2016 Cooperstown Trip
Parent Meeting – November 2, 2015
Cooperstown DreamsPark
All Star Village
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Cooperstown Trip Basics
Focus on the experience of the players
− Win or lose, players will have fun
− We will face teams that we can beat, as well as year round travel teams that have played 90+ games
− Wins largely depends on the teams drawn – do not worry if your team does not win a game
− Try not to over analyze games with your players. After games, players will be most focused on trading pins
and playing whiffle ball
Tournament
− Assuming no weather issues, 6 games to rank teams: 2 games on each on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday
− Playoffs - single elimination tournament on Wednesday and Thursday
− Be prepared to start a game at any time of the day or night!!!! No need to ask coaches to change the game
times – they have no influence over park officials
Coaches
− Give them space – it’s a ton of work (coaching, laundry, meals, game line-ups, sleeping in barracks, etc.)
− Rules are different with “extra-hitters” and “subs.” Playing time will be relatively even over the week.
− Coaches will be asked to play players at positions they want to play (ex. Pitcher or Infield) at some point
during the tournament that they might not normally play during the travel season
− We intend to have the college coaches attend. However, if they are not available, we will need to ask
parents to coach and stay overnight in the barracks.
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The “Binder”
Information to collect
− Original (not copies) of birth certificates for players (to be returned to parents)
− Player DOB, height, weight, ring size, arrival times, parent cell/email, address
− Player combination lock numbers (key locks usually result in lost keys, and players often forget their
combination number)
− Parental Authorization & Consent forms
− Player Waiver & Release of Liability forms
− Player medical forms (a physical must be completed, including required immunization shots, and
signed by a physician within 1 year of participation)
− Coaches’ resumes
− Coaches’ medical forms (no recent physical required, but shot dates requested)
− Umpire registration forms
− Umpire contact information
− Entries for home run, fastest runner, throwing and team relay contests
Highly recommend 1 parent from each team be responsible for collection the information
− Parent should give to a coach just prior to the trip
− Coaches are required to provide the information at early check-in on Friday (CDP only) or Saturday
11/3/2015
Antares Capital
Confidential
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Itinerary – Friday July 1st through Friday July 8th, 2016
Friday (applies to CDP only)
− Coaches ideally arrive at ~ 6pm to check in team with binder from parent
− Players arrive between 6pm-10:30pm to drop off their gear. This is the only time window parents will be
allowed to drive their vehicle directly to the CDP “All Star Village” area (aka “the barracks”).
− Depending on coaches’ availability, parents should be prepared to keep their players overnight at their hotel or
rented house
Saturday
− Morning check-in at ASV (parents must clear “Players Village” by 3:30pm), and last chance for CDP check in
− Players must be in full uniform at CDP by 11am for a mandatory meeting in dining tent
− ASV participants to be ready in full uniform for a fire drill at 5pm
− Evening includes a player parade followed by ceremonies and the skills contests
Sunday through Tuesday
− 2 games per day
− Recommend parents plan a team dinner/party after game schedule is received
Wednesday & Thursday
− Single elimination tournament at both facilities
− Plan to play early in the morning on Wednesday. Our teams will likely be eliminated on Wednesday and the
teams will likely check-out that day
− Wednesday and Thursday are good days to visit the Hall of Fame after our teams are eliminated
− Recommend players stay with parents Wednesday night and watch the Championship Games on Thursday,
which typically starts around 10pm with fireworks. Return on Friday.
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Health & Safety
Both tournaments are run as camps with strict rules
− Except at check-in, only players and coaches can enter the areas where players stay overnight and dine
− Players can only be checked out with a signed release form (coaches must literally walk players to one of
the exit gates near the parking lots)
− Players should be with their team or a coach at all times, no wondering around the facility in small groups
Medications
− Medications, along with dosage and timing, must be delivered to the medical tents upon arrival
− Camp medical staff and coaches will ensure medications are administered as instructed
− Medication bag must be labeled with player’s name
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Packing List - LABEL EVERYTHING!!!!!
