Youth Baseball: Rich Team with Poorly Behaved Parents

If you are a baseball coach, would you rather coach bunch of rich kids or poor kids? 


Before you answer - factor in whether you would rather coach a team with wealthy parents or low income parents.


Last week, I got the following note from a paid baseball coach for a U12 select team in a wealthy east coast town.

"I wanted to drop you a note and thank you for putting together the information on the Cooperstown Dreams Park. 

This is my first trip to Cooperstown that also coincides with my first job coaching at the 12U level after several years as a high school coach. 

I coach in a VERY wealthy east coast town where the talent does not always rise to the level of the parents expectations or perceptions. The expectations are high, because there is a misunderstanding that money spent should correlate to success on the field. 

I gained most of my coaching experience at a low-income high school within an impoverished town. Getting a well-paying baseball job was both a blessing and a curse. The money is good, but the talent isn't quite there in this town. The facilities are great, but the parents are very demanding.

When I coached high school, we were lucky to have one or two parents that came to every game. The parents for team I currently coach are hyper-involved. They not only do they come to every game and practice, but they also send emails and call regularly.  

Your comprehensive Cooperstown Dreams Park guide will practically ensure me a fantastic, well-prepared trip. This is very important, because if I'm NOT going to win many games, I have to be exceedingly organized and prepared in order to retain my employment. 

After I stumbled upon the Cooperstown information on your blog, I began reading some of the stuff on the rest of the site. I really enjoy reading the perspective of a pragmatic, involved parent who is sympathetic to the view point of a coach who is often placed in precarious situations. 

I look forward to reading more. Let me know if you ever need the opinion of a young, lower middle class paid coach in a very upper class town."

The Main Point

1. Un-involved parents make me sad.
2. Over-involved parents, the ones who complain to coaches all the time, make me mad.
3. Parent coaches often turn out bad.
4. My son's very talented team just that broke up because of points 2 and 3, so a paid coach without any family ties is what I wish my son's previous team had.

I am not sure rich or poor matters when it comes to youth sports parents. I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly from both.

Youth Baseball: Nations Baseball Gets an F

How did the Nations Baseball World Series held in Pensacola, FL rate compared to other national tournaments?

Here is my report card on Nations Baseball U14 World Series Championship held in Pensacola, FL during the week of July 11 - 15, 2012.

My son has competed in the CABA World Series (U10 - Indianapolis, Indiana), the AAU National Championships (U11 - ESPN Disney Wide World of Sports, Orlando, Florida), Cooperstown Dreams Park (U12 - Cooperstown, NY), the Nations Baseball Premier National Championship (U13 - Gulfport, MS) and Nations Baseball World Series (U14 - Pensacola, FL). It is from this broad base of experience that I feel qualified to grade these events in comparison to each other.

Opening Ceremonies: The Nations Baseball World Series had an opening ceremony on Pensacola Beach the Wednesday before the start of action on Thursday. Our team did not participate for several reasons. 1) Many of the families stayed on Perdido Key far from Pensacola Beach. Few were motivated to get back into a car after recently driving 11 hours, 2) the 14 year old boys were not excited about the event, they wanted to stay on the beach instead and 3) There were only 4 teams in the tournament. What is festive and fun about that?

• Nations Baseball Gulfport, MS - Grade B
• CABA - Grade F (I don't remember any opening ceremonies)
• AAU Disney Fields - Grade A (Disney performers entertained the players, siblings, parents and coaches.)
• Cooperstown Dreams Park - Grade A (It was a bit long, but it was a festive start)
• Nations Baseball, Penacola, FL - Grade NA

The Skills Competition: The Nations Baseball World Series had a skills challenge on the schedule when the team signed up for the tournament, but it was canceled. I believe that they canceled it because there were only 4 teams in the tournament. 

• Nations Baseball Gulfport, MS - Grade B
• CABA - Grade B
• AAU Disney Fields - Grade F (I do not remember any skills competitions)
• Cooperstown Dreams Park - Grade A (Exciting competitions played out in front of a packed stadium)
• Nations Baseball, Penacola, FL - Grade F

The Fields: The Nations Baseball World Series was suppose to be held at University of West Florida, but was moved to Tate High School. We believe that the event was moved due to the lack of teams in the tournament. Only one field was needed for the entire tournament. 

Tate High School has a great field with a well manicured grass infield, a dirt mound, stadium seating and vast dimensions. The outfield grass was green, freshly cut and fast. The infield is made of a blood red dirt that looked great on the field, but terrible on soiled uniforms. The fences on the fields used for the U14 event were at least 9 feet high, 325 ft down the line and about 375 ft straight away. No home runs were hit during the tournament. 

We had a torrential rain Friday night and Saturday morning, the field was unable to recover quick enough to play any games on Saturday. This made Sunday was a long day of baseball. Fields at Cooperstown and Disney recover much more quickly. Luckily, our team was seeded #1 after pool play so we got bye on Sunday morning. 

Tate High School is where Don Sutton, Hall of Fame Pitcher, and Travis Fryman, Cleveland Indians third baseman, played ball. 

