Welcome to NOLL/SOLL

North Oakland/South Oakland Little League exist to provide a positive experience for youth in the sport of baseball.

2021 Regular Season registration

March 17, 2021

NOLL/SOLL 2021 Regular season registration is open. General registration information is available on our website (some details are slightly different for this Covid shortened season).

We were in Spring Training do we have to sign up separately for the regular season?

Yes!

What are the regular season details?

Registration for the regular season is open now. Registration is $150 and we plan to hold the season from May 1st through July 31st (with a request to be flexible with us as we work on later than usual commitments from coaches and field space).

We will have a game schedule during the regular season which we hope will be similar to past seasons, but with the later start date of May 1st instead of (roughly) March 15. We understand that District 4 All-Stars might start in mid-June but do not know if health guidelines will allow play beyond the District 4 level. The NOLL SOLL Board is discussing strategies to optimize our season so that, if there is a District 4 All Star program, NOLL SOLL players will be able to participate. We are also hoping to have playoffs for our AA through Juniors divisions although it is uncertain what these will look like or if it will be possible given the later start date.

When does registration close?

Registration will close on March 31st – just go register when you read this email if you are planning to register.

Our child missed a year of baseball – what division should we sign them up for?

If your child was supposed to play TBall last year, if they are still 5 or 6 you may sign them up for TBall, if they are 6 or 7 you should consider Farm. If your child was registered to play Farm A last year, sign up for Farm. If your child was registered to play Farm and is 8 years old, you can choose to register for Farm or Competitive – players who are not drafted in AA will be assigned to a Farm team. If your player is league age 9 or older (they will be 9 by August 31 2021) sign them up for Competitive. Most of the players in our league are in the same boat and have not played for a whole year, our coaches will work with kids to make sure they are comfortable and work on building skills this coming year.

When will teams be formed?

Likely not until the end of April.

Will there be tryouts?

We plan to have tryouts for players who are eligible for AA and AAA or who are new to NOLL/SOLL. Players who are Juniors age may also try out. All other players we will be using try out information from the prior two years for coaches to draft their teams. Try outs will be scheduled in the first half of April.

Will there be All Stars?

We believe that there may be All Stars available for the local District 4, but we don’t know beyond that.

Will there be local Playoffs?

We don’t know.

Are there scholarships available this year?

Please fill out this form if you need financial assistance. If you know of anyone who may need assistance please make sure they know that we offer scholarships.

What if we don’t know our schedule for July?

If you may be out of town in July – please let us know in your registration notes. We will let coaches know if a kid may miss the latter part of the season. If you aren’t sure if you’ll be around in July – sign up anyway, we know that things are up in the air this year and we’ll make things work for families that are here, or aren’t able to stay that long.

What about the single sport cohort rule?

For our Spring Training session we interpreted the state guidelines as not allowing players to be on two sports teams at the same time. The state and the county continue to update guidance on a roughly monthly basis as conditions change. We expect that the guidance regarding the cohort rule could change and you should register for the May through July session if you are interested in playing baseball. We will offer refunds in the event that the health guidelines do not allow your player to play. We will work on keeping up to date with health guidelines and continue working on how to keep all of our kids safe.

How can I help?

NOLL/SOLL is a volunteer run league. Please support your coaches and our board wherever we need help. In particular for the 2021 year, we are continuing to search for a Treasurer, Secretary, Uniforms coordinator and help with WordPress website updates at the Board level. We will also be looking for parents who may be interested in helping be a division coordinator (team formation and practice/game schedules).

Can we tell our friends and family?

Please! Forward this email if you have friends or family who may be interested. Share with school newsletters if you would like to let your school community know.

What about our Challenger division?

Due to the Covid restrictions and the increased risk for some families and players on our Challenger teams, we will not be forming Challenger teams this year. We hope to be back in Spring 2022 as Challenger is one of the best parts of NOLL/SOLL. Email challenger@nollsoll.com if you have any questions and want to make sure to receive updates.

You can reach the registration page directly at Sportability by going to http://www.sportability.com/spx/leagues/Client.asp?ClientID=2

Baseball in 2021

January 9, 2021

The NOLL/SOLL board is excited to announce our current plans for baseball in 2021! We want to get the players back on the field safely, while providing a fun experience. Here are current FAQ’s about NOLL/SOLL 2021.

What will baseball look like in 2021?

