Thank you for participating in and supporting another season of the Newport Beach Baseball Association (“NBBA”) Pony League. Though we are just a month into our Spring season, it is important we explain the All-Star selection process that occurs each summer.
While our regular season ends in May, including playoffs for Pinto American and above, the season will continue for certain players who are chosen to participate on our All-Star teams. We expect to have All-Star teams for at least Pinto American (machine pitch) and above. If your son or daughter is playing Little Newps or Shetland this year, you are just a few years away from All Stars!
NBBA Pony All Star teams will continue to play tournaments into June/July. Your Board of Directors and I want to clearly explain the manager/player selection process for All Stars. We want our process to be understood and transparent.
Managers
Managers and coaches from the season volunteer to become an All-Star manager. This is a significant responsibility which involves a great deal of coordination and effort including arranging practices and weekend tournaments.
Each prospective All-Star manager is evaluated by our Managers Selection Committee. Once all prospective managers have been evaluated, the Board discusses the candidates and then votes to offer managers the All-Star manager role. Each All-Star manager will (with oversight from the Managers Selection Committee) appoint two to three assistant coaches.
Players
Players are nominated by their team manager in mid-April and placed on a "watch list" so they can be evaluated by all managers and coaches in their division through the second half of the season. Players must participate in 75% of team activities (practices and games) to be eligible for nomination.
During the last week of the regular season each division's managers meet with the Division Coordinator and discuss all nominated players. At the conclusion of this meeting, the managers confidentially rank all the players. These rankings are given to the Division Coordinator.
The Division Coordinator tabulates the individual rankings from each manager and produces an aggregated ranking of nominated players. Once this ranking is completed, the Division Coordinator provides the top 15 players by rank to the All-Star manager.
The All-Star manager then compiles his or her team. The top 10 players are automatic selections while the All-Star manager is allowed up to two or three “coach’s picks” from the next five players to ensure key positions are adequately filled. All teams should consist of a roster of 12 or 13 players, unless special circumstances warrant otherwise. The league’s preference is for each All Star team to have 12 players.
This preliminarily sets the team roster, but is just the beginning of the process. A player nominated, recommended, and selected to the All-Star team may accept or decline a selection. Participating in All-Stars is a significant commitment to multiple practices per week and weekend tournaments, extending well into the summer months and can often conflict with summer travel plans, camps, etc.. In accepting a roster spot on an All-Star team, players are committing to making NBBA their baseball (and sports) priority during the All-Star season. In addition, because All Star teams are built for more competitive play, playing time will not necessarily be equal among All Star players. As a result of these factors, some players and their families decline the invitation. When this happens, the All-Star manager must find (from the Division Coordinator’s ranking of the top 15 players) a suitable replacement who is willing to participate.
Players who are selected will be contacted by their All-Star manager at the conclusion of the season. The league expects to post the All-Star teams on the league website by the end of May, or as soon as all rosters are confirmed.
I hope this communication answers any questions you or your player may have regarding the All-Star team and manager selection process. Do not hesitate to reach out if you have any additional questions.
Darin Glasser, NBBA President (president@nbbaseball.com)