How independent are players at Cooperstown? Before our son left for Cooperstown All Star Village, this was one of the questions I searched. I knew the players stayed in the bunkhouses with their teammates, but I couldn’t quite picture how much we’d actually see him during the week or how much he would be expected to…
How is a Cooperstown baseball tournament different from the travel baseball tournaments your family has played all season? I knew before we went that Cooperstown would be different because I’d spent months researching it. Even so, I don’t think I fully appreciated just how different it would feel until we were actually there. A Cooperstown baseball tournament feels…
If you’re looking for Cooperstown tournament tips, you’re probably wondering what families wish they had known before tournament week. We felt the same way before our son’s first trip. We read Facebook posts, asked other baseball parents questions, and still found ourselves learning a few things once we actually got there. Some of these tips saved…
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…
Is the National Baseball Hall of Fame worth visiting during your Cooperstown tournament? For our family, the answer was an easy yes. Visiting the Hall of Fame felt like an essential part of the Cooperstown experience, and it ended up being one of our favorite stops during the week. What we didn’t know ahead of time…
Cooperstown tournament souvenirs are one of the highlights of tournament week, but with so many shops and keepsakes to choose from, it’s hard to know what’s actually worth bringing home. By the end of our week at Cooperstown All Star Village, we had picked up everything from personalized keepsakes to practical mementos that now remind us…
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…
Cooperstown pin trading tips can be hard to figure out before your first tournament. We knew trading pins were a big part of the Cooperstown experience, but we had plenty of questions before we left. How many pins should we order? What kinds of designs do kids actually want? Is it worth spending more for specialty…
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…
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…
