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.
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.)
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.
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.
My son's baseball team won a tournament last year that earned them an invitation to Cooperstown Dreams park. My son will be competing against 98 other teams from all over the country. The tournament runs from June 13th to June 17th.
We drove about 700 miles from Ohio. It was a beautiful drive through the mountains. We left at 10pm on Thursday night and drove part of the way.
We did not leave until 10pm because my daughter CC played in her first summer league basketball game. We contemplated skipping the game to get an earlier jump on the trip, but she was already sacrificing two softball games so we delayed our trip. We are so glad that we did.
Game 78
CC played point guard for her new team. The team had neither played nor practiced together so we were not sure what the result would be. CC's team was playing a team that has been together since first grade and were suppose to be quite good. CC's team got down 10 to 0 in the first 4 minutes of play and it looked like it was going to be a blow out. Eventually, CC's team caught fire and actually scored 21 straight points. CC controlled the game from the point and scored 6 points. CC's team lost with on a layout with 25 seconds left. It was exciting and well worth it.
We drove 4 hours north after the basketball game. At 2 am in the morning. We pulled into a La Quinta just south of Cleveland. I have never stayed at a La Quinta before. We got a 2 room (2 queens and a pullout full) and 2 bathrooms for $89 plus taxes. What a great deal for a family of five. I will be looking for La Quinta on our road trips in the future.
Tip
My wife had packed a separate bag with all of our toiletries and extra cloths for all of use so we did not have to unpack the entire car at 2 am. This was very helpful
The Main Point
Sports trips are a family event. Siblings of the participating athlete make sacrifices. My older son is away from his girlfriend for a week and my daughter is missing 2 softball games. My wife and I will make sure that we do things that our other two kids will enjoy and remember. We know that our son will have a baseball memory for a lifetime.
At the end of the prepubescent girls softball game last night, one of the dad fans supporting our team yelled out the idiom, "That's so bush league" in a joking manner. He said it with a smile on his face and he ONLY said it loud enough for the parents of our team to hear. Although the comment was sparked by the actions of the opposing coach, the opposing coach did not hear the comment as intended.
The Situation
My 9 year old daughter, CC, plays in a softball league with rules that keep the baserunners from advancing willy nilly. Runners are restricted from advancing home on pass balls and wild pitches. They are even restricted from taking extra bases on overthrows from the catcher trying to throw out a base stealer.
On the rare occasion when a ball is put into play with a hit, baserunners can advance at will but there is an unwritten rule that most coaches follow that restrict base runners from running to force extra throws and therefore errors. As such, coaches typically do not allow runners to advance extra bases on overthrow errors. This silent code keeps the game in check. Umpires, however, will automatically advance runners one base on overthrows that go out of bounds.
Game 77
Last night, in the bottom of the last inning with two outs and the game knotted at 6, the third base coach from the opposing team encouraged his base runner to score the winning run from first base on an overthrow. It was not illegal, but it violated the unwritten code of ethics and was therefore deemed bush. Hence the comment said in jest.
One of the moms from our team did not know what bush league meant and I could tell that she was appalled. I can only assume that she immediately jumped to the slang definition of bush (female pubic hair) and thought it was a derogatory comment about woman's sports.
I quickly informed her that bush-league is a baseball term from the early 1900's that means amateurish, unsophisticated or unprofessional. I gave the example that a bush-league pitcher is a second rate player. I could see the relief on her face.
According to the Eytmology Online Dictionary, The term "bush" refers to the country or land away from the city. Major League teams played in big cities and minor league teams play in the country so the term was applied to baseball. The term was not a put down in the beginning, but since minor leaguers are not as polished as major leaguers the idiom eventually became a put down to mean amateurish or unprofessional.
The Main Point
Coaches you can play to win, but follow all the written and unwritten rules while you are coaching else you will be called bush.
I have written several posts regarding head injuries to pitchers and in each post I have strongly advised parents to insist on protective head gear for their young pitchers.
According to insurance statistics, on average one baseball player out of 50,000 suffers a significant injury to head or face. Here is a link to a must read article on Yahoo.com, called Pitcher head injuries to trigger cry for protection, which explores head injuries of baseball pitchers and use of protective head gear. It suggests that a movement has been started and manufactures of protective equipment are trying to develop products that will gain acceptance.
What the movement needs is a Major League Baseball pitcher to don a helmet on the mound. Youth baseball, HS and College pitchers know that protective helmets will help protect them, but they will not wear them because they look dorky.
