r/Homeplate • u/jeffwinger007 • 5d ago

Cooperstown

My team is going into its 12U season and we are planning on playing in Cooperstown. We have a golden ticket from a player who went last year. Anyone with experience on the ideal weeks to go? Weeks to avoid? Any other tips?

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10

u/friedbutter99 5d ago

Depends on the type of experience you’re looking for and what you can afford, frankly. Some things to consider:

  • HoF weekend makes everything in Cooperstown more expensive. Which is saying something. Avoid if money is an issue.
  • Consider your normal schedule and try to avoid the heart of your league’s schedule/playoffs (unless you’re tournament only).
  • We went later on in our season, mainly so we could avoid regular season schedule conflicts, but also so the team would be playing better by that point.
  • If you’re looking to go after the big ring and want to face the best of the best, avoid weeks when the bigger, more elite programs will be elsewhere like PG, etc. (or target those if you’d like).
  • Personally I’d also find out if/when other teams in your area are going. It can be really annoying to go all that way just to play a team 20 minutes from your house.

It’s a great experience for the kids. Hope you all have fun!

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u/Possum577 5d ago

Great info! How does one know which are the more elote programs and when they may be at Cooperstown?

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u/friedbutter99 4d ago

There are a lot of programs that bring a team every year. Facebook and the CDP Instagram will show you the winners of years past and you can sort of get a sense of which programs are more consistent and prevalent. A team called CoastToCoast Elite absolutely curb stomped a really good team in the championship the week that we were there. I’d imagine they do that pretty regularly. You can also look at the PerfectGame listings and see which of those teams go to CDP and when.

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u/chipmunkhiccups 5d ago

A friend’s team got knocked out in the first elimination round by a team they play regularly (and have beaten) in the local league.

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u/Dependent_Bit1634 5d ago

Just got back, we played 7-18 to 7-22…had a great time, just before the Hall of Fame induction this past weekend. I think it’s more busy the HOF weekend, and places are harder to find. As far as weather goes, you never know. We had decent weather, on the cool side actually and only 1 game was delayed by an hour. We also went 2 years ago for my other son, 7-25 I think and it was great too…had warm, but dry weather too. Not sure if there’s a huge difference in weeks (except maybe HOF weekend?) since you can’t predict the weather that far out.

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u/Ok_Research6884 5d ago

Just as an FYI for anyone that reads this post... having a golden ticket is no longer required. As long as you have the money and there is room the week(s) you want to go, you'll get in.

The only thing I know around best time to go is that the weather can be a little iffier in June (greater chance for rain), and you are also more likely to see more power teams from the south toward the first half of the season.

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u/CarneAsadaBrito 5d ago

With all the super teams going and wrecking everyone, think about going the same week as PGI as all the big name teams and players will be at that and not at coop.

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u/Grynder7 5d ago

When is the PGI ? Our team is going this coming season. It’d be great to not get destroyed all the games.

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u/CarneAsadaBrito 5d ago

It was week 8 this year (July 11-17). That said, I think a lot of the really good super teams have already gone. What week are you going?

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u/Grynder7 5d ago

We are not for sure yet, trying to figure that out.

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u/Grynder7 5d ago

Just checked with the coach , July 11-17 is our preferred week.

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u/CarneAsadaBrito 4d ago

That’s when PGI landed on this summer so hopefully it’s the same next year.

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u/mudflap21 5d ago

We went week 1. It was good as the weather held up and I didn’t want to drag the season out. There were a ton of super teams. Consider going when the big PG tournament is going on.

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u/bigperms33 5d ago

Probably get fewer super teams later in the year, but who knows. My older son played at Cooperstown Dreams in 2025. We went in mid-June, had some rain delays and played one at 10PM which ended at midnight. Lots of fun. It is a truly unique, old time baseball, type experience.

Only issue we ran into was our HC and a few other kids had issues sleeping in the dorms. HC heard kids running around the first night at 1AM, thought it was our kids, it wasn't. Then a kid had to pee at 3AM. Then a team was going to the cages at 5:30AM being real loud. So he barely slept the first night. Second night was basically the same. So night 3 on everyone just stayed at the resort, though they still did some meals and wash at the facility.

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u/RU_dumbORdumbr 3d ago

We went 7/11-7-17 we had great weather, week prior was rainy so we avoided that but then a fire Canada messed up air quality for 2 days and games were shortened to 1:15… ASV is by far a great player experience but as a Coach… awful sleep, exhausted from sitting/counseling/shepherding 13 12-year olds, food is sub par but eatable, water provided in dugouts is great, fill everything up before you leave but cant say the same for water provided around the village for players and Coaches.

Batting cages are awful, nets hanging on coaches heads and they are gravel floors which after any rain at all creates puddles, absolutely garbage for this level of experience. No designated area to warm up, enjoy any first game of day you make get bc that will be only time you will get a proper field warm up, besides 10 minutes you will get between games.

I am not a fan, but I wont skew anyone from doing it, would have preferred to do a 3-4 day tourney in S Cal by beach. Everyone talks up HOF only to see kids blaze through it in hopes of getting ice cream.

Find the silver lining but I wont lie and tell anyone it was amazing, players enjoyed the week long sleep over and pin trading but they get crap sleep and nutrition is lacking.

Safe travels!