Rebranding Norman Youth Baseball

Norman United is transforming local youth baseball in enduring ways

Local little leaguers can find a combination of support, training and success in the baseball program at Norman United Baseball Academy. The academy’s primary mission is to provide youth with an optimal learning experience, with influence from both Norman North and Norman High staff that prepares students for secondary play, regardless of their school district.

Norman North High School baseball coach Brian Aylor shared that youth baseball in Norman has struggled for years to align to consistent standards, often causing many families to leave for other youth baseball opportunities in the surrounding metro area.

The Norman Youth Baseball Association (NYBA) approached Aylor and assistant coach Brad Dolejsi about working together to strengthen Norman’s youth baseball program.

“They were a really great group of people that have done a lot for baseball in Norman and wanted to work together to find a way to help kids want to stay and play in Norman,” Aylor said. Aylor and Dolejsi then came up with the idea to create Norman United out of a love for their community and for the sport.

“We wanted to finally try to unite all kids in Norman no matter where they go to school. Our goal was to get them playing baseball together under the same system and learning from high school coaches. We rebranded NYBA to take the organization to another level that would directly and vertically align with the high school coaches,” he explained.

They incorporated both high schools’ colors, green and orange, in their design in an effort to represent both schools and unify the teams.

After 17 years in the community, Coach Aylor describes the movement as a city-wide effort that is something much bigger than their own programs.

“Myself, Coach Dolejsi, Coach Cody Merrell of Norman High and all of the coaches just want to give back and work together to train these kids and prepare them for what it will take to get them ready to be a high school baseball player, no matter where they go to school,” he shared.

The group is also working with the Ball Clubs of Norman, which has recently renovated their fields under support from Norman Forward.

Kids will now have a comprehensive program within their own city area, Aylor said. Players can participate in clinics and receive instruction on core components of the game from both high schools’ coaching staff. Free coaching clinics are also available for coaches to provide them with training that aligns with the organization’s philosophies. “We coach everyone. Individuals needing a team and already-established teams are welcome. There are no tryouts,” shared Aylor.

The goal is to unite and unify the kids in the Norman area in order to give young athletes a better youth baseball experience. The academy opened a little over a year ago, in the fall season before the pandemic hit.

“COVID has caused some struggles,” Aylor said. “We had to shut down for a while. We did what we needed to keep kids safe, including working in small groups, using masks, sanitizing and temperature checks. It’s a tough balancing act.”

Now, with their first year under their belt, the feedback has been greatly rewarding.

“I think one of the coolest things is hearing from people that are witnessing these teams grow and succeed. It’s really neat to see people loving this system we designed and succeeding because of it. It’s humbling in a lot of ways, seeing families understand the vision of what we’re trying to get across, aligning themselves with these high school programs for the greater good and for everyone involved is great,” he said.

For more information on Norman United Baseball Academy and the clinics available, check out normanunited.com. – BSM