COOPERSTOWN 2019 INFO

 

COOPERSTOWN 2019 PACKING LIST
AND OTHER INSIDER INFORMATION !
PLEASE MARK ALL ITEMS PRIOR TO PACKING!
NAME OR NUMBER ON EVERYTHING!
(IDENTAME IS A GOOD SITE FOR CLOTHING LABELS)

ITEMS TO PACK
BAT BAG:
Bat Bag packed with everything you will need for game day: (clean everything else out before you go.)

 All of your Mitts (outfield, infield, 1st base, catchers)
 Bats (check grips) (no wooden bats allowed during games)
 Catchers pack ALL your equipment. (Mask, chest guard, shin guards, cup…)
 Batting Helmet
 Batting Gloves (check condition)
 Cup
 Tennis Shoes/Turf Shoes
 Cleats (no metal cleats) - If you are getting new cleats make sure that they are worn in, you don’t need blistered feet,
so pack old ones with your clothes

SUITCASE:
 2 PAIR WHITE BASEBALL PANTS (New pants will be ordered)
 BLUE AND RED BELT
 SLIDERS
 SWIM TRUNKS (FOR SHOWER)
 FLIP FLOPS –NOT SLIDERS (FOR SHOWER)
 REGULAR CLOTHING (SWEATSHIRT, SWEATPANTS, SHORTS, T-SHIRT, SOCKS, UNDERWARE ETC)
 SLEEPING CLOTHES
 UNDERSHIRTS FOR THE UNIFORMS (SHORT AND LONG SLEEVE)
 TENNIS SHOES
 SLEEPING BAG
 PILLOW AND PILLOWCASE
 2 SMALL COMBINATION LOCKS (REGULAR MASTER LOCKS ARE TOO BIG.)
 TOILETRIES—SHAMPOO, LIQUID SOAP,TOOTHPASTE,TOOTHBRUSH (IN A CASE), DEODORANT,
VITAMINS, ALLERGY MEDS, FAST ACTING TINACTIN , DESITIN, CHAP STICK, GOLD-BOND POWDER,
HAND SANITIZER, DRINKING CUP
 SHOWER TOTE OR MESH BAG– THEY NEED SOMETHING TO CARRY TOILETRIES TO BATHROOM
THAT CAN HANG FROM THE SHOWERHEAD WHILE SHOWERING AND THEN ALLOWS ITEMS TO
DRAIN/DRY
 2 TOWELS
 2 PLASTIC HANGERS (TO HANG WET TOWELS)
 BUG SPRAY
 SUNSCREEN
 MINI FIRST AID KIT
 UMBRELLA/PONCHO
 ROLL OF QUARTERS/ DOLLAR BILLS FOR ARCADE AND CONCESSION STAND.
 FLASHLIGHT
 POWER STRIP/ EXTENSION CORD
 BLACK SHARPIE
 2- LARGE ZIP LOCK BAGS
 WE RECOMMEND EACH PLAYER HAS A CELL PHONE FOR THE WEEK. DON’T FORGET THE CHARGER
 THERE IS A SHEET ON THE MATTRESS BUT IF IT’S TO HOT TO SLEEP IN THE BAG YOU MAY WANT TO
PROVIDE ANOTHER SHEET TO SLEEP UNDER.*

 

Packing Hint Don’t over pack! Don’t over pack! Don’t over pack! Players tend to wear the same clothes every day. The
coaches send them out to be washed; the players put them back in the top of their foot locker and put them back on the
next day. All the clean clothes at the bottom of the footlocker will still be there when you put them back in the suitcase.

