The Cooperstown All Star Village skills competition is the first big event of tournament week, and it sets the tone for everything that’s about to come. Before the first pitch is thrown, families gather around the fields to watch players compete in the week’s first event. During the preliminary rounds, most of the spectators are families from the…
Before our week at Cooperstown, one of my biggest questions was about the Cooperstown All Star Village food. What would the players eat? Where could parents grab meals? Would I be able to find gluten-free options? After spending a full week at All Star Village, I realized there are plenty of choices for both players…
If you’re wondering whether the Cooperstown All Star Village photo package is worth the cost, you’re definitely not the only one. I knew before we even arrived that I wanted professional action shots from the week. As parents, it’s almost impossible to capture every big play while also cheering, watching the game, and simply enjoying the…
Cooperstown spirit gear is one of the most fun parts of tournament week. From Opening Ceremonies to cheering from the stands during games, it’s a chance for families to show off their team spirit and have some fun together. Before we arrived, I knew families would wear team shirts, but I had no idea how creative…
What to buy for Cooperstown All Star Village is one of those questions that seems to come up in every team group chat. Once uniforms, hotels, and schedules are figured out, parents start asking the same things: Do players need shower caddies? Are bleacher chairs worth it? What kind of laundry setup actually works? Before our…
Tournament gear has a way of slowly taking over your car, garage, and weekends before you even realize it. Sports parent buying guide posts always make tournament life look a little more organized than it actually is. In reality, most of us build our sideline setup one random purchase at a time after realizing something…
Experienced travel tournament parents usually are not doing dramatically different things than newer sports families. They have just learned, after spending years on the road together as a sports family, which small habits actually make a difference. Things like knowing what to pack ahead of time, which hotel details matter most, what actually helps during long…
Small things for travel tournaments don’t always seem important ahead of time, but once you’re at the field all day, you realize how much they actually matter. We always showed up with all the basics and still somehow found ourselves saying, “I wish I had…” at least a few times every single weekend. It was…
Early morning tournament tips are something you don’t really think about until you’re loading the car in the dark and heading to a field before most people are even up. If you’ve done even one travel tournament, you already know those first games of the day are just harder. It’s colder than you expect, everything feels…
Hot weather tournament tips can make a huge difference when you’re sitting through long game days with little shade, back-to-back games, and kids who are already melting by game two. We’ve had plenty of those days where it doesn’t seem that bad at first, and then a few hours later everyone is hot, tired, and…
Multiple games in one day can make for long tournament days, even when your kid is having the time of their life. Some kids hit a wall by the second game. Others, like my son, actually love these days. He looks forward to the downtime just as much as the games, hanging out with teammates, grabbing food,…
Travel tournament tips for sports parents become very important the minute you realize a weekend tournament is not just about showing up for a game and going home. Between early mornings, long hours at the field, changing weather, and trying to keep everyone fed and somewhat comfortable, these weekends can be a lot. We’re in year…
