved non-wood bats.

In addition players (league age 9 and older) may choose a bat with a barrel up to 2 3/4” that has a drop  of –8 or less (drop is the difference of bat length – bat weight) ex. A 30” bat that weighs 22 ounces has a –8 drop.  Any big barrel bat with a –8.5, -9, -10, or greater drop is not allowed for recreation league play at HYA.

* 2 1/4” bats that do not have the BPF or Little League stamp should be checked against the list of approved Little League bats

Because we are making a change so soon after limits were originally set, this rule will not be strictly enforced until the beginning of the 2010 Fall Recreation League season.  We are allowing the “grandfather” season this spring because of our abrupt change and our understanding that many parents already purchased bats with the idea that we would not be making a change this quickly.  So again, the new bat rule will be encouraged for the upcoming spring season and strictly enforced starting in the Fall of 2010.  Our current rule will remain in effect until that time.
 
Thank you for your understanding on this matter. This is an important step for our park.  We again apologize for the vacillation on this issue, and hope you understand that the Board of Directors is always taking into consideration what is in the best interest of our kids and the best way to teach them the game of baseball.