La Mirada Baseball Association

BAT CHANGES (Starting Spring 2018)

In conjunction with USA Baseball and its other participating national member organizations (which includes PONY and Little League), PONY Baseball has adopted the new USA Baseball bat standards (USABat).  Effective January 1, 2018, with the exception of -3 (BBCOR certified), all other minus factor bats (-5,-7,-9, etc..), must be YBBCOR certified with the USABat licensing stamp on the bat in order to be used for regular season LMBA games and PONY All-Star tournaments.  All bats without this stamp will be illegal and not be eligible to use during league play.  The new YBBCOR bats bearing the USABat licensing mark are expected to be offered in retail stores in September.

These new bats are designed to mimic wood bats - which will lessen the "pop" factor and will increase safety for our players (by reducing potential injuries for the fielders from hard hit balls - especially come-backers to pitchers).

To find out more about the USABat standard click here.

CONCUSSION & HEAD INJURIES

The “Youth Sports Concussion Protocols” became effective in California on January 1, 2017.  The new protocols (contained in California Health & Safety Code Section 124235) mandate, amongst other requirements, that every coach shall be required to complete a concussion and head injury education course, either online or in person, BEFORE supervising any athlete in a youth sports organization.  Furthermore, it requires all athletes over 17 years of age and parents of athletes under 17 years of age to read, sign, and return a concussion and head injury information sheet BEFORE the athlete can commence practice or competition.

Managers and Coaches should look under our Manager's Page tab (on the left side) for information pertaining to approved concussion and head injury education courses.

Parents will be required to review and sign a concussion and head injury information sheet (see Documents tab, above) to the team manager PRIOR to the first practice.

For more information, the entire Youth Sports Concussion Protocols can be reviewed at: Youth Sports Concussion Protocols.