The Yahoo.com article suggests that MLB players wearing protective head gear is unthinkable
Doing so is unthinkable in the pro ranks but is slowly gaining acceptance at the grass-roots level.
Why is it unthinkable? Troy Tulowitzki is growing a mullet to raise money for a Children's Hospital and Special Olympics. What is more uncool, a mullet on a MLB All Star shortstop or a protective helmet on a pitcher?
The Main Point
We need a successful MLB player with some name recognition to don a helmet on the mound and make a statement to all little league players that safety is paramount.
Armando Galarraga was a surprise Rookie of the Year candidate in 2008 posting a 13-7 record with a 3.73 ERA. His career started out just perfectly.
Galarraga's star faded after a disappointing 2009 sophomore campaign, when Galarraga fell to 6-10 with a 5.64 ERA. In March, Galarraga was relegated to the Tiger's minors after a disappointing spring training.
Galarraga was recently promoted to the Tiger's starting rotation again. Yesterday, he took the mound and was absolutely perfect. Unfortunately umpire Jim Joyce was not. On what should have been the last play of a perfect game, Jim Joyce wrongly called the 27th hitter safe at first. The perfect game was erased from the record books. Although there have been two perfect games pitched this year, there have only been 20 perfect games in the entire history of Major League Baseball, so Jim Joyce's blown call was historic.
Did Armando Galarraga get upset, yell and cry about the injustice? Did he pick up the first base bag and throw it like the childish Lou Piniella? Did he spit in the face of the umpire like Roberto Alomar? No, he smiled in disbelief and went back to the mound and recorded the final out.
Jim Joyce, who looks like a steal worker, cried as he apologized to Galarraga, to the Tiger fans and to the game he loves, baseball.
Today, the day after the blown call, Jim Joyce took the field and the Tiger fans were gracious. Armando Galarraga took the line-up card to Jim Joyce and shook his hand. Jim had tears in his eyes again. All was forgiven. All was forgotten, expect how Galarraga and Joyce handled the unfortunate situation perfectly.
The Main Point
The non-perfect game was more perfect than a perfect game. It provided the perfect teaching moment for dads, moms and coaches alike. The are ups and downs in baseball as Gallaraga's short career illustrates, but Gallaraga did not take an up moment, winning a game with a 1 hitter, and make it into a down moment. And in the process he gained the respect of baseball fans world wide, more so than if he had pitched a perfect game. His star has never been brighter.
In my last post, I discussed the drama surrounding my daughter's select soccer tryouts. A new "paid" coach was assigned to the elite team and some really strong talent showed up to the tryouts. The parents of the incumbent players knew that there were bound to be changes. What we did not expect was a decision by one of the star players to move to another team. This star player is the daughter of the "dad" coach. Therefore the team has a coaching vacancy.
When I found out about the spot, I sent an email to the Director of Coaching for the club. I volunteered for the "dad" team manager / coach position. I had volunteered for the position last year, but the position was already filled.
I have coached my daughter since she was 5 and I really missed coaching her this year. After a year off from coaching, I am ready for the X's and O's, the bus driving, the shoe tying and picking up the tab at the local Whippy Dip.
I ran across a post on Manofthehouse.com called Balancing Coaching that provides insights into volunteer dad coaches. The post explores the over-zealous coach and the coach by default. And it reminded me of all the extra things coaches do. Here is an excerpt.
Also, keep in mind that coaching usually winds up costing a few bucks. Whether it’s a cooler of lemonade, a new pitching rubber or a pair of cleats for the kid who couldn’t afford them, coaches often find themselves investing more than time and energy in their team. And there’s always that huge pizza parlor tab after your team has stomped on the windpipes of the Young’s Florist Daffodils.
The Main Point
I miss coaching. I hope that the new "paid" coach wants and needs my help. I am over zealous about the opportunity to coach the elite team, but I do not have an over zealous coaching style.
Select soccer for U9 girls can be very competitive. Too competitive if you ask me and I am not talking about the games. I am taking about the competition for a roster spot on the team.
Here's the situation regarding my daughter's team.
CC's team plays in the highest division of the metro area league and in the highest division of tournaments too. They finished in the middle of the league standings and have won several tournaments. The team is not a powerhouse, but they are very good.
There are nine hardworking girls on the team. (U9 girls compete in 6V6 games in this area.) Each girl on the team has strengths and weaknesses, but each player contributes to the team. In a recent tournament, all nine girls scored. There is a ranking of players / talent, but the difference between the 4th best girl and the 9th best girl is small. CC is one of the leading scorers on the team despite playing lots of minutes in goal, so I figured she had a good chance to make the team.