In order to provide NOLL/SOLL players with a safe and much-needed opportunity for recreation and social interaction, NOLL/SOLL is preparing to offer a Spring Training baseball program in Spring 2021.

To facilitate this year’s programs, NOLL/SOLL has adopted a phased Return to Play Framework. The framework allows NOLL/SOLL to develop safety protocols consistent with health department guidance and shift program offerings as new guidance is published. NOLL/SOLL anticipates the Spring Training program to open in Phase 1 and follow COVID safety practices as published in the NOLL/SOLL Phase 1 Modified Baseball Program, and if conditions allow it to, follow up the Spring Training session with a regular season baseball program for 2021.

How will we make baseball safe?

NOLL/SOLL has incorporated extensive COVID-safety modifications and protocols into its 2021 baseball programs to meet guidelines set forth by the State of California and Alameda County. Such modifications and protocols include masking, social distancing, hand sanitizing, equipment disinfection, and limiting activities to practice groups of 14 youth and 2 adults. See the NOLL/SOLL Phase 1 Modified Baseball Program for full details.

Will there be games?

Youth sports training is currently allowed, but youth sports competition is officially closed, both state-wide and in Alameda County. If state and local authorities permit youth sports competition to resume, NOLL/SOLL will transition from training to open competition as soon as possible, currently this will not be allowed until Alameda county is in the red tier at the earliest. Until then, NOLL/SOLL will provide baseball training activities for each team independently, as described in the NOLL/SOLL Phase 1 Modified Baseball Program.

How will registration Work?

NOLL/SOLL will open registration for Spring Training on January 15^th, we will send out a formal announcement when it opens. A $50/$75 fee, per player, will be due with the registration ($50 for TBall/Farm/Minors and $75 for Majors/Int/Jrs/Srs. This will allow NOLL/SOLL to request field space reservations based on participation levels. As in previous seasons, scholarships will be available for those in financial need. Our next registration announcement will have more details about how the Spring Training program will be organized. This program may be limited due to field and coach availability.

Can I get a refund if we don’t play?

Absolutely. If field closures or COVID restrictions result in cancellation of a Spring 2021 season and/or we cannot hold more than 4 practice sessions for the Spring Training program, registration fees will be eligible for a full refund. In that case, families who want a refund will need to promptly initiate a refund request online.

What are the current unknowns?

If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that we have less control than we think and that we must focus on the safety of our community. There are several unknowns in NOLL/SOLL’s ability to mount a 2021 baseball program and season.

Fields Availability: As we know from past experience, Oakland Parks and Rec often delays field opening until March even under normal conditions. COVID closures have further complicated that situation. On the other hand, Oakland understands the need for youth recreation, and to that end NOLL/SOLL is working with OPR, Berkeley Parks and other organizations we rent from to obtain fields under our COVID-modified plan.
COVID Restrictions: Though our practice plans are modified to comply with state and county guidance, health departments may issue orders that could affect the start of our 2021 programs or could result in a suspension of play during our programs.

Rev. 2/2/21 – updated links

Celebrating and Honoring Teo Surasky

July 25, 2020

As we all experience the shock and heartbreak of losing our beloved Teo, several things have become clear over the last few days. One, is that he was profoundly loved and held by his friends, as well as by the vast network of aunties and uncles and cousins who helped raise him. From the moment he was born, Teo knew how much he was loved. And from that same moment on, he generated immense love and laughter for too many of us to count.

In the midst of unspeakable loss, it has been healing to hear his friends share with us what he meant to you, and the ways he changed your lives. Our hearts break for you as much as they break for us.

Teo once offered a prayer at Shabbat at our home. “I’m grateful for my friends,” he said. “They make life worth living.”

We feel nothing but immense gratitude to each of you who loved him. He had an extraordinary childhood, and you all made it so.

The second big thing is that, while we will not know for some time, if ever, exactly what happened, we are confident that this was a terrible and tragic accident… likely a combination of factors that might have been survivable for someone else, but which proved fatal for him.

Teo was happy and upbeat the night before it happened, and he was in the middle of a number projects. But for those of you who know him, you know that the happy jokester kid we knew and loved, sometime during his senior year, started to struggle with anxiety.

He sought help and was receiving professional care and medication. For a while he shut down Instagram. He also had an incredible group of friends who loved and cared for him deeply and were looking out for him. We were all on his team.