From a spectators standpoint, the Tate HS field had the qualities of a minor league stadium. There was ample seating behind home plate on concrete steps. The concrete was hard and absorbed the Florida sun, so it was hot. The stands did have a roof covering up some of the seats which did provide some protection after 11am.

• Nations Baseball Gulfport, MS B+
• CABA - C+ multiple municipal fields of varying quality.
• AAU Disney Fields - A (Perfectly manicured fields configured identically. These fields can take on lots of rain and be playable in short order.)
• Cooperstown Dreams Park - A+ (20 perfectly manicured fields configured identically with reachable fences. These fields can take on more rain than the Disney fields and be playable faster.)
• Nations Baseball, Penacola, FL - Grade B (One great field)

The Concession Stand: Tate High School had a typical HS concession stand. The food was ok, the drinks were cold, the service was friendly and the prices were very cheap.

• Nations Baseball Gulfport, MS - Grade F
• CABA World Series - Grade B (Some venues were good, some not so good)
• AAU Disney Fields - Grade B - (Too expensive)
• Cooperstown Dreams Park  - Grade A+ (Good food, big variety, honest prices)
• Nations Baseball, Penacola, FL - Grade B

Game Schedule: The games were not too early, nor too late. That was good. The tournament could create a schedule like this because there were only 4 teams in the tournament. Still, Nations Baseball gets an overwhelming F. The tournament started on Thursday and ended Sunday. Why? Why not start Wednesday or Tuesday. Most of the house / condo rentals in Pensacola were Saturday to Saturday. Most of the families came down on the Saturday before the tournament started a full 5 days before the games began. Many families had to check out of their condos on Saturday morning and find a hotel room for Saturday night. The tournament did not schedule a rain out contingency day, so the Saturday games and the scheduled Sunday games were played on Sunday. A lower seeded team could have played 5 games on Sunday if it played out that way. That is unacceptable because it puts young arms at risk.

Furthermore, the World Series happened to be on the biggest weekend of the year for Pensacola. The second weekend of July is the Blue Angels Air Show weekend. It is the most crowded weekend and therefore the most expensive weekend of the year. Nations Baseball missed a great opportunity to use the Blue Angles Air Show as a draw to the tournament. No the short sighted folks at Nations scheduled games during the Air Show each day, so our families paid the extra rent to go to Pensacola on the best weekend of the year, but could not enjoy the show. (NOTE: Folks that stayed on the Pensacola Beach side did get to see the Blue Angels practice. We stayed on the Perdido Key side of Pensacola so we did not see anything.) 

Nations Baseball should start the tournament on Monday and end it on Thursday. If it rains, Nations would have Friday to make up the games. Families than will have an opportunity to see the Air Show on Friday, Saturday and can then drive home on Sunday. News alert for Nations Baseball. People need to get back to work to pay for the rather vast expense of a baseball tournament. The championship game for this tournament ended on Sunday at 7pm. Many families had to drive through the night to get to work. 

• Nations Baseball Gulfport, MS - Grade C
• CABA World Series - Grade B
• AAU Disney Fields - Grade B - (Many doubleheaders had large gaps of time between them)
• Cooperstown Dreams Park  - Grade A+ (I am not sure how they coordinate all of the teams when it is not raining, but they manage the schedule beautifully when rain delays or cancels games too.)
• Nations Baseball, Penacola, FL - Grade F

The Competition: Nations Baseball only attracted 4 total teams for the U14 tournament so they got an F. There were three very talented teams and one team that was rec level. Nations baseball was desperate for teams so they offered a local team a free entry. The local team had never played on 60/90 fields, so they took the free entry to prepare their kids for the upcoming season on the bigger fields.

• Nations Baseball Gulfport, MS - Grade F
• CABA - Grade A (International teams from Puerto Rico and Panama made the event special)
• AAU Disney - Grade A  (Lots of quality teams competed in this event.)
• Cooperstown Dreams Park  - Grade A+ (Each week for 13 weeks every summer, 100 plus teams compete. There is a wide range of competitive levels competing in this event. The top teams typically prevail, but the mid-range teams can advance far.)
• Nations Baseball, Penacola, FL - Grade F

Click Read More for Umpire, Competition Format, Destination, Website, Tournament Committee grades

Cooperstown Dreams Park: The Book that Sums Up the Experience

Josh Berkowitz, a Jewish dad and diehard Boston Red Sox fan from Massachusetts, wrote a book about an unlikely youth baseball team that competed in the premiere U10 national tournament at Cooperstown Dreams Park, in Cooperstown, NY. Josh was the coach of this unique team.

My son, Nic, played in the U12 version of this premiere event two years ago. My site is loaded with information about the Cooperstown Dream Park tournament. Countless parents and coaches, from many teams across the country, visit my site every month to read my CDP information. Visits to this content make up a significant portion of the 40,000 or so pageviews I get each month.  I guess that is why Josh reached out to me to review his book.

In the book, Josh writes about how fear held him back in life, so I am wondering how he mustered up the courage to ask me, a Catholic Yankee fan, to review his book. That takes some guts. I have nothing against Jewish people whatsoever, but I have a strong bias against Red Sox fans so a positive review was not a given.