The best part about the team is that all the girls are friends and the parents have become friends too.
Tryouts for the team were held last week even though the season has not ended. The team is scheduled to play in a season ending tournament next weekend. Prior to the tryouts, the coach led the parents to believe that the team would most likely remain intact, but made it clear that the elite team is reserved for the very best players available.
My daughter went to the first tryout date without me. I went to see my son play in a baseball game instead of going to the tryout. I did not think that my daughter would need moral support at the "predetermined" tryout.
When she got home she told me some startling news. 1) the paid coach / trainer she loves was being replaced, 2) the new coach / trainer is running the tryouts and 3) the new coach trainer personally brought four very talent girls to the tryouts. It was very clear to me that nine incumbent players were vying for five slots. Friends became competitors and teammates became opponents. My daughter and I talked about the situation and the options.
I decided to go to the second soccer tryout date and use my knowledge of the process to help my daughter get noticed by the new coach. Read Youth Soccer: Tips and Tricks to Make a Select Soccer Team. I also wanted to meet the new coach and decide if he was the right coach for my daughter. I figured that my daughter has talent so she always has options.
After the tryout, I talked to the trainer / coach and I liked what I was hearing. He is passionate about soccer. He holds several coaching licenses. He has an unbelievable track record of winning, but player development is his objective. I also liked his strategic game plan better than the one that was currently being employed. As I was talking to the trainer after the tryout, CC was juggling a soccer ball in close proximity. The coach noticed. The plan was working.
We followed all the tips and tricks and CC was given an offer. We accepted the position today. My daughter will miss her old trainer and she will miss the teammates who will undoubtably be cut. (The list has not been made official.)
The Main Point
There is always a political undercurrent associated with the highest levels of select sports. You and your kids really have to have the stomach for it and you need to be prepared for anything. More importantly, you need to prepare your kid for anything.
When I found out about the unexpected competitive situation, I explained to my daughter that there was a chance that she could be cut. I told her that she would have several choices if she was cut from the elite team. 1) She could take a position on the B team with some of her old teammates or 2) tryout for another elite club team.
As I was explaining the situation, she got up from the table and left the room. I was bewildered by this sudden move. A few minutes later, CC called me into our computer room. She had a website up on the screen. She said, "Look Dad, the Lightning have a tryout next week." She is a self driven competitor.
Here are some tips and tricks to get your kid noticed during a select soccer tryout.
When my daughter was ready to play select soccer at U9, I used my knowledge of the process to help her get noticed. This is what I did. Perhaps it will help you position your kid for selection on a top team.
Prior to the tryout, I did some homework to figure out what the team had and what they needed. The team that my daughter was trying out for was very, very good. They finished in the middle of the U8 Elite Division and won a major U8 tournament. The team had 10 girls on roster, but the "paid" coach wanted to cut to 9 players. I found out that the team was going to cut the 10th ranked player who struggled at the highest competition level and wanted to upgrade the 9th ranked girl if talent was available. I also found out that 50 girls were expected to compete for the coveted spot.
Well how do you get noticed when there are 50 girls trying out for one position.
Obviously, your kid needs to have skills to compete. He or she will not make a top team by fooling the evaluators. Here is how I helped my highly skilled daughter standout.
1) Get to the tryout early and show off. The evaluators will likely be setting up the field. Have your kid shoot, do individual moves around you, juggle etc. This will allow your kid to get a sneak peek look. Showing up early demonstrates commitment and enthusiasm.
2) Wear something that will standout in a crowd. Have your kid wear a neon colored soccer shirt or crazy socks or anything that will be noticeable and unique. My daughter wore the black and white striped jersey of the Italia Serie A team, Siena.
3) If the tryout is conducted over multiple days, make sure your kid wears the same outfit both days (wash it of course). This is especially important if they did well at the first tryout.
4) Stand out with individual moves. Assuming your kid knows how to do individual moves like scissors or a Maradona spin move, he or she should use them during the tryout drills and scrimmages. It's the easiest way to stand out. My daughter did a Maradona spin move in the first 10 minutes of her elite team tryout. Immediately after the move, the head evaluator went up to her to get her name. Within 10 minutes, every evaluator was calling her by her name. The Maradona move is so easy to do, my daughter has been using it in games since she was five. This video shows you how to do it.
