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CaCO3Girl
1989 Posts |
 Posted - 06/22/2015 : 10:12:15
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I have read many posts on this board about Cooperstown, and people's opinions have swayed to the extreme in both loving and hating it...I am of the OPINION that if you didn't love Cooperstown you didn't understand why you were there. Cooperstown is not just another tournament, Cooperstown is not the place to learn fundamentals, or build on things you have been working on all year. Cooperstown is one week out of the life of a 12 year old where the regular rules don't apply, and they are there for THE JOY OF BASEBALL, not to win it all.
Pool play should be about letting each player fulfill their dreams...perhaps the littlest kid on the team really wanted to pitch, perhaps he wanted to play second, perhaps the kid who usually sits the bench really hoped all year he would be the clean-up batter...well why not? When you are facing teams in pool play that are pulled together over a 3 year period from the surrounding 3 states with the specific intent to win Cooperstown and there is just no shot at winning the game, why not allow a child to have the best baseball experience he can? To live the dream he has had all year, and to experience the Joy of Baseball. Did we get run ruled in the 4th instead of the 5th inning, yeah, but so what, that kid who got to pitch will NEVER forget that moment? Should the coach have given the bunt sign instead of the swing away sign, yeah, but then that kid wouldn’t have been able to hit his first homerun EVER!!! (That happened 3 times last week for our team)
Cooperstown is a magical place! It is a place where kids can live their baseball dreams, a place where the regular rules don’t apply, and a place where each boy can be the best version of themselves because they are all there because they LOVE baseball. There are 104 teams per week, minimum of 12 players per team, which is 1,248 players. There are 22 fields, and when a team isn’t playing on the field they are playing wiffle ball on any open surface they can find using used water bottles, shirts, and trash as bases. They are traveling from barrack to barrack asking where the teams are from and trading pins, and they all have smiles on their faces a mile wide because no matter what state you are from, no matter if your parents are rich or poor, no matter if you are an A team or a Major team every kid there was united by the common bond of their love of the game.
I would encourage each coach and parent to embrace this concept prior to attending Cooperstown, play for the love of the game, and don’t treat it like a regular tournament, because there is nothing regular about this week. For those of you who truly GET IT, it will be a magical experience.
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BREAMKING
323 Posts |
Posted - 06/22/2015 : 12:59:04
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| Could not have sad it any better what a great time we had. Sorry I missed you my brother told me you stopped by. |
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atl65
37 Posts |
Posted - 06/22/2015 : 15:42:20
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| We went two years ago and I still have parents and kids telling me how great the experience was for the players. The coaches with the bunks and dorms maybe not. But watching your kid and the kids you coached had a great time bonding, it is totally worth the trip. |
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Bob Balker
456 Posts |
Posted - 06/22/2015 : 15:47:42
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| Again, spot on w/the post that starts this thread. As said earlier, you could not have said it better. I'm not sure I saw a kid sad or upset when we were there. Truly a special place and it is not about wins or losses. It's about everything she stated above. |
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SSBuckeye
575 Posts |
Posted - 06/23/2015 : 09:56:24
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+1
Could not have said it better myself. |
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Atsgsu
2 Posts |
Posted - 06/23/2015 : 11:41:15
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With that being said... We leave next week (July 4th week) and need 2 players to complete the roster (2 injured players) need a catcher and of course would love a pitcher both with strong bats. AAA ranked team.
If interested pm or email atsgsu@yahoo.com
Player will be responsible for $895 registration fee but can ride up and back with coach. |
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AllStar
762 Posts |
Posted - 06/23/2015 : 15:47:30
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quote:
Originally posted by Atsgsu
With that being said... We leave next week (July 4th week) and need 2 players to complete the roster (2 injured players) need a catcher and of course would love a pitcher both with strong bats. AAA ranked team.
If interested pm or email atsgsu@yahoo.com
Player will be responsible for $895 registration fee but can ride up and back with coach.
I've got a 19 YO that will shave 3X a day and slouch so he doesn't look 6'2"+ for a chance to go again. :D
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CaCO3Girl
1989 Posts |
Posted - 06/24/2015 : 09:42:21
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quote:
Originally posted by AllStar
quote:
Originally posted by Atsgsu
With that being said... We leave next week (July 4th week) and need 2 players to complete the roster (2 injured players) need a catcher and of course would love a pitcher both with strong bats. AAA ranked team.
If interested pm or email atsgsu@yahoo.com
Player will be responsible for $895 registration fee but can ride up and back with coach.
I've got a 19 YO that will shave 3X a day and slouch so he doesn't look 6'2"+ for a chance to go again. :D
I think I saw him there playing for a few different teams last week! |
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My thoughts on Cooperstown-12u