Regardless, Josh's publisher sent me a copy of the book. The postman delivered it on Friday as an ominous dark cloud passed over my house. Then strong winds followed shortly. I could sense something foreboding. I got up to take a look and then went outside to take down the umbrella that covers our backyard table. I saw the mail truck fight the wind while leaving my development. I ran around to the front of the house to get the mail hoping to get there before the rains poured down. I had to hold on to my Yankee hat as I made my way. I could hear wood from nearby trees creaking under the pressure, almost screaming in pain against the forceful wind. This spooked me a bit. I quickly grabbed the mail which contained a small package, some bills and a letter from Mitt Romney that happened to blew out of my hand. I ran after the letter even though Mitt is probably a damn Boston Red Sox fan too.

The winds continued to intensified. Trees started to fall and electric and cable lines fell to the ground. I ran back to the house and suddenly found myself alone with no electricity, no internet and no cable TV. It would remain that way for 2 days. I did have a small white package to open.

I watched my American flag struggle to hold on to the pole as I ripped open the package. I considered getting the flag down, while I pulled the book called Third Base For Life: A Memoir of Fathers, Sons and Baseball by Josh Berkowitz from the envelope. I looked at the flag again. It was not safe to go outside, so I decided to let the flag fend for itself. The house was still bright from natural light, so I grabbed a Yuengling beer and I started to read the words of the Red Sox fan with some reluctance.

The book opens on the first day of school at Rashi, a private Jewish Day School in Newton, Massachusetts. A place where teachers indoctrinate innocent boys to hate the Yankees, I thought to myself as I read. I almost did not get past the second page.

With nothing better to do, I read on. I soon realized that Josh and I have a few things in common. We both love baseball. We love Italian food (It's the only food he mentions in the book besides Kosher food, but Josh is not Kosher). We both have teenage sons who play baseball. We both have loving supportive wives. And we both realize that our kids have more confidence than we ever had.

Before I knew it, I was emotionally invested in the compelling characters. Josh describes the real life quirky people so masterfully that you instantly feel for them and feel sorry for them. There is a kid with a diabetes pump, a hemophiliac, a mexican born boy adopted by a gay Jew and his partner. There is a bully you'll hate for awhile and the "private jet" rich kid. The list reminded me of my post that listed all of the stereotypical types of youth baseball players.  And of course Josh mentions lots of over protective parents, irrational fans and clueless coaches. If this were a fiction book you would criticize the author for creating characters who were too far fetched.

Josh also described the Cooperstown Dreams Park youth baseball tournament experience in such vivid detail. If you had already been to Cooperstown Dreams Park you will likely feel like you were there again. I welcomed back memories that distracted me with delight. If you are going to Cooperstown Dreams Park in the next year or so, read the book, you will appreciate the experience even more when you get there. By the way, Josh's description of the pro-like caliber of the 10 year old players is not exaggerated. My son played on an amazing 10 year old team that finished 2nd in the CABA World Series beating an All Star Team from Puerto Rico and another from Panama. Some 10 year old kids can really play the game at a high level.

Josh weaves his story skillfully with both pleasant and sad twists that will keep you reading. And throughout the story he tactfully teaches kids and dads alike the importance of overcoming the fear that holds us back.

If you love youth baseball and feel good stories you will enjoy this true David vs Goliath story about an all Jewish youth baseball team. In this story, however, there are 95, no make that 94 Goliaths. I won't ruin the ending by telling you the story. I can tell you that very few of the rocks tossed by the sling of David were very accurate or effective, but as Bill Murray famously chanted in the movie Meatballs - It just doesn't matter.  It just doesn't matter.  It just doesn't matter.

The Main Point

Josh, this book is inspiring to all of us who have let fear hold us back. Thanks for putting yourself out there and writing it.

And I hate to admit it but I guess there are some damn Red Sox fans may have merit after all.

Youth Baseball: Planning for Cooperstown Dreams Park

The Cooperstown Dreams Park baseball week is a very special event for 12 year old baseball players and their families. It's well worth the time, effort and money. The tournaments happen in the summer but the planning happens in the winter. 


Here are some of the things you should be doing in the winter to prepare for an awesome baseball experience for your team and your kid in the summer.


Stage 1 (Complete in November or December. January at the latest.)


1.       Parents - Get lodging booked for all parties who are not staying in the barracks. This includes parents, siblings, grandparents, etc. Players are not technically required to stay in the barracks. If your kid is considering not staying in the barrack for what is essentially a 5 day sleepover with friends, I would definitely re-think that because it is a memorable team building experience.


Here is link to housing options.  http://www.cooperstowndreamspark.com/familyguide.html  and http://www.cooperstownfamilyrentals.com/ Many families double or triple up in one house to save on costs. That is what I did. Some families they prefer to be by themselves.  Some families chose to stay in the hotels listed as well, but they are much more expensive on a nightly basis. I recently heard that a house called the Federal House right across the street from the park is nice and sleeps 14 people. Here is a list of Cooperstown house options that my team used. 


You want to look for housing now because they options are fairly limited. Start early and get the house that best fits your needs.

