Holiday Gifts for the Travel Baseball Family

Deck the Halls With Boughs of Holly!!!!!

The holidays are fast approaching.  And as a reminder to those of you with travel baseball or travel sports kids, here are my top 5 holiday ideas for family members who participate in travel baseball or travel sports:

In no particular order:

1)  A great duffle bag.  Get a decent quality duffle bag for your player to transport the non-sports gear that they are going to need on a weekend away.  Consider one from LandsEnd or UnderArmour.  Both of these product lines give lifetime warranties on their products so if the zipper breaks next year you don't have to invest in yet another expense.  Many times the outlets sell these products as well and they have the same guarantee.  TOTALLY worth the additional nominal upfront expense for these brands, in my opinion.  You could also fill the bag with other essentials, a neck pillow, a smaller shaving/make up size bag, a laundry bag, travel size shampoos and other toiletries.  Get the bag monogrammed or stitched with their number or nickname for added personalization.

2) Baseball jersey for grandparents.  I don't know about you, but its kinda hard to come up with new and great gifts for the grandparents each year.  Buy them a team jersey with your players number on it (my two players happen to wear the same number so its easy for me) OR put John's grandpa as the name on the back. Even grandparents who live far away can feel connected to their player with a jersey to wear on game day.  Want something more generic?  Get a Baseball Grandma or Baseball Grandpa shirt made by someone.  My favority place to look is etsy to get unique gifts. 

3) Gear.  You already know you have to buy new stuff every couple years or every year.  Why not turn that catchers mitt purchase into the gift for the holidays?  Or give your player a handmade gift certificate for the item so that they can pick it out, but its still a holiday gift to open.

4)   Headphones all around.  You know on those road trips not everyone wants to have the same tunes on the radio, so why not give everyone their own headphones.  Carve out some time on the car trip that all headphones are off, so you still get some quality interaction and togetherness (awwww!) but this way your love of country music does not interfere with your son's love of rap music or vice versa.

5)  Blankets.  Customize a blanket or have one made that highlights your players previous year of play.  Many companies allow for this (walgreens just ran a special on this).  What kid doesn't like to see photos of themselves playing their sport?  This is a great way to capture some action shots on something they can use on their bed or in the car on their roadtrips.

I would love to hear from you with ideas as well.  Let me know what you have purchased in the past!  And happy shopping.  Looks like this year we can get started on Thursday night after dinner instead of Friday at 3am.  Yippee!!!

Crazy Driving Songs

How appropriate has this song been ALL SUMMER as we hit the road with our baseball player sons!  Everytime I hear this I look in the backseat and watch my 2 1/2 year old do the motions.  The oldest kid thinks its now lame to do this in the car, but I always have the toddler to keep me remembering all the fun we had traveling around to games:)

I am hitting the road today for a bit of a drive so this is definitely on my playlist....keep it coming baseball playahs!

What's It Like as a New Traveling Sports Family?

What is it like becoming a travel baseball mom, dad and family?  I know that tryouts, recruiting and invitations to play next year or even atarting Fall Ball for select travel baseball teams has begun already, so its probably time to share some of what it means to take the leap!  For those of you who have made the decision to join the rest of us crazy travel baseball families, here is a little bit of a preview.

This article made me smile and realize that virtually all of these points are true!  
titled Then I Became A Baseball Parent....here ya go
http://www.infosports.com/baseball/arch/3250.htm

Now, the couple of points I am forced to add to this list because they have proven themselves over the past three years:

Frequent flyer miles. Accumulation is now banked for baseball tournaments!  Not that we can't squeeze in a trip or two with the remaining miles, but it's mostly about how to get The Kid where he needs to go. Caution, shameless plug...we always use Sunsationalbeachvacations.com for our beach trips;)

Hotel loyalty program.  Ditto.  See the frequent flyer entry above.  We try to stay at the same chains as the husband and I do for our other jobs (you know, that thing we do to collect a paycheck instead of spending it).  Even if it's not the same class of hotel that we would have for business trips, ie JW Marriott, we try to stay at the same overall hotel company ie Courtyard By Marriott in order to get some additional perks or point accumulation.  It's not always possible to get all your stays in a comparable hotel since your group may oftentimes stay together at a hotel for a group rate discount.  We have mostly stayed at the hotels the team chooses however at times we elected to stay somewhere else. 

Siblings find and make friends with the other siblings and get to spend time with children outside of their school, church and neighborhood.  My younger kids used to be a little more shy about making friends.  Not any more!  I find I am more open to the kids hanging out at the field with other sibs.

My Garage looks less like a place to store cars and more like a Play It Again Sports store.

My calendar used to have plenty of open days with nothing written as commitments.  Now, it's all a jumbled mess of confirmation numbers, hotel names and practice locations.  

I reserve the right to come back to this entry MANY times!   

