Cooperstown Tournament

A friend of mine just called me to get some advice as her son is heading to Cooperstown later this season.  Our trip to Cooperstown was one of the points that made me want to start this blog....moms need to share ideas so we can help each other plan and prepare.

Cooperstown was the highlight of the year last year for Andrew, for his team, and for our family.  It was a once in a lifetime experience...one he will never forget.  It's like Disney World for baseball fans.  Our team planned and prepped, and I don't think any of us, even with all that planning, knew what it would be like and how great it would be.

Here's my list of suggestions for what to know/do/see while at Cooperstown...

1. Pack well....I think we compiled a pretty good packing list.  (Thanks, Rachel for all your help compiling it.)  I don't think there was anything that Andrew needed and did not have.  The packing list is can be found here:  Cooperstown Packing List
2. Plan some FUN spirit items.  The boys will have their banner for opening ceremonies, but you want it to be fun for all.  We made giant heads of the boys and brought them to opening ceremonies and all games.
   
    It really was fun for the boys to see their large heads at each game!!!  Also for spirit items, purchase some extra of your trading pins for siblings to trade- I think younger siblings make better pin traders than the boys!  We also had spirit shirts made with the picture of our pin on them....moms, dads, siblings, and even grandparents who came had shirts!
3. Take a TON of pictures.....the Cooperstown folks do a great job of taking pictures, and we did buy a few, but it was nice to know that there were pictures of all our boys for free from our parents!  Make sure to take pictures out front by the Cooperstown Wall in their uniforms at some point during the day.
4. Explore downtown Cooperstown.  There were so many fun places, and the people there are awesome.  One of our favorites was a little restaurant downstairs called "Getcha Hot Dog"...pub food at a decent price quickly...and sometimes, that is just what you need!  Be sure to try out the local Cooperstown beer...nothing like a cold beer and a dog in baseball's town

                 

We loved this little downtown quick bite stop, and Cooperstown Ale was a favorite of mine!

5. Be sure to leave time to play and explore at the Hall of Fame.  The exhibits are nice, but there were areas to just have fun and explore there.  Make sure you visit as a team and let the boys and siblings have fun there.
6. Make sure the coaches plan a night off.  Our coaches were smart and planned a night where all parents had to come and pick up their player from Dreams Park for a few hours.  It's great to get a little time with your son during that week, but also time for the coaches to get a break and unwind with their family.

Whatever you choose to do to make your stay there special, one thing is for certain.  It is a trip that your son will never forget.  I hope you enjoy your stay and that your team has the best time there! 

What are your suggestions to make a Cooperstown Dreams Park tournament the best for all?

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It takes a village....

I am the oldest of four children.  My sisters and I all played some sort of sport and were involved in a lot of activities (although I can assure you, in my case, I did not play any sport particularly well!)  I think things were a bit different back then, and sports may not have been as time consuming as they are not. But one thing was always true...my parents were always there cheering us on.  Always.  Always, always, always...I really don't remember a time when they were not there.

They say it takes a village to raise a child....for me, it takes a dedicated extended family and a great bunch of parents of the players on my children's team. With two athletes playing competitive sports and both of us working full time jobs with little flex time (except for my summers off), we just cannot make it to everything.  Our goal is to divide and conquer so that one parent is with one of our kids each day, but it becomes harder!!!  I cannot even imagine how it is when the ratio is not 1:1.

What can we do to make them feel good about their sports when it does not work out that we can be there?

LISTEN!  Even if George was at the lacrosse game and I missed it, I make sure I get the play by play later on that day.  I am always amazed by their enthusiasm in telling the highlights, and often find their retelling interesting.  It says a great deal about what they view their role is on the team and how they see themselves in that sport.  LISTEN to your child.

RELY on your village.  I am an amateur photographer who enjoys taking pics at all my kids sporting events...but if I cannot be there, I really try to find someone in the village to take pictures.  I love looking at pictures of my kids through someone else's lens.  I often find that those are the BEST pictures of my child.

ENCOURAGE...I always make sure to call while my child is on the way to a game I will miss.  I remind them to have fun and play hard...that's what it is all about!

What suggestions do you have?  For those moms of more than two, what suggestions do you have to make it all work?

Preparation for Spring Sports

This weekend starts it all....the first softball tournament, the first baseball games, the first lacrosse games.  Our family schedule takes coordination and a divide-and-conquer approach, but the main thing we need to do to survive is PREPARE.  Game day stress intensifies and tempers flare when we cannot find things right before game time.  (Yup, that 3 minutes before we walk out the door has been known to be pretty ugly around here at times.)  

This year, I am trying to be pro-active and be ready.  Here are my best tips:  

• Get all uniforms out the day before....not night before, day before.  That way, if a piece is still dirty from an earlier game or missing in the trunk, it can be tracked down early.  Make sure you have the layers you might need for colder weather.
•  CLEATS by the bag....I have watched too many parents have to travel back home for forgotten cleats.  (Sometimes, just one cleat was forgotten...that always amazes me!)
•    Have your child check equipment bags to make sure it is all there.  Make sure to check all equipment for loose strings or missing pieces. Check that your child really checked J
•    Put water  bottles out by the equipment bag ready to be filled in the morning with ice-water.  I HATE spending money on water bottles at games.  Bring a reusable water bottle with you.  (As a matter of fact, keep an extra in the car for when it is forgotten.)  It is amazing how much $ you can save if you don't buy water bottles at sporting events, plus you’re being eco-friendly!
•  Pack an “Everything I could Possibly Need” bag.  This is not so much a necessity for a baseball game or a lacrosse game, but for spending all day at the softball field, this can save your life!  I will post later what goes in my “Everything I Could Possibly Need” bag.
• Food shopping.  Make sure lunch is prepped and you know what dinner will be and have it ready to avoid picking up quick junk food. 
• Sunscreen…hard to imagine after this crazy winter we had in the northeast, but we may need sunscreen already!
• Charge your camera battery and make sure you have your memory card.  You don’t want to miss a big moment.  (Although ask my daughter about her homerun during the first at-bat of her game where I missed taking pictures of because I was putting on sunscreen…she has quite a tale to share!)  But at least if you have the camera there and ready, you might capture the big moment!

What tips can you offer to other busy moms of athletes?  What's on your pre-game day checklist that I have forgotten?