2.       Coaches / Parents - Make sure each player has an original birth certificate.


Players will not be eligible to play if they do not have an original birth certificate. So, it is a good idea to look for the original birth certificate in the Stage 1 period just in case you can’t find it. If you cannot find it, here is a website called VitalChek where they can order an authorized birth certificate that Cooperstown Dreams Park will accept.


3. Coaches - You need to start looking for an umpire.


Each team must supply a umpire for the week. From what I understand it is an honor to be selected and they make a few bucks. Normal pay for the ump is anywhere from $500-$800.00. Umpires stay in the barrack for free.


The Main Point


Wintertime is the time to start planning for Cooperstown. Stage 2 post, Things to do in Feb / March to follow shortly. 

Youth Baseball: Cooperstown Dream Park - New Tips from 2011 Season

Readers are giving back and adding new tips and tricks to make the Cooperstown Dreams Park experience even better. Here is the latest advice from a baseball Mom.

Pre-order Food:


If you have a night game that goes late, have one parent go out and pre-order some burgers from the closest concession stand in the last inning. Otherwise, there will be a long line and slim pickings by the time your coach is done talking to the boys.

Group Discounts: 


Ask for group discounts wherever you go! Putt-putt, go karts, basically every place is used to it and most will accommodate you.

Restaurant Tips: 

Jive Cafe -- Looks like just a coffee place, but has great lunches. Right by the ballpark.

Lakefront Restaurant & Bar -- kids can run around in the park next door and by the waterfront while adults eat inside. Great spot to take coaches to watch sports on TV (if they are going through withdrawal as there are no TVs in Baseball Village, of course).

Things for the Barracks: 


A "sound machine" can be helpful in the barracks -- set it to ocean waves or similar white noise for a more restful sleep.

Team Giveaways:


Several teams brought give-away items representing their state, in addition to the pin trading. They threw these items during the opening day parade, and handed them out around the village. These were popular teams! Items included seashell necklaces, regional maple candies, leis, frisbees, etc. You might check with a local business before you go to see if they want to donate anything -- especially a tourist-type of business.

Rolling Cooler:


We should've brought a rolling cooler -- one per team is allowed, and then you can take ice & bottled waters to the ballpark. We wound up with warm bottled waters during some games.


POV on Rental Houses:

The rental houses out on the lake are wonderful and beautiful -- but far away and most discourage group parties. Not worth the cost of the rental, in my opinion.


Cell Phone Alert:

Cell phones while driving are ILLEGAL in New York State! The ticket costs $500. There was a road block outside the park on our first day there, checking for "seatbelts" -- but also checking for cell phones being used by the drivers. Several people got tickets that day. 

Go with the attitude that this is summer camp -- and experiencing a new place and making new friends is the whole point! I met some wonderful moms from other states.


Click here for additional Tips and Tricks. 10 posts cover almost everything you need to know.


The Main Point


Cooperstown Dreams Park week will be one of the most memorable weeks of your son or daughters life. These new tips and the tips I provided last year will help make it a little bit better. I hope you have a great experience and report back here when you return.

Youth Baseball: Nations Baseball National Championship (Part 1)

Last summer, my son enjoyed an unbelievably positive youth baseball experience at Cooperstown Dreams Park. It was a memory of a lifetime. I blogged about Tips and Tricks for players, coaches and parents. That series of posts attracts 10,000 plus page views on my site each month and is my most popular content. This year my son is playing in the Nations Baseball Premier National Championship in Gulfport, Mississippi. The following posts will cover the event and offer helpful tips and tricks.

It should be noted that there is a link between Nations Baseball and Cooperstown Dreams Park. In 1996, the founder of Cooperstown Dreams Park, Lou Presutti started Nations Baseball, with its various leagues and tournaments, to compete against USSSA Baseball. They have had Nation Championships for the select and elite levels, but this is the first Premier Level National Championship.

Nations Baseball Offers 4 divisions of play:

• Metro - This division is your recreational league play teams. These teams are typically teams full of players who register individually and are drafted by a local league.
• Select - This division is the entry level to select baseball. These teams typically will play 25-50 games a year and are competitive with All-Star type teams.
• Elite - This division is a more competitive brand of baseball. Most of these players have been playing select baseball for several years and are becoming very fundamentally sound and will play 50-100 games a year.
• Premier - This division is the highest level of competition. Most of these players are joined by being the top players in your area. These teams will tend to play 75-125 games a year.

Nations also has tournament and league classes called Open, these events are open to all divisions of play.

The Main Point

Over the last couple of weeks I have heard lots of stories about the politics of Nations Baseball and USSSA Baseball. I do not have enough knowledge about either organization to make any opinions. The first ever Premier National Tournament will be a great experience for my son, but it is not an premier event quite yet. I do have faith that Nations baseball will eventually get it right. This year they got the baseball facility right and the host city is great. They just need to attract more and better teams to justify the "National Championship" status.

Youth Baseball: Cooperstown Dreams Park Keeping the Scorebook Tips

This website has become one of the top sources of information for Cooperstown Dreams Park. Often people find the site through Google searches. I watch the search key words to see what information people need. If my site does not answer the question I add new information to help my readers. This is the latest question:

Who keeps the scorebook during the games at Cooperstown Dreams Park games?

