Why does it cost so much for baseball?

It costs approximately $150.00 per player to support baseball. You must keep in mind T-Ball players pay less but the fees the Association must pay to the county and insurance are the same. The biggest savings with T-Ball is the fact that there are no umpires.**

 I pay taxes, why do I have to pay for my son to play baseball?

Ola Athletic Association was started by and continues to be run by volunteers who donate countless hours to ensure each player has an opportunity to play baseball, regardless of their age or skill level. County employees maintain the grass and perform repairs on county property such as fences, dugouts, plumbing, buildings, and trees. The county also pays for the repairs and large electric bills for field lights. The rest of the equipment is purchased and maintained by volunteers. The Association must also pay all other costs, such as field equipment, bases, chalk, umpires, safety gear etc.

 I want to coach or return as a coach, what do I do?

You must register online at our website and attend all Coaches meetings at OAA. You must also complete a coach's application and turn in a copy of a Henry County Background badge by the last day of signups. Coaches will be required to complete online coaches certification and attend a coaches clinic provided by OAA. You must be committed to attending all meetings, working during field work day, understand you have responsibilities in addition to coaching such as returning score boxes after games, handing out information and turning in required forms.

**Although unlikely, we may have more coaches than we do teams. The board will adjust and select coaches or recruit coaches as necessary. In the event that we have more coaches than teams, past performance will be considered along with seniority (i.e. coaches not turning in financial statements, problems with parents etc.)

 Can I get a refund after the season starts if?

There are no refunds once the draft has been completed. This is due to the fact that the Association has to pay nonrefundable fees based on each player that we cannot recover. It also is intended to discourage parents from hopping from one park to another trying to get the desired coach, team or position their child wants.

 Why do we have to play so many games in other parks or late at night?

Unless an age group within Ola has enough teams to form its own league, like the other parks OAA is at the mercy of the county parks and recreation division as far as scheduling. The President of Ola will request changes when necessary, but these must be done early on and can't be changed once the season starts. Parents and coaches need to understand that making a commitment to play baseball is a lot of time. Homework and other school related activities are more important, so if a child wants to play, he or she must be organized and budget their time wisely to complete school work and play night games.

 I don't think my son is ready to play in his assigned age group, can he play down?

Players are assigned based on their age as of May 1st. Players can move up in age but for safety reasons they cannot move down. This is both a USSSA rule and Henry County rule. Players may only move up 1 age group.

Example- An 8-year-old can play in the 10U age divisions but a 7-year-old may not play up in the 10U age division.

 Don't see an answer to your question? Please feel free to email a board member and we will try and provide you with an answer in a timely manner.