ITEMS TO PURCHASE UPON ARRIVAL
 1 CASES OF WATER– 1 CASE OF GATORADE
 FAN WITH CLIP TO ATTACH TO THE BUNKS
 SOME DORMS WILL HAVE BOX FANS AND SOME WILL NOT– ITS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY.
WE WILL NEED 4 BOX FANS FOR THE ROOM (Please coordinate between the parents)
 SNACKS THAT ARE NON PERISHABLE OR MESSY. (POWEBARS-GRANOLA BARS ETC)
 BOTTLE OF FEBREZE SPORT
THERE IS A WALMART 25 MINS AWAY IN ONEONTA, NY IF YOU NEED TO PURCHASE SOME ITEMS.
Cooperstown Schedule
Dropping Your Player Off
When you arrive at Cooperstown Dream Park to check-in you will be given the number of your team’s barrack. You will
then pull your car into the appropriate line to wait to drive into the barracks. When you drive in you have FIVE minutes to
unload your vehicle and immediately move it to a parking lot. You will need to unload suitcases into the players’ storage
locker and take the suitcases with you. This is no joke. Kids will be trading pins and parents will be unloading. After you
unload you can park your car in a lot and walk back in to help make up beds. This will be the only time you are allowed in
the “baseball village” until time to go home. If you want to walk your stuff into the village you can park in lot “C” and
drag it all in.
Check-in Friday 9:00pm. Early check-in Friday (Two coaches need to be present for the night.)
Saturday 8:30am – 11:00am. Final check-in time. Parents must exit the “baseball village” by 11:00am.
Check-out Friday NO LATER than 9:00am. For real! If you are there at 8:30 you will be one of the last one’s leaving the
park. A Coach must remain until all players are gone and the barracks are cleaned up
Ceremonies
Saturday 4:30pm - Family Orientation, Opening Ceremonies. Parents wanting to sit together need to arrive early. It does
fill up. Many teams plan ahead and dress in team colors. Some parents are chosen to participate in the pre-event activities.
Bring your camera’s, videos, some of your player’s pins if you want to trade and maybe a water or two in your bag. The
ceremonies are fun they just take a long time. Teams gather at 5:00 and parade in with their banner. They will all be
dressed in their red or blue Cooperstown jerseys and lined up alphabetically A-Z. At the end of the group ceremonies the
groups participating in the skills competition will go to the appropriate field for their event. All the skills contests occur at
the same time. Know where you participating player will compete so you can go there quickly. The final rounds of the
team around-the-horn competition will take place on the main field and event winners will be recognized.
Thursday 5:30pm -Closing Ceremonies Everyone gathers as they did during opening ceremonies but Z-A. There are a
few formalities and then the players are introduced individually by a coach and they run out and received their ring. (They
can exchange their ring after the ceremonies if it is the wrong size.) They are inducted into the American Youth Baseball
Hall of Fame. Championship game is played after the fireworks. Parents are authorized to take their kids with them after
closing ceremonies. We as a team would like the boys however to stay with the coaches to watch the championship game
(if they aren't competing in it) and spend that last night in the barrack.