1. The Cooperstown Dreams Park Official Scorebooks are given to each coach prior to the event. 
2. Each team keeps a book for each game. 
3. The home team is considered the official book. 
4. Prior to each game, the home coach receives a form to record the final score, the pitchers involved and the notable players or plays in the game. 
5. The visiting scorekeeper meets with the home scorekeeper during the games to confer. 

Youth Baseball: Cooperstown Dreams Park More Tips for Coaches (Part Two)

During a recent conversation with an area coach this past week, I was reminded of a special rule that applies to Cooperstown Dreams Park competition. Coaches need to understand this special rule and communicate it to their kids. This rule cost us a run in a game. This rule cost the team, of the coach I recently talked to, a game in the elimination tournament and a chance to advance.

From the Cooperstown Dreams Park Official Rules

Headfirst sliding is permitted only into first, second, or third base. Headfirst sliding IS NOT allowed into home plate.

In the second game of pool play for our team, our leadoff batter worked a walk. He went to third on a single. He then tried to score on a pass ball. He read the play well and got a good jump. The catcher got the ball quickly and tossed it underhand to the pitcher who was covering home plate.

Youth Baseball: Cooperstown Dreams Park More Tips for Coaches (Part One)

Here are some more tips for Cooperstown Dreams Park directly from a coach who just competed in Cooperstown last week.

My son is looking for a new baseball team so I have been talking to quite a few coaches from some of the top teams in this area.  Most of these coaches went to Cooperstown Dreams Park this summer. One of the coaches asked me if I was StatsDad and we talked at length about the experience. He told me that my tips were very helpful to him and his parents. I asked him if he would add his tips and he did.

Cooperstown Tips from a Coach:

• Cooperstown has it down – trust the system – it really works.
• Check in early.  Boring and a pain for parents and siblings, great for the team and the coaches.  80% of the teams checked in on Friday.  1st night of sleep (Friday) was not great as the kids and coaches got used to the place. Once the newness of the situation was behind the team, the 2nd night of sleep (Saturday) was much better. You want your team to be well rested for play on Sunday.
• Have kids get a red belt and a blue belt.  Nothing in info about belts, they are not provided - we had to make a last minute run before we left town.  Get two pairs of white pants.
• Laundry is a pain, have to separate and count each item.  Have the kids help count, but don’t let them do the forms themselves.
• Clearly communicate playing time plan.  We told parents a head of time that we were batting 9 with subs and would plan to play each player as evenly as possible for the pool play.  All the players paid the same money and deserved the same shot.  For the first six games each kid sat 6 innings, 3 innings at a time in different games.  A few players sat an extra 1 or 2 and only one an additional 3, but it worked out due to pitching. Setting expectations with the parents and the kids before play worked for us, my phone was silent for PT issues.
• Lots of mandatory meetings – make sure head coach goes, better if two coaches go and two stay with the kids.

Youth Baseball: Cooperstown Dreams Park Tips and Tricks (Part 10 Series Recap)

I have written 10 posts over the last couple of weeks with tips and tricks to make the most of the Cooperstown Dreams Park experience. I have created some quick links below to help you find the info you need. I would also appreciate any comments or additional tips that you have to help the readers of this blog. Thanks

Here is the list to help you find the information you are looking for:

1) Tips for the drive to Cooperstown
2) Tips for lodging, restaurants and golf
3) Tips for registration night and trading pins
4) Tips for the Opening Ceremonies
5) Tips for fans for game days
6) Tips for coaches on how to manage parents during the tournament week
7) Tips for coaches and parents on what to bring to Cooperstown Dreams Park
8) Tips other places to eat
9) Tips to get DreamsParkTV up and running so people who couldn't make the trip can watch the action.
10) Tips from a player to other players on what to bring

Additional tips
11) More Tips for coaches -  from a coach
12) Tips for coaches - special competition rule you need to know


The Main Point

It is a great experience. These tips will help you enjoy it even more. Enjoy your trip and good luck.

Youth Baseball: Cooperstown Dreams Park Tips and Tricks (Part 10)

Tips for players from a player

Baseball Equipment: 


Here a Top 20 list of baseball equipment things you will need for Cooperstown Dreams Park.


1) Fielders Glove(s) - If you play more than one position like catcher or first base make sure you have all of your gloves. Note to kids flying to Cooperstown: I would pull your glove(s) out of your baseball equipment bag and carry it on the plane. If the baggage is lost, you could borrow a bat without much concern, but you would not want to play without your trusty glove.
2) Bat - If you are flying you will not be able to carry your bat on the plan you will need to check it.
3) Cup
4) Sliding pants - bring several pairs
5) White baseball pants - no pin stripes. No side piping. The pants must be all white. Bring at least two pairs.
6) Cleats. (Note if it rains it would be nice to have a back up pair, but not necessary. My cleats were wet the entire week)
7) Batting gloves if you use them.
8) Baseball belt - Red or Blue would look best. 
9) Batting helmet
10) Fielding helmet if your team uses them
11) Catching gear - chest protector
12) Catching gear - shin pads
13) Catching gear - helmet
14) Extra pair of shoe laces - mine broke in a game recently (not in Cooperstown).
15) Eye black if you use it
16) Sunglasses if you use them
17) Sports Necklaces - they say you cannot wear them, but many kids do.
18) Water cooler bottle
19) Case of Bottled Water
20) Your confidence


Entertainment


Here a Top 10 list of entertainment things you will need for Cooperstown Dreams Park. There's lots of down time. You'll need to bring some form of entertainment.


