2009 12U ABL Cooperstown Tournament Team Overview

ABL is creating a “tournament team” with the goal of providing our most skilled-players a special, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete in a “mini-Majors” dimension/rules tournament at Cooperstown Dreamspark in Cooperstown, NY! After two years of waiting, our town’s Cooperstown tournament entry has been accepted. Now, every year ABL will organize and send a 12U team to a Cooperstown tournament. 2009 will be the start of a great tradition for Armonk baseball for years to come. All those who play are inducted into the Youth Baseball Hall of Fame.

• ABL’s inaugural Cooperstown tournament week will be August 22-28, 2009.

• The team will compete on larger diamonds than Little League: 50’ pitching and 70’ base length versus Little League of 46’ and 60’. The increased size of the field allows for “Major League” baseball type playing rules/conditions. The biggest difference is that base runners will be able to take leads and pitchers will have to go from “the stretch” instead of full wind-ups with runners are on base and will be able to attempt “pick offs” and balk rules will be in effect.

• You’ve notice as the players get older (11 and 12), that stealing no longer becomes part of the game with standard Little League dimensions/rules unless there is a wild pitch due to the fact that the base distance is short and there is no leading allowed. This takes away a tremendous part of the game in terms of development at a time when players are getting bigger and are progressing in the game.

• Experience at 50’ / 70’ also can help prepare the players for the jump (or more accurately “leap”) to standard Major League baseball 60’ pitching and 90’ bases when they are 13.

• Participation in a major summer tournament with teams from around the nation is designed to give each core 12U group that comes through ABL a unique and shared experience together--not with designs to win the tournament against 95 other teams, but to enjoy testing themselves against the best, increase their team bonding, and have a special, fun baseball-focused trip/event to look forward to before high school. Hopefully it is something they will remember for the rest of their lives.

For more information of Cooperstown Dreamspark, go to: www.cooperstowndreamspark.com

Tournament Team/Player Commitments

To prepare for Cooperstown tournament play and improve baseball training and skills to compete effectively, ABL will be putting together a 50/70 training/practice program that will include a couple “warm-up” 50/70 weekend tournaments scheduled for the months leading up to Cooperstown. While not finalized, here’s an example:

• 8 professional coach winter training sessions (once a week for 8 weeks February-March)

• At least two spring and summer 50/70 weekend tournaments (ex: Baseball Heaven on Long Island)

• Once-a-week volunteer coach practices during the spring (April/May) before WPBA summer team season begins.

• Two weeks of practices leading into Cooperstown tournament week in August.

• Any ABL spring recreation ball and summer/fall WPBA travel ball would be in addition to the ABL Cooperstown tournament team commitment.

Player Tournament Participation Rules

• All ABL 12U players (as of 4/30/09) are eligible to try out for the team

• Any ABL 11 year old player (as of 4/30/09) that played on the 2008 ABL 11U travel team is invited to try out or a top 3 rated 11U player (based on spring season ratings) can petition the ABL board to try out.

• There will be a maximum of 12 players selected for the team.

• Team selection will be made based on pro trainer evaluations/ratings and evaluations of the team coaches. The ABL Board will approve the final team rosters and all decisions are final.

• Players that try out for the tournament team may also play for either the summer or fall WPBA travel teams or both as our Cooperstown week falls between the two WPBA seasons.

• It is mandatory that each player make 80% of practices and all tournaments. If a player makes the tournament team but is away during July and does not play on our WBPA summer team (highly recommended), then that player must return two weeks prior to the Cooperstown tournament in August for practice sessions in order to prepare for play.

• The tournament team is a large financial commitment for each player on the team, so before trying out, please make sure you are prepared to provide the time and resources necessary to make this a success:

• Costs are still being finalized to secure the winter pro training/dome rental and spring/summer tournament-related fees. Cooperstown is listed as $745/player (all lodging and food for the player is covered for 5-6 days), so with additional training and other tournament related team fees, the total cost for this 6 month Cooperstown program could be $1300 per player. Approximately half of that would be due upon acceptance of an offer to participate so that pro trainers, domes, tournaments can be secured and locked-in immediately.
• Players who drop out (non-injury related) after committing to the team will forfeit any return of monies paid to ABL at that time.
• The team will conduct fundraisers to reduce these expenses to family members.

Tournament Team Try Out Information

• Try outs will be from 10:45-1:15 on 11/8 (rain date 11/9 at 12:30)

• $15 per player to cover pro evaluator

• Notification/acceptance w/o 11/10

• If a player makes the tournament team, the player also makes the summer team if they so desire. All fall ball players will try out in the spring as there are more players trying out for the fall with summer camps. Those who do not want to do Cooperstown and want to try out for the summer travel team, those try outs will be held in the spring for any remaining team slots.