Tips for Planning Your Trip to Cooperstown

 Some of these tips are from my son's team and some from other moms and dads who I spoke with during the competition.  I hope these help you prepare for one of the most memorable baseball adventures your son can experience.

• Food at the park is reasonable so don't worry that you cannot have carry in food or drinks.  There are several healthier choices as well as breakfast all day as options
• When sending water and Gatorade for the team, send the smaller bottles so that the kids don't have dozens of half consumed bottles around
• Send snacks for the barracks in individual portions. These are best for freshness and cleanup plus there is less chance of bug issues if the boys open one serving at a time.
• Parents and guests are not allowed inside the players/coaches village after check in, so get your photos, etc done quickly at the beginning
• No one is allowed to walk into the park from the outside so don't try it. Everyone has to drive in due to park restrictions
• There are not many chain hotels in close proximity to Cooperstown Dreams Park, but best western, country suites, and holiday inn are closest
• There are family owned cottages, inns, bed and breakfasts, resorts available and can be found on water, on farms, in town.  Lots of choices!
• If you are going to order a customized bat for your son, do it early in the week to avoid lines.  The bats come with team name, teammates names, logo of the park.

There are a ton of photographers that work the games however, no photos are taken after 4pm so be prepared to take your own photos. 

There is a jungle gym at dreams park for little brothers and sisters to blow off some steam and you can see one field from that vantage point

Ommegang brewery has brewery tours and kids are allowed

Campers/players will need a top sheet and a blanket for the bunks, a bottom fitted sheet is provided

Shower shoes are necessary for walking to the shower and while showering in community bathrooms

When you see the player and coaches village, its truly barracks with each team staying in their own bunkhouse.

Entrance to Dreams Park

The Kid warming up on the gorgeous fields with festive decorations and flowers.

It's foggy and cool virtually every morning so be prepared with warmer clothes for early morning batting warm ups

We Are Here!

I have totally underestimated the incredible experience this has been.  Cooperstown is a very patriotic place in addition to a baseball paradise. Cooperstown  dreams park  Itself is full of boys, the future of our country, all hoping to bring home a win.  The historical nature of Cooperstown the city and the surrounding towns and villages is also a tribute to Americana at its finest.  For those of you who have not been here, there are mom and pop ice cream shops, antique shops dotted throughout the rolling hills and farms.  Lakes and state parks are plentiful and people here are friendly.

Now, about the kid and his team.  I will admit that I am not a stats person. If you want more info on stuff like that I will enlist the feedback of some others to get it right!!  Here is what I do know.  All teams are guaranteed to play six games during this week, then they start the tournament part of the week with seeding and single elimination play.  Our team is doing well -- having a bye for the first two Wednesday games. They are ranked 19 after the six pool play games.  

Shopping in Cooperstown. This is the mom's perspective after all so I have to include that there are some very nice shops here selling every kind of baseball mom type of gear you can think of.  So far, my personal favorites here in town are Silver Fox Gift Shop ladies jewelry and clothing, Cooperstown Penguin ice cream- huge delicious soft serve cones here absolutely rock! And trust me, I know my frozen treats!  Back alley grille- great two story restaurant with outside seating on two levels with great wraps, burgers, steaks and cocktails.  If you are a beer fan, check out the Ommegang Brewery.  You may want to arrange for a ride home ahead of time as the beer is delish and we spent several hours sampling flights paired with snacks.  I may have more to add since we are not done eating here yet! 

Pre-Cooperstown Baseball Extravaganza!

Cooperstown New York.  The MECCA of baseball to many...  A really really far drive for a baseball tournament to others.

So, the kid heads to Cooperstown in a few days.  He and I fly to Albany with frequent flier miles. Hubby has to coach son number 2 in the last tournament of the year, then drive like a bat out of hell across the country to join us. The kid is excited.  I am excited. Everyone is excited to have the opportunity to go and watch some competitive baseball.  I have never been to Cooperstown and my husband already has been to the Hall of Fame, so I  will not have to go and watch him read EVERY placard in the place.  He and I are the complete opposite.  When I go to a museum, I have total A.D.D. and float around looking at the next bright shiny thing in the place.  He, on the other hand, methodically reads all postings, signage, investigates all displays.  Really, a museum curator's best student.  

So, here is the skinny on Cooperstown so far.  The kids stay in barracks with the coaches.  The parents stay in accommodations of their choice someplace around the parks.  There are two baseball facilities in the area.  I will post photos when I get back to give you some idea of all this in photos. Our place is on Lake Goodyear about 9 miles from Dreams Park. More to come on all that. Since my little boys will not be along on the trip, I will have some time to take photos of things other than them:) I will have my phone and my ipad to myself for once!