1) IPod - don't forget the charger and headphones.
2) PSP or similar hand held gaming system (with games). Don't forget the charger.
3) Books if you can read with lots of distractions
4) Playing cards 
5) Your team pins
6) Team towel to collect pins on
7) A list of all the teams to reference when you are collecting team pins.
8) A vinyl bag to carry all your pins and the towel. Our team bought vinyl backpack bags with our team logo on it. Side note: You will be amazed how heavy all the collected pins will be.
9) Money for the arcade, concession stands, team trip to Cooperstown and the Cooperstown Dreams Park Store.
10) Cell phone - My cell phone broke right before I was leaving for Cooperstown. There were lots of times that I wanted my cell phone to contact my parents but could not. (From StatsDad: There were lots of times I wanted to contact my son but could not.)


For the Barracks

Here is a Top 25 list of things you will need for Cooperstown Dreams Park barracks. 








Put your name on everything.


1) Sheets for a twin size bed
2) Pillow and Pillow case
3) Sleeping bag
4) A clip on fan
5) An extension cord

Youth Baseball: Cooperstown Dreams Park Tips and Tricks (Part 9)

Tips for Parents and Grandparents 

If you simply cannot go to Cooperstown Dreams Park to see your son or grandson play then you can watch some of the games on DreamsParkTV (WebTV).

There are 22 fields at Cooperstown Dreams Park. Currently, fields 1-10 have cameras set up directly behind home plate to capture the action. You can watch live or recorded games from the CooperstownDreamsPark.com website. How cool is that.

My dad, who was disappointed that he could not go and see the action, was thrilled to discover that he could watch some of the games live.

Unfortunately, I didn't know about the DreamsParkTV coverage prior to my visit to Cooperstown. I actually found out about this feature 15 minutes before our first game on Monday. I immediately called my mother and father and my wife called her parents too. While it is really easy to do, none of them could figure it out in time to watch the game. It caused them great frustration. It also caused lots of calls back and forth during the game which is not what I really wanted to concentrate on at the time.

Avoid the frustration. Help the fans of your son get set up on DreamsParkTV prior to your trip.

Tips to set up DreamsPark TV

1) Go to CooperstownDreamsPark.com and CLICK ON Click here to enter the site

(Don't judge Cooperstown Dreams Park from their website. I am in the business and I can tell you that this website does a poor job representing the high quality of the park and the experience. From a navigation standpoint it is one of the worst websites I have used but once you know where things are it works.)

Youth Baseball: Cooperstown Dreams Park Tips and Tricks (Part 8)

Tips for Parents

Your kids are getting three meals per day in the barracks, but you need to find places for you other family members to eat.

We grilled out at the lake house a few nights, but we also found some great places to eat.

For lunch or for take out, I would strongly recommend Dimaggio's which is directly across the street from the Cooperstown Dreams Park. They are famous for hot dogs, but I think that their pulled pork sandwich is the best I have ever had. They also have great french fries. My wife got a huge salad with chicken that was also very good.

One day we went to Cooperstown with a large group. We spoke with a women at the information booth and asked her were a large group could meet with lunch. She recommended several places like Sal's Pizza, but that was crowded. We ended up going to the Tunnicliff. This restaurant is in the basement of the Tunnicliff Inn. There is nothing special about the place, but the food was pretty good and the Yuengling beer was cold.

Other places to consider.

Youth Baseball: Cooperstown Dreams Park Tips and Tricks (Part 7)

Tips for coaches

1) The biggest complaint that I heard from the coaches was back pain. The bunks are not comfortable for full grown men and there is no place to sit. There is a lot of down time, take a comfortable sports chair with you so you can take a load off.  Many of the coaches had collapsible sports chairs and sat outside of the heat and smell of the barracks.

2) The water in the dugouts does not taste very good. We went to the Price Chopper to buy bottled water for the team several times during the week. Some teams required each player to bring one case of water. They stacked them up in the corner of the barracks. Water is the only food / drink item that you can bring into the complex. Players can buy sports drinks and soda at the concession stand in the barracks area.

3) Bring a few bottles of Febreze Sport to eliminate sports and other odors. It really works. Make all the boys spray their sleeping bags, linens, towels every morning before you leave the barracks for the games and their sports bags every night after the games.

Tips for Parents

1) Bring an umbrella and put it in the trunk of your car. The Cooperstown Dreams Park store has umbrellas, but if it rains there is a run on the store for ponchos and umbrellas. The store sold out of rain gear by the second day of our tournament week.

2) Bring jackets. Cooperstown Dreams Park in in the mountains of upstate New York. During the early weeks of competition it gets chilly at night and when it's cloudy and rainy.
 
3) You do not need chairs. Each field has a fan boxes up the right and left field lines. The fan boxes have plenty of green plastic chairs.



