West Covina Youth Pony Baseball: FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions
Steve Workman, PONY Field Official and formerly WCYPB Vice President has provided the following information on PONY Baseball.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)


What does PONY stand for?

PONY is an acronym for Protect Our Nation's Youth. The concept for the name originally
came from boys at the local YMCA in Washington, PA and stood for "Protect Our
Neighborhood Youth", but when PONY became an international program in the early 1950's
the "Neighborhood" was switched to "Nation's".

What is PONY Baseball and Softball's Mission?

PONY Baseball and Softball is designed to "Protect Our Nation's Youth" by providing
experiences in youth baseball and softball that will help young people grow into healthier
and happier adults.

Have any Major League Baseball players participated in PONY Baseball?

Yes. Currently there are over 375 Major League Baseball players who are graduates of
PONY Baseball. Mark McGwire, Tony Gwynn, Alex Rodriquez and J.T. Snow are just a few of
the Major League players who participated in PONY Baseball.

How is play governed in PONY Baseball and Softball?

Baseball play is governed by the Official Baseball Rules, "The Sporting News" edition, and
PONY Baseball rules and regulations, which contain those exceptions to Official Baseball
Rules, deemed necessary in a youth baseball program. The PONY rulebook also contains
regulations relative to league organization and administration. PONY Girls Softball Rules and
Regulations include the rules of play, as well as regulations for softball league organization
and administration.

What type of insurance is needed to participate in PONY Baseball and Softball?

To protect our members, all leagues are required to determine that accident and medical
insurance coverage is provided for the players, managers, coaches, official scorekeepers
and volunteer umpires in their league with a policy provided by the league, similar to that
available through PONY Baseball and Softball. It is strongly recommended that the league
provide or determine that all volunteer workers have Accident/Medical Insurance coverage,
since volunteers can be injured, too. Such coverage is available through PONY Baseball and
Softball.
All member leagues are required to purchase league liability insurance with minimum limits
of one million dollars, on an occurrence policy basis, and naming PONY Baseball, Inc. as
additional insured. Such coverage is available through PONY Baseball.

How does an organization apply for membership to PONY Baseball and Softball?

Leagues become members of PONY Baseball and Softball by filing a membership application
form and submitting a membership fee. The league must file membership application forms
each year prior to April 15. The forms are mailed to all renewal leagues automatically, and
are provided to proposed or interested leagues upon request.

Who receives the membership applications and materials for a PONY affiliated league?

All material and correspondence sent from PONY Baseball and Softball headquarters to the
league will be sent to the person designated as the league contact on the membership
application form. The league contact may be the league president, secretary, or any person
designated by the league to receive correspondence and supplies from PONY Baseball and
Softball Headquarters and PONY Field Directors.

Who are PONY Field Directors and what do they do?

PONY Baseball and Softball Field Directors play a vital part in the organization. Without
them, the program would not function. Field Directors assist the PONY Baseball and Softball
Headquarters staff in providing services to existing leagues. They organize and conduct
tournament play and they are largely responsible for the development of new leagues.

Field Directors gather input from local league organizations for the Board of Directors and
staff, and relay information based on such input back to the leagues. Field Directors serve
as administrative and service agents to the leagues.

How do I contact PONY Baseball and Softball International Headquarters?

You can contact PONY Baseball and Softball in several different ways. You can call us at
724-225-1060; fax us at 724-225-9852, e-mail us at pony@pulsenet.com or write to us at
PONY Baseball and Softball at P.O. Box 225, Washington, PA 15301.

Does PONY Baseball and Softball have supplies and merchandise available?

Yes. PONY Baseball and Softball has many supplies and merchandise items available for its
members. Supplies include: scorebooks, rulebooks, equipment catalogs, line-up cards,
award certificates, instructional books and videos and tournament organizers. PONY
Baseball and Softball merchandise includes: pullover jackets, golf shirts, hats, uniform
emblems, hatpins, sweatshirts, umpire hats and sweaters.
Supplies and Merchandise can be found in the annual PONY Baseball and Softball Supply
Catalog. Free copies are available to those associated with PONY Baseball and Softball.

Orders can be placed over the phone if you charge by Discover, Visa or MasterCard. Orders
through the mail must be accompanied by a check or money order.
Also, please check out our PONY store here at www.pony.org.

How does PONY Baseball and Softball differ from other youth organizations?

PONY Baseball and Softball is not designed for a few highly skilled athletes, but for all of the
young people in your community who are sincerely interested in the game.
Here are a few of the features that the PONY Baseball and Softball program has to offer:
Two-Year Age Brackets
Age-Specific Diamond Sizes
Flexible Local League Administration
International Tournament Play
Play Real Baseball
Girls Softball

Please read more about how PONY Baseball and Softball throughout this website.

How are the boundaries determined for PONY Baseball and Softball Leagues?

League boundaries are determined by the officers and executive committee of the local
league, but are subject to annual approval by the PONY Zone Director. Boundaries need not
be identical for Shetland, Pinto, Mustang, Pony, Colt, and Palomino. Baseball league
boundaries need not be identical to Softball league boundaries.

What are the age divisions for PONY Baseball and Softball?

PONY Baseball is organized with two-year age brackets. The age brackets for baseball are
as follows:

Shetland League - Players ages 5 and 6
Pinto League - Players ages 7 and 8
Mustang League - Players ages 9 and 10
Bronco League - Players ages 11 and 12
Pony League - Players ages 13 and 14
Colt League - Players ages 15 and 16
Palomino League - Players ages 17 and 18

For PONY Girls Softball, leagues are operated for fast pitch and slow pitch on an "and
under" age concept.

Shetland League - Players 6 and under
Pinto League - Players 8 and under
Mustang League - Players 10 and under
Bronco League - Players 12 and under
Pony League - Players 14 and under
Colt League - Players 16 and under
Palomino League - Players 18 and under

How does our league enter PONY tournament play?

The tournament team application form is provided to all member leagues, but need to be
filled out only by those leagues desiring to enter tournament competition. These
applications are distributed by Zone Directors. When the tournament application is
completed, the form is to be mailed with a check for the tournament entry fee to the proper
Zone Director.
Tournament entry fees go into a fund maintained by the Zone Director to assist teams in
that zone to meet travel expenses at the higher-level tournaments.
League officers should make provisions for sufficient funds to cover all costs incurred by the
tournament team through the lower levels of play and be in a position to meet travel costs
at the higher levels with the knowledge that some reimbursement will be forthcoming from
the travel funds.

What does it cost to join PONY Baseball and Softball?

Leagues must pay an annual registration fee to PONY Baseball and Softball. The fee for
softball registration is $15.00 per team.

The registration fee for Shetland, Pinto, Bronco, Pony and Colt is as follows:

One (1) team $25.00
Two (2) teams $45.00
Three (3) teams $60.00
Four (4) teams $72.00
Five (5) teams $87.50
Six (6) teams $102.00
Seven (7) teams $115.50
Eight (8) teams $128.00
Nine (9) teams $139.50
Ten (10) or more $15.00 per team

The registration fee for Palomino League is $100.00 per team.