Help 11 boys realize their baseball dreams as underdogs in the most prestigious 12u tournament in the nation.
The Cooperstown Dreams Park Tournament is an annual national baseball tournament held for children 12 and under. It is a week-long experience hosting the best 12u teams in the country. The kids stay at the park (barracks) and compete for a full week. (http://www.cooperstowndreamspark.com/)
Most of the teams invited to this tournament are either well-funded private teams that are associated with a for-profit club or are part of a town travel team with well-organized fundraising campaigns that have been raising money for the past 2-3 years.
We are neither! Clutch is made up of a group of kids that have been together for the past 3 years. They love baseball and each other, and we love teaching them the game. The kids on our team pay an at-cost fee for being on the team. No one involved in the organization profits a single dime from any of the kids' participation. (On the contrary, myself and other parents have pooled together to relieve some of the kids' burden of costs associated with playing at such a high level). Parents of these athletes have committed to play with Clutch and forgone the expenses of having their children play for one of the very expensive club teams that we compete against every week.
When we started 3 years ago, we did not envision ever being invited to such a prestigious tournament. But, we have developed these young athletes as ballplayers and most importantly young men, and have had a lot of success on and off the baseball diamond. (https://www.facebook.com/NJClutchBaseball). These kids have earned the right to compete against the very best. They have worked hard to get the invite and deserve an opportunity to play together one last time at the biggest stage this level has to offer. Now that we are here, we do not want to forfeit the opportunity to have these kids participate in this once-in-a-lifetime experience because we don't have the funds to send them.
The Cooperstown tournament is considered a rite-of-passage experience for every competitive 12u team in the country. It is the last time these boys will ever have the chance to play together as a team. (After this year, they move on to middle school teams and bigger and better fields/tournaments.)
The tournament costs are roughly $1200 a player/coach. This includes tournament fees, uniforms, lodging, food and a trip to the Cooperstown Hall of Fame. We parents are pooling our money together to make the 2nd payment due this November 1st. The final payment of the outstanding balance is due March 1st, 2020. 100% of the funds raised will be distributed among the team and go towards the tournament fees to ensure that everyone has the chance to play the game they love, with the kids they have grown up playing it with.
We ask that you please help in any way you can to make these kids dream a reality. (You can follow the team as they compete in the tournament and keep tabs on how they do).
Thank you in advance,
Coach Perez
Coach Jannucci
Coach Pellino
Coach Velez
Coach Barber
The Cooperstown Dreams Park Tournament is an annual national baseball tournament held for children 12 and under. It is a week-long experience hosting the best 12u teams in the country. The kids stay at the park (barracks) and compete for a full week. (http://www.cooperstowndreamspark.com/)
Most of the teams invited to this tournament are either well-funded private teams that are associated with a for-profit club or are part of a town travel team with well-organized fundraising campaigns that have been raising money for the past 2-3 years.
We are neither! Clutch is made up of a group of kids that have been together for the past 3 years. They love baseball and each other, and we love teaching them the game. The kids on our team pay an at-cost fee for being on the team. No one involved in the organization profits a single dime from any of the kids' participation. (On the contrary, myself and other parents have pooled together to relieve some of the kids' burden of costs associated with playing at such a high level). Parents of these athletes have committed to play with Clutch and forgone the expenses of having their children play for one of the very expensive club teams that we compete against every week.
When we started 3 years ago, we did not envision ever being invited to such a prestigious tournament. But, we have developed these young athletes as ballplayers and most importantly young men, and have had a lot of success on and off the baseball diamond. (https://www.facebook.com/NJClutchBaseball). These kids have earned the right to compete against the very best. They have worked hard to get the invite and deserve an opportunity to play together one last time at the biggest stage this level has to offer. Now that we are here, we do not want to forfeit the opportunity to have these kids participate in this once-in-a-lifetime experience because we don't have the funds to send them.
The Cooperstown tournament is considered a rite-of-passage experience for every competitive 12u team in the country. It is the last time these boys will ever have the chance to play together as a team. (After this year, they move on to middle school teams and bigger and better fields/tournaments.)
The tournament costs are roughly $1200 a player/coach. This includes tournament fees, uniforms, lodging, food and a trip to the Cooperstown Hall of Fame. We parents are pooling our money together to make the 2nd payment due this November 1st. The final payment of the outstanding balance is due March 1st, 2020. 100% of the funds raised will be distributed among the team and go towards the tournament fees to ensure that everyone has the chance to play the game they love, with the kids they have grown up playing it with.
We ask that you please help in any way you can to make these kids dream a reality. (You can follow the team as they compete in the tournament and keep tabs on how they do).
Thank you in advance,
Coach Perez
Coach Jannucci
Coach Pellino
Coach Velez
Coach Barber