It is likely that prescription and nonprescription drug interactions, and possibly a pre-existing health condition, all combined to produce this unthinkable outcome. We do know that he died peacefully and quietly, at home, in the room he loved where he would play PS4 and hang out with so many of you.

We know that all that matters right now is love–receiving the love you are sending our way and appreciating the love generated in the world. Please be healthy and happy and care for each other and find the fun and laughter in your lives, in any ways you can, in honor of Teo. If you are struggling, and so many of us are during this time, don’t hesitate to ask for help.

We are truly all in this together.

—Teo’s parents, Cecilie and Carolyn

NOLL/SOLL announcement about Spring 2020 season

May 21, 2020

Dear NOLL/SOLL families,

We hope you and your loved ones are healthy and doing well during this very challenging time.

Even with the easing of some stay at home restrictions in a few California counties, things are still very much up in the air here in Alameda County. As a result, the NOLL/SOLL Board of Directors has voted to cancel the 2020 spring season. We are open to resuming baseball in the Fall, if possible.

In order for a Fall program to happen, Alameda County’s stay at home order would have to be lifted to allow small groups of 15-30 people to safely gather in public. Oakland schools and public parks would also have to be reopened, field permits secured, and we’d have to reconfirm coach and player availability based on a new timeline.

Although we weren’t able to play any Spring games due to Alameda County’s stay at home order on March 16th, 75% of NOLL/SOLL’s annual expenses had already been incurred for uniforms, equipment, field permits, field preparation, etc. Due to expected budget shortfalls at OUSD and Oakland Parks and Rec (OPR), we don’t anticipate receiving any refunds from those organizations.

As you know, NOLL/SOLL is a volunteer-driven non-profit, not a billion dollar for-profit youth sports business. Our mission is simply to provide a positive youth baseball experience for Oakland and Berkeley families. We intentionally maintain fees lower than other Bay Area youth sports programs to remain inclusive. In fact, registration fees only cover 67% of our annual operating budget. The balance is raised through donations from individuals and small businesses during our annual fundraising drive, which we are not able to conduct this year. Our annual fundraiser typically raises over $100,000.

Due to the cancellation of the Spring 2020 season, the NOLL/SOLL Board has approved a refund policy that we believe is amenable to our families’ needs, while ensuring the sustainability of our league to provide youth baseball to our community in the years to come.

Option 1: Donate Your 2020 Registration Fee. This will help NOLL/SOLL continue to operate in future baseball seasons. No further action is required and we thank you for your generosity.

Option 2: Request a Refund of $50. Please submit this form by June 30, 2020 to request your refund.

The NOLL/SOLL Board would have liked to have been able to refund 100% of your registration fees. However, the way in which this crisis has impacted organizations like ours, it’s simply not possible.

NOLL/SOLL understands that this pandemic has hit some harder than others and we are open to providing additional relief to those truly in need. If your family is experiencing hardship, please contact us at info@nollsoll.com.

If you are in a position to financially support NOLL/SOLL’s mission (we sure hope to be playing baseball at some point this year and next!), please consider making an additional donation. Click here (scroll down to the DONATE button under the picture of the Cal player signing autographs) and make a donation through PayPal. You may also send a check made out to NOLL/SOLL, PO Box 11087, Oakland CA 94611.

Please be on the lookout for further communications from NOLL/SOLL. We plan to send out a survey in the coming weeks to learn more about your child’s interest and availability for a potential Fall Ball season, provided we are permitted to safely play.

Until then, we hope you and your loved ones remain healthy and safe, and eagerly look forward to a time when we can gather as a community, rooting for kids playing baseball.

Sincerely,

NOLL/SOLL Board of Directors

NOLL/SOLL Suspending League Activities until April 6th

March 12, 2020

NOLL/SOLL families –

Starting Friday March 12th, NOLL/SOLL will be suspending all activities until April 6th. Do not hold practices, games or scrimmages until at least April 6th and official notice from the league about when we will resume activities.

Following the recommendations of Little League International, District 4 and state health officials we are suspending activities to support social distancing in light of the continuing outbreak of Covid-19 in California.

The health and safety of our players, volunteers, and families are our highest priority. We encourage everyone to familiarize themselves with the recommended guidelines from the CDC and California Department of Public Health and to follow local municipal and school district communications for information that directly affects our community.

Thanks, NOLL/SOLL Executive Board