Cooperstown

[Nana]

It looks like my grandson's baseball team is going to Cooperstown next year. Has anyone gone before? Any advice? Fundraiser ideas? Places to stay, things to do. Thanks!

[TexasPrincessAurora]

Definitely take time to go to the Baseball Hall of Fame. That is obviously the big thing to do in town. Cooperstown really is just a quaint little village. Beautiful and peaceful. We stayed at the Tunnicliff Inn...very historic and super nice people. It's right across the street from the Hall. There are lots of neat little shops and restaurants there as well.

[kdsjjb]

Nana,

Your grandson is going to have a GREAT time.

I was a coach on an AAU team that traveled to Cooperstown back in 2002, and 2003. We went to Cooperstown Dreams Park, so I dont know much about the All Star Village, which is the other big tournament up there. We also went back two years later and played on Doubleday Field.

Your grandson will stay in the barracks with his entire team and the coaches. They usually play two games a day leading up to the tournament. It is really a great time, they get to meet kids from all over the country, and we even had a few teams from overseas.

My son, and the group of kids we took up are all going to be seniors in high school this year, and although they've all gone in different directions, that trip is something that they all still talk about when they get together.

As far as fundraising, we did the usual beef and beer, we did a few car washes, we did coin drops. candy sales, and we set up shop at the local July 4th fireworks display and sold water ice, pretzels and bottled water. We made a lot of money on that one.

Feel free to PM me if there is anything else I can tell you.

Its a lot of work to do all the fundraisng, and its a long year to prepare, but the reward in the end is well worth it.

[crazypoohbear]

have a car wash for the boys to wash cars

bake sale after church or at the car wash

try to get someone to donate tickets to your towns major league team and raffle them off.

see if the movie theater will have a showing and donate a portion of the proceeds to the team.

Pizza hut, papa ginos up here has pizza nights where pizza sold during a certain time frame ona certain night part of the proceeds go to the team

plant sale

pumpkin sale - it's getting close to fall - see if a farmer will cut you a deal on the pumpkins

[TKDONALD]

Its A Great Place. I Took A Team There 4 Years Ago. Make Sure The Kids Go To The Hall Of Fame. Its An Experience They Do Not Want To Miss. If You Have Any Questions About The Complex And The Way Things Go Around There, Please Feel Free To Shoot Me A Pm.

I Hope You Enjoy The Trip. I Try To Go Every Summer For Vacation.

Jason

[Nana]

Jason,
I may take you up on your offer. I am sure we will have questions.
Great ideas everyone. I had not thought about seliing the water, etc. We have a festival here in town. That would be great to have a little booth there. Has anyone done the scratch cards or the pizza cards? We are definately doing the car wash and a raffle/
Right now the adults are more excited than the kids. I do not think the kids really understand yet how exciting this will be. We finished 3rd in the nationl for USSSA last year so we thought this was something as a 12 year old that they deserved.

[alphamommy]

We just got home from our vacation, and we stopped in Cooperstown. Our DD was literally bored to tears at the Hall of Fame, but I've always wanted to go, and really enjoyed it.

There were a few little league teams there when we were, and one coach had a great idea. He was giving each boy the name of a hall of famer, and asking them to find them, then come back with at least 2 facts about each person. I thought it got them more engaged in the experience.

Good luck with fundraising!

Tammy

[mrsgaribaldi]

Years and years ago my grandparents lived near Cooperstown. When we went to visit them in the summers we would go to the Hall of Fame. Their house was awesome. So tiny and rustic on a large piece of land. It was great to play there. The nearest neighbor was a quarter of a mile away. I don't remember the Hall of Fame, just that we went.