5) Take advantage of water breaks to stand out during the tryouts. When a water break is called have your kid get off the field quickly and drink plenty of liquids. After they are fully hydrated, make sure your kid is the first one back on the field. My daughter went to the middle of the field and juggled while others took their time resting. She looked enthusiastic and energetic while others looked tired.
6) Make sure your kid works very hard when the evaluators are looking and conserves energy when they are not. Often there is a main field where the head evaluator spends most of the time and several side fields to keep kids busy. It's important not to waste energy on the side fields if evaluators are not watching. Your child needs the energy to out-hustle everyone on the main evaluation field.
7) Your kid should avoid playing goalie in tryouts unless they are trying out for goalie. The trainer / evaluator will often ask for volunteers to jump into the goal during tryouts. Time in goal for non-goalies is wasted time. Time not being evaluated on field for their strengths. I have noticed that many kids volunteer because they are tired and need a rest. If there is a choice between jumping in goal and sitting out, then they should jump in goal and show as much athleticism as possible.
8) Introduce yourself to the head evaluator after the tryout. Tell the evaluator your name and your kid's name. Point your kid out. Typically tryouts are at the end of the spring season (late May or early June) ask the evaluator to recommend a summer camp. This shows commitment and passion for the game. Many of the evaluator / trainers have their own summer training camps. Let them plug their camp. Give them contact info so that they can send you an email with the info. Sometimes a little thing like this will put a kid over the top.
9) Go to all the tryouts even if they say only one is required. Many teams hold tryouts over several days. If you really want to make a team, I would suggest that you go to all the tryouts. The more looks you can get the better especially if your son or daughter has talent to show off.
The Main Point
Making a select team takes standout skills, the confidence to use those skills while trying out, the energy to showcase the skills, the ability to standout in a crowd and a demonstrated passion of the sport. Good luck.
The community of Noblesville, Indiana which is about 7 miles north of Indianpolis has developed an awesome youth baseball venue. They have eight beautifully maintained fields with fences and lights. The facility also houses one of the best concession stands that I have ever seen at a youth baseball facility. They serve a large menu of food and drinks (non-alcoholic) for nominal prices. Between games, I bought 2 hamburgers, 2 hot dogs and 4 drinks for the family. I handed the concession stand worker $20 and got back $5. At a MLB stadium, I would be lucky to get back anything after handling over $50 for a similar order. It was such a pleasant surprise.
The actual fields at the Noblesville facility are very unique. The outfield area is grass, but infields are made of field turf. There is no dirt anywhere on the field. The home plate area and the areas around each base are clay colored field turf. I was concerned that kids could be injured while sliding when I first saw the field, but the kids slid over the turf very easily. My son slid head first very smoothly into second base on a steal. He came up grimacing with turf burns on his arms, but I guess it didn't hurt too much because he stole third and slid head first again.
Two years ago at this same facility my son, Nic, got his 100th career hit for the club. He was in a battle with a teammate to be the first one to get 100 career hits for the club. An elbow injury early in that year cost my son some games and made the race closer than it should have been. His teammate got his 100th hit in game one of a doubleheader on Noblesville field 8. In the second game of the double header on the same field, Nic notched his 100th hit.
Games 61, 62, 63, 64 and 65
Two years later on Noblesville field 6, Nic hit his first "over the fence" home run. He has lots of "hit'em and run" home runs, but never experienced the joy of hitting one over a fence. He crushed a 2-1 fastball to dead center field and cleared the 225 foot fences easily. He ran around the bases in record time and jumped high into the air and landed on the plate surrounded by his teammates. The 3 run homer in the bottom of the last inning with two outs gave the team hope. Unfortunately, the rally did not last and fortunately for Nic didn't get hurt celebrating at home. The night before Kendry Morales of the Los Angeles Angels hit a walk-off homer then broke his leg as he jumped onto home plate surrounded by his teammates.
The slump may be coming to an end. My son, Nic, batted .385 with 4 RBIs and 6 Runs scored in the tournament. .385 is well under his lifetime average it was an encouraging sign. His team won 2 of 3 pool play games and got the 8th seed in the 15 team tournament. They ended up beating the 9th seed in the first elimination round and then lost to the number 1 team. It was a great tournament.
The Main Point
The people of Noblesville made a great facility where great life long memories are made. I know my son will never forget this field. I know from experience.
