Pony Softball
Homepage: http://www.pony.org/home/default.asp
Rules and regulations:
http://www.pony.org/home/default.asp?
menu_category=Home&menuid=51&parholdid=14
History:
Short for “Protect Our Nation’s Youth,” PONY is one of the various leading youth development programs in sports. Pony was first conceptualized at a local YMCA in Washington, Pennsylvania, and was earlier known as "Protect Our Neighborhood Youth.” However, as Pony went on to gain international exposure in the 1950s, its management thought it best replace “neighborhood” with “nation’s” to signify the organization’s widened coverage.
Pony implements programs
for both baseball and softball. In both
programs, Pony provides “additional
materials to member leagues to assist them
in providing an improved baseball/softball
experience for the young people of their
community.”
Pony Girls Softball, one of the organization’s
flagship programs, has categories on fast
pitch and slow pitch, and is based on an
“and under” age concept. Specifically,
Pony Girls Softball is divided into the
following categories: Pinto League, age
8 and under; Mustang League, age 10 and
under; Bronco League, age 12 and under;
Pony League, age 14 and under; Colt League,
age 16 and under; and Palomino League, age
18 and under.
Aside from providing additional
resources for the improvement of its member
leagues, Pony also seeks additional funding
to subsidize participating teams’
travel expenses. Pony also coordinates with
Major League Baseball, Baseball USA, and
other related organizations to harmonize
development efforts.