Two (2) pairs of plain white baseball pants
− NO STRIPES
− For CDP, they must also be tapered at the bottom of the knees so that the baseball socks are fully visible
Baseball Gear
− Bats – CDP allows all non-wood bats. ASV has a 2.75 inch barrel limitation
− Mitt
− Cleats (no metal), sliding shorts, batting gloves, sunglasses, equipment bag (coaches), bug spray, sun screen
− Belts supplied by WBA – colors must meet park color requirements (Navy & Red at CDP, Navy at ASV)
− Jerseys/Hats/Socks – provided by the tournaments upon arrival based on player information collected
− Combination lock for team equipment box (coaches)
Other Items
− Flip flops & swim suit (for showers), toiletries, towels, pillow, sleeping bag, normal summer clothes, sweatshirt
− Combination lock (not a key lock), box fans, clothes lines/pins, duct tape, power strips, whiffle ball gear
− Trading pins and pin towel (ordered by WBA)
− Cash for game room
− Bottled water (multiple cases of small bottles per team), but no food, plus 1 rolling cooler per team
− Sharpie pens to label everything
− Avoid bringing valuables and electronics (cell phones are ok)
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Costs
Up to ~$1,500 per player
− Covers CDP/ASV fees for both players and college coaches (yes, we have to pay the camps for all coaches)
− Also covers:
− umpire fees for the week (each team required to bring one per team),
− Trading pins
− Trading pin towels
− Belts
− Team banners
− Coaches’ travel costs & salary for the week
− Transportation and hotel accommodations for parents/family are not included
Ideally, provide your coaches with an additional ~$200-300 (per team, or $20-25 per player) to buy
players meals/snacks when the cafeteria is not open (important when games are scheduled during
meal times, or if games run late). This money will also be used to buy ice for the bottled water
coolers
Fundraiser
− Strongly suggest parents organize something to help players “earn” a price reduction
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Commitment
$500 non-refundable deposit per player due 11/15/15
− Balance of ~$1,000 per player due 3/1/16
− We need to provide the camps a firm number of teams and have already made significant down payments
− If we do not have enough players per team, we will need to recruit other WBA house players to participate.
Difficult to play with less than 11-12 players per team given the number of games played in a compressed
time frame
Cooperstown DreamsPark Tournament
− 104 team tournament, and generally the most competitive field
− The A and B1 teams will participate
All Star Village Tournament
− ~40-50 team tournament, and very competitive
− Facilities are top notch and air conditioned!!!
− The B2 team will participate
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Other Information
Cooperstownstay.com is a great resource to book hotels and houses to rent (not all allow team
parties)
ASV has hotel rooms for families to rent on campus, but not a requirement
Both camps operate large gift shops where commemorative bats and baseballs can be engraved
(cheaper options available in downtown Cooperstown). If purchasing a bat, recommend they are
ordered early in the week so they are ready before departure to avoid shipping costs
Cooperstown DreamsPark is a ~10-15 minute drive (depending on traffic) south of downtown
Cooperstown, which is on the southern tip of Otsego Lake in NY
All Star Village is a ~30 minute drive south of downtown Cooperstown (town of Oneonta)
Visit Cooperstowndreamspark.com and Cooperstownallstarvillage.com for more information
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Restaurant Recommendations from Parents
Blue Mingo Grill – top seafood – a few miles north of Cooperstown on the west side of the
Otsego Lake (a bit tough to find, but definitely worth it). Higher priced
Otsego Hotel – outside patios overlooking lake. Higher priced
Brewery Ommegang – everyone raves about this place. Convenient location – other side
of river from CDP. Great outdoor and indoor seating.
Bocca Osteria – great Italian, convenient, but no reservations taken
Alex & Ikas – downtown Cooperstown
The Cooperstown Diner – historical, burgers, casual, tiny place
Sherman’s Tavern – probably the only sports bar in downtown Cooperstown
Redneck BBQ – convenient, good food, bar, nice people work there
The Milford Inn – sports/biker restaurant/bar with a pool table a few miles south of CDP
Several other highly reviewed locations in Oneonta
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