When I played little league, we rarely had an opportunity to play on a field with a fence. Gumpert Park in Westfield NJ had three fields. Two fields without fences and one field with a fence. Gumpert 1 was the field with the fence. I loved playing on that field. At 12, I hit a ball over the fence down the line on Gumpter One. I saw the ball fly high above the fence and into the branches and leaves of the trees beyond it. As I rounded first, I heard the umpire yell foul ball. I didn't want to believe it so I continued on and rounded second, the umpire yelled foul ball again. I looked at my dad, who was the third base coach, he was already pleading my case. The umpired yelled foul ball again. I didn't get a homer, but I still remember that hit and that field. As a teenager I played lacrosse so I would not get my first "over the fence" home run until I played adult softball.
The baseball season grinds on and an injury to my son reminds me of my youth.
Game 59
I watched the game from the stands with the mother of a son who was seriously injured by a line drive last year. While my son is working hard to overcome a prolonged slump, her son is working hard to walk normally again.
In the first inning, my son threw out another base stealer, his 10th of the year. He looked at me with pride in his eyes. In the second inning, a foul ball hit the bottom of his All Star Catching mask. I guess the mask was not fully secure because the mask turned upon impact and the ball got hit my son in the throat. My son fell to the ground immediately and was struggling to breathe. The coaching staff ran onto the field to tend to my son. The mother of the injured player yelled for me to call 911, she knows that time is critical with serious injuries. I took out my iphone ready to dial.
I asked the coach if I needed to make the call. He held up his hand telling me to wait. I had a flash back to my high school lacrosse days.
I cut toward the goal, the center middie threw me a perfect pass. I caught the ball and was immediately decked with a cross check to my throat. My feet continued forward as my head hit the ground. I remember staring up at the clouds while grasping for air as panic set in.
My son started to calm down and breathe normally. His neck hurt for a few days, but it turns out that like my situation, the panic was worse than the pain.
The Main Point
Committed dads feel all the frustrations, the joy and the pain that their kids experience in sports. Try to limit the pain by making sure that your kids sports equipment fits properly and is in good working condition.
Are you trying to decide between recreational soccer and select soccer? I am a D licensed soccer coach with years of experience coaching both recreational and select soccer teams. Here are the major differences between recreational and club select soccer.
1) Training Select soccer players typically get better training. Training is conducted by paid licensed coaches. However please note, select soccer does not automatically guarantee quality training. You need to know the credentials of the coach and / or trainer before you commit your money to a club. Ask the trainer if he / she has a license to coach or what experience he / she has? Recreational soccer is usually coached by volunteer parents who may participate in a short pre-season coaching clinic or given links to coaching tips on line.
2) Better players to compete with and against If you believe that your kid will only get better by playing with and against better players, then select is probably the right place for your child. However please note, select soccer does not automatically guarantee strong teammates and competition. Large regional select soccer clubs will typically have several levels within each age group, Premier (1st Division), 2nd division, 3rd division, etc. I can tell you that the 4th and 5th level teams in most clubs are not strong. If you looking to club soccer for stronger competition to challenge your kid you may actually find better competition in a recreational league verses the lower divisions of a select club. Why? Select typically requires a year round commitment and there are many good athletes who do not want to make that commitment because they want to play other sports too. These multi-sport athletes playing rec soccer are often better than the full time soccer players playing on a 4th or 5th division club team.
3) More Games The big difference between select and rec is the tournament schedule. A typical select team will play in a preseason, mid-season and post season tournament in addition to the regular season games. Recreational teams usually play in one single elimination tournament at the end of the season. A typical select tournament guarantees three games so a select team may play 6 to 9 more games per season than a rec team, but these extra games are completed in 2 or 3 weekends. Select soccer does not automatically mean more practice. Most clubs hold practices two times per week.
Please note: There are several levels within select programs too, when kids get older the best kids may compete in ODP, CUP and Super Regional leagues. These are very serious leagues with lots of games, practices and travel.
4) Select soccer is a year-round commitment. Typically 20 games in the fall, 10 indoor games before Christmas, 10 indoor games after Christmas, 20 games in the spring. This is my biggest issue with soccer. If you want your kid to advance in soccer and play in HS, your child will most likely need to play on a select team year round from the age of 9 to high school. Why? Because that is what the competition for those coveted high school spots are doing.
5) Emphasis on winning - Good sportsmanship and fun are promoted in recreational leagues and players are guaranteed to play 50% of every game. All teams are randomly selected and there is no attempt to separate the better and experienced players from the new players. While good sportsmanship and fun are a goal for select soccer coaches too, select soccer is more competitive. They have tryouts and some players may be cut. Playing time is not guaranteed and there is a stronger emphasis on winning games. In our select league, there are eight teams in each division (Premier - first division, 2nd Division, 3rd Division, etc.) The top two teams in each division move up and the bottom two teams in each division move down. A club's status is based on how many teams they have in the upper divisions, so they emphasize winning.