4) The fan box has a covered area if you need relief from the sun, but I would recommend that you bring suntan lotion.

4) No food is allowed on the campus. Bring cash for the concession stands. There is a concession stand in each field area. The food is very good and affordable.

5) Make sure you son has a cell phone for the week. My son lost his cell phone prior to the tournament. The players are locked behind a metal fence with lots of security. Only coaches and players are allowed in this area after the initial camper drop off time. We wanted to get reports from our son but could not because he did not have a cell phone. It was somewhat frustrating.

6) Make sure you son has a clip on fan.

The Main Point

Be prepared so that you can enjoy the experience.

Youth Baseball: Cooperstown Dreams Park Tips and Tricks (Part 6)

The Cooperstown Dream Park Tournament is a special experience for the kids, the coaches and the umpires. It is also a memorable experience for the parents. Hopefully, a good experience.

Tip for Coaches

Coaches. I think that it would be a good idea to have a meeting with the parents to set expectations. There are some special rules in the Cooperstown Dreams Park Tournament that the parents should know. One such rule concerns the EH (Extra Hitter).

Extra Hitter (EH) - (coach's discretion: 0, 1 or 2) - If using an extra hitter(s), you may use one or two players. The extra hitter(s) MUST hit in the TENTH and ELEVENTH POSITION and CANNOT enter the game defensively to play a position. Only one (1) player may occupy each EH position per game. You may remove your EH(s) for the duration of the game at any time, without penalty. You must notify the plate umpire prior to removal. Extra Hitters must be announced prior to the start of the game; no mid-game entry is permitted.

Our coach made it known to the team that every kid would play EH at least once during the tournament and would sit out one of the six pool play games. My son told me this prior to the first game so I knew what to expect. The unexpected fuels emotions of parents.


Tip for Parents

This is a memorable experience. If your son is batting last when he usually bats up in the order do not be alarmed. Try to contain your emotions in the stands so that you are not the one who is remembered.

The Main Point

Coaches should set expectations with the kids and the parents. Parents don't be the reason that the experience is memorable.

Youth Baseball: Challenging the Official Scorer - No hitter or Not.

In the second game of the Cooperstown Dreams Park tournament, the pitcher for our team pitched a no-hitter. We were the home team, so I was the official scorer for the game.

Game 79

In the 4th inning, our pitcher walked a batter then gave up what looked like a hit when an Illinois player ripped a line drive to left field. The left fielder charged it and quickly threw the ball to second base. The base runner was forced out nullifying the hit.

Crazy Youth Parents Series

After the game, I was telling the parents that our pitcher threw a no-hitter. To my surprise, I was immediately challenged on this by a family friend fan who also keeps a score book. She keeps the book to keep herself in the game and to provide a keepsake for her friend's son.

She claimed that there was hit. I asked her if she was referring to the line drive to the outfield that resulted in a force at second. She said yes. I informed her that that was recorded as a fielders choice. She argued that the fielder had no choice. I agreed but the batter essentially produced an out so it is not considered a hit.

She actually got frustrated with me.

She is right that it does not fit the definition of a fielder's choice, but it does not fit the definition of a hit either. Official scorers call this a Fielder's Choice because there is no other term to use for this situation.

From the Baseball Official Rules on MLB.com

Under Rule 10.05 (b) The official scorer shall not credit a base hit when a:

(1) runner is forced out by a batted ball, or would have been forced out except for
a fielding error;

The Main Point

Travel youth baseball tournaments produce lots of drama.  Regardless of the motive, before you challenge the official scorer, know the rules.

Youth Baseball: Cooperstown Dreams Park Tips and Tricks (Part 5)

Let the games begin.

The fields at Cooperstown Dreams Park are amazing. It rained and rained all day Saturday forcing the postponement of the Opening Ceremonies and the skills events until Sunday am. On Sunday, the fields were immaculate despite 2+ inches of rain on Saturday. The fields drain very well and the Cooperstown Dreams Park ground crew work very hard to get all 22 fields ready for play. We heard that the Jun 5th tournament week had heavy rains every day, but every inning of every game was played. Some of those games were played at 3am.

Game 78

The frustration about the parking and the rain delays was behind us as our team took the field. As the kids took the field you could feel the magic of Cooperstown Dreams Park. Win or lose you just knew that it was going to be a great experience.

During my son's first at bat, he hit a home run over the fence. He did not see his first home run several weeks ago, because he was hustling, but he saw this one. He was so excited that he tripped over first base.

There is nothing more magical than a team celebration at home plate after a home run.

Prior to the game, I was in the gift shop looking at the tee shirts with "I hit a home run at Cooperstown Dreams Park" and "My son hit a home run at Cooperstown Dreams Park" and "My brother hit a home run at Cooperstown Dreams Park" and "My grandson hit a home run at Cooperstown Dreams Park"

I was hoping that I would be able to buy them all. After the game I did.

Game Watching Tip

You do not need chairs. Each mini-stadium has a fan area with plastic chairs. Bring an umbrella and a jacket. Lot so people were unprepared for the cool weather and rain. Finally, bring an SLR camera with a telephoto lens. We have a 5 year old Nikon D70s. We set it to the sports mode and multiple exposures and just hold down the button when the action is happening. We delete most of the pictures, but we always seem to capture pure baseball moments like the ones above.