The pre-planning for this adventure has been going on really, since the boys were 10 years old. Bowling fundraisers, volunteering at Brewers baseball games serving hot dogs, working the hometown tournament as parking attendants...you get the idea.  What cracks me up is how some adults view this as the culmination of their own dreams and wishes as a person.  For me, its for the kid.  He wants to go play ball and honestly doesn't care if its against teams from California or baseball teams from the next town over.  He wants to play competitive baseball.  For him its not about the cute little pins that you exchange with other players.  Its about playing the game.  Let me tell you, there have been some crazy conversations about pins. What size should they be, what numbers are on them? what color? do we order 100 or 125 per kid just in case someone wants two? When do we collect them? How come parents can't have some too?  What? WHO CARES??? I know its supposed to be a keepsake about the event, but does it really matter who collects the most pins?  How about who collects the most WINS? Heard all this and more in conversations over this event.

I am heading out right now to buy the last items to pack - bungee cords (for the kids to hang up their towels in the bunkhouse) and some emergency gold bond powder.  Enough said.

Practices - what if they are FAR away

How many of you drive your kid across town or to another community to practice only to have to turn around and go pick them up after just a few minutes at home?? Baseball practice for my oldest is 45 minutes away so with a two hour practice, I found that its better to stay put on the other side of town rather than drive back and forth.  Here are some benefits of staying close to practice or even parking at practice and walking places once there.  1) gas usage 2) traffic headaches 3) quality time for yourself or 4) quality time with another child. 

Gas.  You save it if you stay put.  Hmm. Not much more to say here.
Traffic headaches.  It always happens.  You are just 10 minutes away from picking up your kid and WHAM! traffic jam, construction or just plain slow drivers.  Instead of getting road rage, just stay put at the facility and avoid the headaches.  It can be a great way to unwind even if its staying in your car to read which takes me to the next one...
Quality Time for yourself.  I use the time at the park to take a walk, ride my bike, write a letter (remember those things you used to send your grandparents that you put stamps on?)  We always feel like we don't have enough time to exercise or get moving, well an hour of walking or biking twice a week gets you a lot closer to your exercise goals than sitting in a moving car.  I have also been known to slip in errands to my favorite stores or to get my nails done.  This allows you time to yourself without feeling like you are missing out on some other family time in order to pamper yourself.  Contact a friend who lives on that side of town - even if its a quick cup of coffee or bite to eat, that reconnection will do wonders for you! If you are desperate for more organizational time, plan out next weeks meals, clip your coupons, catch up on emails or read all the mail from home. 
Quality time with another child.  I have taken child three with me and spent the time together at the park eating a picnic supper or just playing on the swings.  In my case, it also gives the child at home some special time with Dad.  So EVERYONE wins in this scenario.  The only combination I don't have here after writing this for a bit is quality time with your adult child (aka your spouse).  You could find a sitter/helper for the other kids and just go have dinner alone! Since I just thought of this option you can imagine how many times we have done this together....yeah, none.  We have done dinner out with the other kids as a special treat to them, but not just the two of us.  Maybe one of these years!

Ok, if you read this far, I have a question.  Am I nuts for trekking my kid 45 minutes away for practices?  What are you doing out there for your kids?

Feel like I need to catch up....all the time

I know all of you have had the feeling that you are behind on projects, house repairs, cleaning, laundry. I think we all feel that stress at times. What is spinning around right now for me is feeling I'm behind on capturing the last two years of travel baseball memories but recollecting stories chronologically is not gonna happen. So, this is an official disclaimer that all of these posts are going to be random, may include events from the past five years of baseball and may not be one hundred percent factual, after all, hundreds of games mean i may have some memory lapses...come on, people just go with it. This past weekend the boys played in Cincinnati, Ohio in a pool of 24 teams. Some of the kids on the team had to miss the last day or two of school in order to participate. Patrick missed the last day of sixth grade but it was only a field trip so we didn't think it was a big deal. So PDiddy and I set out after school on Wednesday. The hotels we stay in normally have one or more teams staying there. Its a little like having two different fraternities at the same function. While most interactions are cordial, there can be some off field competition as well. I will be writing future posts about some of these examples!

Today is the first day of the rest of my life.  Wow, pretty deep.  But what I realized over this weekend is that there are a lot of memories, lessons and knowledge that can be gained from the game of baseball, kids who play travel baseball and the way that children react to your involvement.  My blog will attempt to share some of  my experiences as a mom of three young sons ages 12, 9 and 2.  My oldest is in a fantastic travel baseball club that travels the Midwest based out of the Milwaukee area.  The team has provided a group of talented young men the ability to work together to join into a competitive arena in the greater Chicago area and other tournaments in neighboring states.  Its not a rec league, or a select league, its a step above, getting national rankings with the USSSA organization.  I am learning all sorts of information about how teams prepare their players, strategy and families to play competitive sports at a young age.  I am also seeing the affects a decision of placing my son into this type of commitment can have on relationships, family and finances.  I want to share our experiences and gain insight from others who are no doubt in similar scenarios.  Not finding any specific moms doing this, I decided to start it up.  So here we go peeps.  Batter Up!