6) Cost - Select soccer can cost anywhere from $600 per year to $2600 per year (even more for CUP). Recreational soccer costs about $70 per year.
In 1924, a patent was issued for the first metal baseball bat, but metal bats were not used until Worth introduced the first aluminum baseball bat in 1970. I was a little league player in the early 70's and I vividly remember when kids around the league started to use them. By the mid 70's every team had at least one aluminum bat for players to share.
Metal bats became very popular when Easton introduced a better and stronger aluminum bat in the late 70's. That is when I got my first aluminum bat. I remember it like it was yesterday, it was gold with black letters. When the bat met the ball it sounded different, but I don't really remember it changing the game significantly for me.
Innovations continued as bat manufacturers realized there was a market for $300+ bats. In the early 1990's lighter and stronger bats made of titanium were introduced. Then bats with double wall construction and high tech composite materials were introduced. All of the innovations were designed to propel the ball faster and further. Of course parents anxious to see their kids succeed or at a minimum keep up with the Jones' keep buying the best and most expensive bats on the market. And the crack of the bat was forever replaced by the ping of a bat.
I didn't realize it until this past weekend, but baseball lost something in the process.
Arguments for high tech metal or composite bats
Better weight distribution with a center of gravity closer to the handle to make it easier to swing.
Greater bat speed potential leads to more power to hit the ball harder, faster and further.
The Trampoline effect - the bat compresses on impact and then springs back pushing the ball forward.
Bigger sweet spot which is much more forgiving translates to more hits.
More durable - aluminum bats do not break as easy as wood.
Cost efficient. Metal or Composite bats can be much more expensive to buy compared to wood bats, but cost savings can be realized over time because they are more durable.
Arguments against high tech metal or composite bats
Bigger sweet spot which is much more forgiving leads to more hits even against nasty pitches. There are lots of rules in place to limit the number of pitches a pitcher can throw in a week, a game or a tournament. These rules are in place to protect young arms. If wood bats were used, there would be less cheap hits and therefore less pitches required to get through an inning or game. Wood bats would save young arms.
Defense becomes more important. Games with wood bats are decided more on skill and less on technology.
Strategy becomes important again. Manufacturing runs with bunts and "hit and run" plays become more viable options. Kids therefore learn the game more completely.
The Main Point
After watching a wood bat tournament this past weekend, I have become a big fan of wood bats. A game played with wooden bats is pure baseball. It is baseball at its very best.
Games 52, 53, 54, 55
I just watched a great wood bat tournament this past weekend. It was baseball at its best. The eight best teams from the tri-state area converged to match skills not technology.
My son's team won 4-3 in extra innings, lost 1-0 in extra innings, won 7-6 in extra innings and then lost in the semi-finals. Pitchers pitched and fielders made plays. There were very few cheap hits. There were more bunts and situational hitting. It was really fun to watch.
Ironically enough, my son who has been in a prolonged slump hit a pop up 15 feet beyond second base. The second baseman got a late jump. The shortstop got a late jump and the centerfielder did not get a good read. As a result, the ball dropped in for a cheap hit. My son hustled right out of the box and slid into second base with a double. His coach didn't say a word about his hustle. The opposing coach yelled at his players, he said, "If you guys hustled half as much as that kid he would be out and not on second base. Nice hustle kid." Despite the long slump he continues to play with passion and I am proud of him.
The 1-0 loss was against our arch rival, the team that denied us a CABA World Series Championship by beating us in the finals 2 years ago. In the second inning, my son was up with a runner on third. His coach called for a suicide squeeze. My son put a perfect bunt down the first base line. The run scored and my son was safe at first with a single and an RBI, or so we thought. The umpire called the ball foul. He claimed that he saw the ball hit my son's foot. I have video of the play and the ball was no where close to his foot. Nic's team would have won in regulation 1-0, but instead lost the game in extra innings 1-0. That is how it goes when a player is in a slump.
My son caught both games of the doubleheader on Saturday and the semi-final game on Sunday. He played flawlessly and threw out another base stealer. One of the dads from our team came up to me and said how impressed he is with Nic. Namely, that he does not take his hitting slump into the field with him.
I bought my son a Mad Dog bamboo bat prior to the tournament. My son loved it. Mad Dog Bats
