Most of the land that makes up Heardmont Park is considered a wetland. Because of this it is not possible to provide proper disposal of waste water. Plans to provide a system to pump drinking and waste water from the front of the park is constantly being discussed but this type of arrangement would be extremely expensive and is not feasible at this time.

   Are we going to get more practice/game fields?

  The Board recognizes that more fields would likely improve our program, however there is not any space for fields at Heardmont Park. The open space that you see is set aside as natural areas for the park and not usable. We have arrangements with Oak Mountain Intermediate School, Indian Springs Baptist Church and Lee’s Farm for use of their fields and practice areas. These fields could be lost if we do not keep them clean and would have a serious impact to our program. The only alternative we have at this point is to purchase and develop additional land, which is beyond our means at this time.

   Fees to play seem very high, where does our money go?

  OMYBS is an all volunteer recreational program. We are not funded by any municipality. The county is responsible for the common areas of the Park and they are very supportive and help when they can. OMYBS uses all of the proceeds from registration and sponsors to maintain the facilities, pay umpires, provide jerseys and equipment and to pay on notes incurred from building fields. As the Park grows it becomes more and more necessary to contract services, which add up. For instance, OMYBS spends $55,000 dollars a year on grass cutting alone, $ 14,000 on baseballs and $44,000 on umpires. The Board has an annual meeting each year that anyone can attend and review the financials.

   How do I get involved?

  The OMYBS Board is made up of parents who want to participate in providing the best possible baseball and softball program to the children of our community. They are all volunteers. If you would like to volunteer your time contact one of the Board members and they will be able to help you get involved. The Park holds work days to help prepare fields and equipment and is always in need of assistance in many other areas. The Board seeks out persons each year, after the Spring season, to participate on the Board. The nominations are made and voted on at the Annual Meeting

   The 7:15 game times are so late for many of the kids, can we do something different?

  We agree however, there is not much than can be done. We have experimented over the years with changing starting times to help but it is very difficult for coaches and parents to get to the park for 5:00 games. OMYBS has a limited number of fields and 135 baseball and softball teams. It is not possible to start the season earlier and the Association we belong to dictates the end of the season. This gives us a specific amount of time for our spring program. Our game times are similar to every other park and short of limiting the number of games and practices not much can be done.

   Can the park provide a better concession stand at the back fields?

  Not at this time. We just recently were able to begin providing some concessions at the back fields and this was a great improvement. The inability to get water and remove wastewater prevents a more permanent concession stand. Without proper water, health department regulations limit what can be provided.

   Is it possible to provide parking or better access to the back of the Park?

  Heardmont Park is a unique situation. The Park itself is a Shelby County facility and the fields are leased to OMYBS. The parking situation is a responsibility of the county and the designation of the land does not allow for that type of development. The County is always looking for ways to improve its facilities but currently no solution to this problem has been found.

   How are teams picked in the spring?

  In the Spring season a draft is held for most age groups. The draft procedure has changed over the last few years. We have had active evaluations where each child came to the park and hits a few balls, threw and ran. The coaches would grade each child and the numbers were combined to give each player a grade. Then at the draft, the coaches have a complete roster and choose a child for his team. Once every coach picked a child the scores were added and the coach with the lowest score would start the next draft round and the process would repeat until all the children had been picked. The last few years, we eliminated an active draft for most age groups. This was done because in February the weather typically did not cooperate and it was miserable for the kids and coaches. Now, only the 7yo age group and any kids new to the park get an active evaluation. Kids’ draft scores are decided by all of the coaches and then the actual draft is held as stated above.

   If I wanted to coach how do I do it and how are coaches picked?

  To coach at OMYBS you must complete a coaching application. These are available at registration. Potential coaches must complete a background screen form, also available at registration. Once registration is complete and the number of teams are determined the respective Age Group Director will determine the number of coaches needed and review all available applications. Coaching experience and previous OMYBS coaching evaluations are reviewed to determine coaching assignments. In many cases, we are short coaches and must canvass the age group parents to find suitable candidates. Parents complete a coaching evaluation during the year and those are used to determine coaching eligibility for the next season.

If you have additional questions or comments regarding OMYBS do not hesitate to contact one of the Board members.