Pacific Youth Association

St. Louis West Athletic Association (STLWest)

Six independent home associations working together for consistent league play — clubs are separate and not STLWest members.

STLWest is a collaborative league of independent community-based youth sports associations across the St. Louis West region. Each association keeps its own board, policies, and operations—while working together under shared league standards for consistent, competitive, and developmentally appropriate play.

STLWest Structure Placement Visual Clubs vs STLWest PYA Fees & Practice Credit Leadership Member Associations

STLWest Structure (How it breaks down)

1) STLWest League

League umbrella for coordinated play across the St. Louis West region.

Typical format: 12 games total — 6 home at your home association + 6 away at other STLWest associations.

2) 6 Member Associations (Home Associations)

Families register with their home association (example: PYA). Associations are the only STLWest members — clubs are not STLWest members.

3) Program (at your home association)

Choose the program you are registering for:

Baseball
Softball
Training League (4U–6U)

4) Age Division

Teams register into age divisions (example: 7U, 8U, 9U, 10U, 11U, 12U, 13U, 14U).

Note: Division placement rules can vary by sport/season.

5) Ranking / Level (Competitive Classification)

Team managers/head coaches choose an initial level during registration. STLWest reviews for balance and teams may be shifted using prior-year results, records, and competitive history.

White

Recreation

Red

Semi-Competitive

Blue

Competitive

Gold

Top level (AAA-style)

6) Teams & Individuals

Teams register through their home association with a coach/manager and roster.
Individuals can register too — and associations can collaborate across STLWest to build teams when needed so kids aren’t turned away.

PYA Programs Not Sanctioned by STLWest

In addition to STLWest league play, PYA also offers other programs that are not part of STLWest league scheduling/placement, including: Challenger League, Adult Softball League, Legion, Sandlot League, and some tournaments.

Clubs vs STLWest (Important Clarification)

Key point

Some players choose to participate with club-affiliated teams, and some teams are independent.

You do not need to be part of a club to play at PYA (or any STLWest home association). You can also sign up through your home association as an independent team or an individual.

Where clubs fit (and where they don’t)

PYA currently has teams with players connected to clubs such as Indians and PacMo-Nation. Those clubs are not STLWest members. The six associations are the STLWest members.

If a club or team wants to attend or present at an STLWest board meeting, it must be coordinated through the STLWest representative at the team’s home association.

PYA Fees, Practice Credits, and Optional Add-Ons

What PYA requires

PYA registration is the required cost to participate. PYA will not require fundraising or force families to pay more than the registration fee to play.

Practice credit for teams: Each manager/head coach receives $1,200 to use toward field practice time (equivalent to 24 hours of practice rentals).

Optional add-ons (not mandatory)

PYA may offer opportunities to purchase add-ons such as sponsorships, concessions, and merchandise. These are optional and are never required to participate.

STLWest Leadership & Representation

STLWest is overseen by an executive committee made up of representatives from each member association. These volunteers coordinate league standards and collaboration—while each park continues to operate independently.

STLWest Executive Committee

President: Patrick Murphy (BAA)

Vice President: Dan Flaschar (EAA)

Secretary / Treasurer: Keith Ellis (Pond)

Representative: Luke Hollman (Eureka)

Representative: Sheri O’Brien (VPAA)

Representative: Melissa Feldman (PYA)

How Questions Are Routed

Park-specific questions (registration, teams, coaches, fields, schedules, or policies) should be directed to your home association.

League-wide questions are coordinated through your association’s STLWest representative.

This structure keeps communication clear and ensures questions are answered quickly by the right people.

STLWest Member Associations

Below are STLWest member associations and links to each organization’s Board / leadership pages. For the fastest help, start with your home association.

Ballwin Athletic Association

BAA

Website Board Email

Ellisville Athletic Association

EAA

Website Board Email

Eureka Athletic Association

ESA

Website Board Email

Pacific Youth Association

PYA

Website Board Email

Pond Athletic Association

PAA

Website Board Email

Valley Park Athletic Association

VPAA

Website Board Email

This page is intended to provide general information about STLWest and how it partners with local associations like PYA. Details may vary by sport and season.