In the 12u thread there is a discussion about getting a Cooperstown grandfather certificate for 2016, I wanted to bring the discussion over to the 11u board so all of you parents, and coaches, can decide IF Cooperstown is important to you.
Here is the key, in my opinion.
When you go to Panama City Beach for the Grand Slam Tournament you go and play baseball, maybe even a double header, and you head back to your hotel/condo/house with your parents where you might go to some theme restaurants spend some time on the beach, definitely shop for crazy wacky shirts and the like...but your only baseball is on that field with maybe the team meeting up at the bowling alley for a party, then you all go back to your separate residences.
At Cooperstown the kids stay in the dorms where hundreds of teams prior to them stayed, they eat with their team, they sleep with their team, they are dressed at all times LIKE A TEAM! Cooperstown is not a family vacation it is a baseball experience where the kids get inducted into the little league hall of fame, they get a ring, they get to wear the short little pants with the LONG baseball socks, they get to play on a 200 field that they will likely hit an out of the park homer in, and they get to hang out with their buddies, their team, their coaches that they have sweat for, likely bled for all Spring and Fall, and it's ALL about baseball ALL the time!
Yeah it can be hot, crowded, and over priced....but can you really put a price on your 12 year old having memories like that for the rest of their life? One week of baseball 24/7 is my 12 year old's dream come true...maybe it isn't your 12 year old's dream, but for some it is the most exciting thing that has ever happened to them in their entire lives...and I for one would have changed teams in a heartbeat to secure my 12 year old his spot in Cooperstown because at 12 it's suppose to be about the baseball dream, and Cooperstown lives up to the hype...at least for the kids.
So, parents, when it comes May/June and you need to decide on where your kid will be playing please THINK about what I have typed and ask yourself...is my kid really THAT into baseball? Would he enjoy that experience with his team? Would this be one of the best experiences of his life...and if you have answered yes then you should ask your coach specifically if the team WILL be going to Cooperstown next year. If you think it will be important to your kid to experience Cooperstown make sure you are on the right team. |
Should Cooperstown be a goal for you next year?
Posted - 02/05/2015 : 14:42:38
