2025 Mountville Cooperstown Tournament Team

Many years ago, Coach Bob Saunders started the great tradition of taking a team to Cooperstown Dreams Park each year.

Going to Cooperstown Dreams Park is an experience that these players will never forget (potentially one of the best baseball experiences they will ever have), plus it is an awesome fun filled trip for their entire family.

Any 12u eligible Mountville player may try out for the Cooperstown Tournament Team.

All 12u Mountville players, including the players selected for the Cooperstown Tournament Team may participate on a "tournament/club" team (such as CGA, Bombers, Elite, Storm, etc) if they choose to do so.

We will utilize the Spring Travel Player Evaluation process (in late January) to identify the players that will be selected to fill the Cooperstown team roster (based on hitting ability, fielding skills, baseball IQ, previous experience, team positional needs, etc).

Players selected for the Cooperstown team will participate on this team in addition to their regular season Mountville team. Most of their time will be spent with their regular season Mountville team but the Cooperstown team will schedule some meetings, events, fundraisers, practices, and tournaments when possible (prior to attending the Cooperstown tournament in July).

The cost for Cooperstown Dreams Park is about $1,700 per player but this team will conduct multiple fundraisers (such as the annual Hit-A-Thon, etc) to help offset the cost of going to Cooperstown Dreams Park. Many players can drastically reduce their cost for the tournament (or even go for free), if the family and player are properly committed to doing fundraising (especially if they utilize the Hit-A-Thon to ask family, friends, coworkers, etc to support them)!

Additional info about the Mountville Cooperstown Tournament Team can be found at http://cooperstown.mountville.org

The Mountville Cooperstown Tournament Team coaching staff will strive to create an intentional, supportive, respectful, competitive, and fun environment (yes, we will laugh and have a lot of fun too) where the athletes on our team can thrive and grow as both players and young men. We will always play to win (that's our expectation) but that isn't our primary objective.

Players on the Mountville Cooperstown Tournament Team will:

- Learn baseball skills, techniques, rules, and strategies

- Receive honest, constructive, and respectful feedback that emphasizes improving skills, building on strengths, and maximizing the potential of each player for the betterment of the team

- Take responsibility for, learn from, improve upon, and move past setbacks and mistakes

- Learn the value of a strong work ethic and personal commitment

- Develop an appreciation for the importance of their teammates and how every player contributes to the success of the team

- Gain an understanding of why personal sacrifice is sometimes necessary for the good of the group

- Learn to respect and not be critical of self, teammates, coaches, umpires, spectators, and/or competitors

- Become part of a legacy by experiencing the Mountville tradition of participating in the Cooperstown Tournament

Although the Cooperstown team coaching staff will make every effort to play each team member as much as possible, there are no guarantees regarding playing time or playing position. Each player will receive quality instruction, learn important skills, gain some valuable experience, and have an opportunity to earn playing time. Playing positions are determined by the coaching staff. No positions are ever “locked in” and game lineups will be constantly reviewed and modified as necessary to fit team needs.

The Mountville Cooperstown Tournament Team is a competitive 12u baseball team. There are no guarantees regarding individual playing time or playing position and this team REQUIRES that each player be COMMITTED to attending any possible meetings, events, fundraisers, practices, and tournaments that are scheduled.

Please select the appropriate box below to determine if your player may be considered for the Mountville Cooperstown Tournament Team this season and sign this form to show your acknowledgement of the team's coaching philosophy and player commitment.