Its exciting to look back to 1959 at the growth and history of our community and of Natomas Youth Baseball. Our affiliation with PONY Baseball has allowed us to be able to grow and adapt to the changing needs of our young ballplayers. While it is fun to recall the old fields across the street, the old boxcar we used for storage, the tournaments we have hosted for teams from throughout Northern California, and that last season we had a fourth-generation player take the field, it is the future that is the most exciting.
Our association with PONY Baseball provides several advantages to our youngsters. We are divided in two-year age groups, so players will only play with, and against, players who are within one year of their age. Our fields get bigger as the players grow in size and skill. This also means that players who are 12 years of age do not play on the same fields as players five years of age. As they progress through the divisions, players who are nine and 10 years old find themselves playing the same game and by the same rules as they see being played on television, only on a field that fits their skills and having fun. To help develop the social and citizenship skills that come from participating in team sports, we encourage friends and neighbors in the younger divisions to sign up to play together.