Game Schedule (weather permitting)
Rain can mean you play anytime of the day or night…until done. (1:00 a.m., etc…)
Tournament Pool Play (Sunday – Tuesday) Six pool play games are scheduled at random. Teams play 2 games a day
(weather permitting.) Teams play scheduled games daily (weather permitting). Final Championship Tournament Seeding
are posted approximately 30 minutes following the conclusion of the last 7:00 p.m. game. The single-elimination
Championship Tournament begins Wednesday at 8:30 a.m.
Single Elimination Championship Tournament: Wednesday playoff game schedule: 8:30 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 1:30., 4:00
p.m., 6:30 p.m.
Thursday playoffs continue at 8:30 a.m. The single elimination championship tournament is the start of a marathon.
Bracket play is intended to weed out weak teams quickly. The top 30 teams get two to three byes. Play starts with team 96
playing team 95, 94 playing 93 and so on. Team #30 waits to really start the serious tournament. Once started, teams will
be scheduled to play every 2 hours until eliminated. This is where team ranking is crucial…and ranking is dependent on
wins and runs allowed.
Other Schedule Notes
Players : Saturday Players are busy with team park activities all day on Saturday. Teams report to the baseball village for
2:00pm orientation and must eat as a team for the meal starting at 3:00. Opening ceremonies line-up begins at 5:00.
Fri./Sat. Big days for the players meeting other players and trading pins. Official meals for players and coaches do not
start until noon on Saturday. A minimal fee is charged for Saturday morning cereal/bagels meal at the parent’s pavilion.
Meals/Week Players Meals 6:30-9:30 a.m. Breakfast; 11:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Lunch; 5:00-8:30 p.m. Dinner;
Sun-Tues Sunday – Tuesday teams play scheduled games daily 8:30 a.m. 11:00 a.m. 1:45 p.m. 4:30 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 8:00 -
10:30 Pin trading, movies, etc. 10:30 p.m. Lights Out
Parents Saturday - 11:30am to 4:30pm. A very good chicken barbeque dinner for parents and family members is
available for a nominal cost in the Parent’s Pavilion (in the center of the baseball park).
Coaches with Players
Inside the village a player cannot be without a coach at anytime. Players must stay in groups and at least two coaches
must be in the village at all times. A coach must be in the barracks if a player is there and players must be escorted to the
restrooms, etc. Parents need to keep this in mind before and after games. Signing Players Out There are two little security
booths at the “players village” where you must meet a coach to sign a player out. Players can not go anywhere without a
coach. If a lot of players are checking out after a game, make arrangements for everyone to be at the security booth at the
same time so only one coach has to manage the sign outs. Players must also be signed in when returning so be sure to
have coaches’ cell phone numbers so they can meet you. Don’t expect to be checking your players out very often. The
schedule dictates your opportunities and the kids are there to play and hang out with their team. They must attend meals
on time or they don’t eat. When you get your schedule try to find a time when the team can meet at the hall of fame, it is
well worth it.
MISCELLANEOUS
Pins Team pin trading is a really big thing at Cooperstown. Teams usually bring enough pins for the number of teams
playing during their tournament. Pin trading starts in the car line waiting to enter the barracks for drop-off .. Be prepared
by handing out pins to players before leaving for Cooperstown, including a team list for checking off is useful. Towels for
pins are great but zip lock bags are a necessity. Umpires and other park staff have specialty pins which are big talk if you
happen to get one. Pin trading is not limited to the players. Parents, siblings, etc will be trading pins all day everyday so
you may want to have a few of your players pins in your bag if you don’t want to go home with a bunch of your own.
Travel
If you are flying carry on your glove, it is the one thing that can’t be replaced if lost. You will not be allowed to bring
your bat bag as a carry on.

Chairs
The park provides chairs at each field. There are no bleachers. They have the large plastic chairs that you just set
anywhere within the parents area. Seating is along the side line and opens to the field behind a knee wall.
Lots of Walking
Be prepared to walk…a long way. The parking is at the front of the park and there are at least three sets of fields that are
one after the other. It’s a nice walk but you don’t want to carry anything you don’t have to. Grandparents can get a ride on
the volunteer golf carts. There are pick up at the benches throughout the park.
Weather
Weather in Cooperstown is unpredictable. According to weather.com the average high is 74 and the average low is 52 for
June. However, the record high is 91 and the record low is 38. June has the most rain. It can rain without warning. Come
prepared with an umbrella and maybe even a poncho. There are very few covered areas and you can be very wet by the
time you get there. They watch the radar and have it down to a science. They will know when it is going to rain and if it is
going to quit and they will play any moment they can. It can be very warm and then suddenly be very cold one night.
Bring something warm just in case.
Games on Web Cam
Many of the fields have a web cam and those left at home can watch games on-line. Especially the bracket play. You can
find them on the website www.cooperstowndreamspark.com
Cell Phones
Cell phone coverage is good for some and terrible for others. Let those back home know your phone may not work, or
may work occasionally. Don’t forget your charger.
Pitching Rules
There are no pitching limits at Cooperstown.
Team/Park Rules
Cooperstown is strict on everything. As an example, players are told that they must wear their uniform properly. Getting
caught with shirt tail out or wearing one’s cap backwards is grounds for a game suspension. Teams must stay together as a
unit in the baseball village. Coaches must be in visual and verbal contact at all times.
Coach and Parent Conduct
Cooperstown is all about the love and fun of baseball. It’s about kids playing the game of baseball with their coaches, not
about parents. No inappropriate or abusive behavior is tolerated by parents or coaches. Umpires are essentially volunteers
and are instructed to keep things enjoyable. Anyone behaving inappropriately or rudely will be asked to leave, coaches
included. Take your vacation attitude to the field and enjoy some great baseball. The coach’s packet with more
information and the rules http://www.cooperstowndreamspark.com/coach.htm
Have a great time!