The Oakmont Recreation Committee is offering ice skating at Riverside Park (as soon as the weather cooperates).  The schedule is as follows (check their Facebook page for the latest schedule)

Thursdays – 5:00 – 8:00 – Hockey free play

Fridays – 6:00 – 9:00 – Free skate

Saturdays – 9:00 – 11:45 – Free Skate

Saturdays – Noon – 2:45 – Family Skate

Saturdays – 3:00 – 5:45 – Free Skate

Saturdays- 6:00 – 9:00 – Free Skate 12 and over

Sundays – 9:00 – 11:45 – Hockey free play

Sundays – Noon – 2:45 – Family Skate

Sundays – 3:00 – 5:45 – 12 and over

This facility is sponsored by the Oakmont Recreation Committee and is "skate at your own risk" and you'll need to supply your own skates.  They are in need of people to help monitor the rink. Monitors may be asked to sign people in or call emergency services in the event of an accident. If you think you can help out for any of the three hour sessions, please email them at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

It's hard to believe that it's already time for baseball and softball registration!  Take the time to register today - registration will close before you know it (February 29th).  As always, we prefer you to register and pay online (less clerical work for us!), but we accept paper forms as well.  You can download a registration form here or use the form sent home with your child from school.  Paper forms can be mailed or dropped off at the 10th St Gym toward the end of basketball season (see registration form for details)

We are also seeking program sponsors - baseball & softball are our most costly programs to run and we need your help!  You can download a sponsor form here for more information.

Stay tuned for information on winter workouts and spring training.  We're looking forward to another great season and are anxiously awaiting those first days of Spring.

Registration has ended for the 2012 RAA Basketball season.  Despite this, we may elect to accept additional registrants for specific leagues based on roster sizes - contact Craig Betler for details.

Teams will be drafted soon, then players will get the chance to practice with their teams prior to the regular season.  Players should expect to be contacted within the first two weeks of December for their team assignments.

The RAA in-house season starts the first week of January.  Stay tuned for more information, practice schedules and game schedules.

As basketball season heats up, so does the competitive nature of the spectators and coaches.  In light of recent events, following is a gentle reminder of our coach and fan conduct rules:

1. Referees are volunteers. Coaches are not permitted to question calls made by referees (except to clarify a rule). Coaches are prohibited from criticizing referees during or after a game while at the gym. A coach violating this rule may be ejected from the game and repeated offenses may be cause for suspension or removal of the coach.
   
   
2. Parents and spectators may not question calls or criticize referees, coaches, players or scorekeepers at any time. A parent or spectator violating this rule shall be immediately ejected from the gym. Repeated offenses may be cause for permanent removal from the gym. A 2-shot technical foul may also be awarded. If an ejected parent or spectator does not comply with the ejection, a disqualification or forfeit of the game may be awarded.

Please remember these rules when coaching/attending the games.  These rules are in place to protect the volunteering referees from abuse and also to protect the coaches and fans from themselves.

We will be happy to stop the game to allow overzealous parents and spectators to cool down.   Parents or spectators with strong opinions about how the game should be played should volunteer to referee or to help coach, rather than criticize from the bleachers.  We are always looking for volunteers -- contact an RAA Board member after the game to discuss how you can help.

There was a recent change to the bat rules governing high school aged players.  Just as we saw with Little League, the technology has taken over and the baseballs are coming off of bats with more and more trampoline effect.  To combat this,the NFHS who governs high school play has adopted a new standard for their bats - BBCOR. 

BBCOR stands for Bat-Ball Coefficient of Restitution. This new rule is designed to make non-wood bats even more wood-like in their performance. All BBCOR bats can be easily identified by the BBCOR mark. The start date for required use of BBCOR bats depends on the barrel material of the bat and the level of play. College Level: January 1, 2011 (composite & aluminum) High School Level: July 7, 2010* (composite), January 1, 2012 (aluminum) *Per NFHS rule change announcement. Please refer to NFHS web site to confirm.

BBCOR bats are currently only available as big barrel bats with a -3 drop.  This is a size/weight requirement for High School teams and up only.  BBCOR bats will be advertised as such and will be clearly marked on the barrel with an image similar to that shown above.

At the RAA, we are governed by Little League rules.  Recently, the Little League has revised their rules on composite bats.  In a nutshell, some composite bats are now illegal for use in Little League play. The measurement for composite bat "springiness", originally measured when the bat was brand new and not broken in was not an accurate real-world measurement of these bats.  Once the bats are broken in, many exceed the rating on the bat making them illegal for use in Little League sanctioned programs.  So if you are shopping for a new bat, check the these links to make sure that the bat you are interested in is a legal bat.

• Initial Ruling
  
• FAQ's regarding Initial Ruling
  
• Testing Results
  
• Approved Non-Wood Bat List 2 1/4"
  

Note:  Little League rules govern players up to and including 12 year old boys.

If you have never coached in the RAA before, there are two forms you need to submit for approval before you can coach. 

These forms are for background checks for criminal records and child abuse history clearance. 

Please note - this only needs to be done once.

Prospective coaches need to fill out both forms and return them to an RAA representative.  The RAA will handle submitting the forms and the associated fees.  These will be resubmitted periodically in the future to keep our clearance verification up to date.