The Main Point

If you are trying to decide whether you should go to Cooperstown Dreams Park or not. I would suggest that you do. It is a very memorable experience. 

Youth Baseball: Cooperstown Dreams Park Tips and Tricks (Part 4)

The parent orientation, opening ceremonies and the skills competition are on Saturday at 4:30 if the weather cooperates. I played golf with three other dads on Saturday morning and planned to go to the park at 4:15. We made it to the park in plenty of time to see the opening ceremonies but we had to park in lot C-9, just about the furthest point from the Little Majors Stadium where the festivities are held. The distance away from the stadium was not the issue. The main problem is that Lot C-9 put is at the end of the line to get out of the park when the festivities were over. It took us over 1 hour to get out of the park. We had been trapped in that parking lot for a total of 4 hours over the course of the first two days. Ugh.

The Opening Ceremonies were entertaining. The founder of the Park gives an uplifting speech and you get to see you son for the first time when each team is announced and paraded around the stadium.

I have to admit, I had some tears in my eyes when John Fogerty's Centerfield was played. That is the song we played over and over as my son was in the hospital following major heart surgery when he was 4 days old.

We then watched the skills competition. There are 4 events.

1. Around the horn plus - a timed event. Each team puts 9 players on the field and they need to throw the ball around the horn, the outfield and then home.
2. King of Swat - A home run contest. (One kid is selected from each team.)

Youth Baseball: Cooperstown Dreams Park Tips and Tricks (Part 3)

We checked our son into the park at 7:00 pm on Friday night. Unknowing that that was the worst possible time to check in.

We stopped to get my son a quick bit to eat prior to the registration because we did not know what kind of food options would be available on the first night. Lucky we did. The Dreams Park people do a lot things right, but managing the check in process and the flow of traffic in and out of the park is not one of them.

There is only one way in and out for safety reasons, but this makes for a traffic nightmare at times. 

We arrived at 7:00 and then sat in a parking lot for 3 hours. This is a great time for the players to trade pins with their competitors, but it is a long and boring period of time for the siblings.

Crazy Youth Parent Series

As you enter the park you are herded into one of ten rows of cars. The staff will release each row as room in the barracks area allows. We arrived at 7pm and were put into row 10. From our car, we could see each row be released. Once a row was released it was immediately filled again. When row nine was released we headed for our cars. After about 2 hours we got the green light. As we were passing row one, a parent mom jumped out and stopped the car in front of us and waved row one to proceed. Four cars from row one cut in line before the row 10 people who had waited 2 hours realized what was happening and forced pass the crazy mom. Some choice words were said to the mom from the car in front of us. She replied that row one had been waiting 30 minutes. She obviously did not realize how the queue worked. The additional four cars meant that our car missed our window to get into the barracks area. That cost us an additional 45 minutes. I secretly hope that this women gets hit with a foul ball.

Registration Tip

Early Check in Friday Night or Regular Check in Saturday. You have two choices.

Youth Baseball: Cooperstown Dreams Park Tips and Tricks (Part 2)

We drove the remaining seven hours in our Honda Odyssey making three stops. One stop at a Subway to eat fresh, one stop to get drinks and gas and a 10 minute bathroom break at a rest stop. It was at this last stop that we saw this sign that just makes you wonder.

Lodging Tip

We rented a house on Goodyear Lake which is about 10 miles or so south of the Cooperstown Dreams Park. The house we rented is called Blue Spruce. This is a great house to rent if you are renting with another family as we did, or if you have a large contingent of youth baseball family fans with you.

The house has four bedrooms and two family rooms. If you are sharing with another family, one family could stay upstairs and the other down stairs. We decided to put the kids upstairs and the adults downstairs so we could put the kids to bed at a decent time.

At night, there is not a whole lot for kids to do, so a video game console is a must. We made the family room with the foosball table a kids hang out video game room.  The kitchen area is spacious and can handle large groups. We had a nice cookout (grill provided) and were able to accommodate our families and a few guests with no problem.

The house has a hot tub which is nice. We sat in the hot tub looking up at an unbelievable amount of stars while drinking Yuengling beer, my favorite. The house has a nice landing area on the lake from which to fish. FYI - NY state is cash poor so we heard that they strictly enforce fishing licenses. There are two kayaks in the garage to used.

Here is a list of the other homes rented by the family members of our players. Several of the parties rented on the North and South Lake Shore Drive on Goodyear Lake all within walking distance of each other. That made for some spontaneous parties and good times.

Wagon Wheel Cottage    252 & 254 Lake Shore Dr. Maryland, NY 12116 - Tiny house on Goodyear lake directly across the street from Blue Spuce, the house we stayed in. If Blue Spruce is not big enough for your party rent this house too. I believe it was only $600 per week. This house is not have direct access to the lake.

Here are 5 Other Houses to Consider

Lakefront Cottage 181 Lakeshore Drive North Maryland, NY - I did not hear much about this house, but it is on Goodyear Lake.