WOW, what a great week of Cooperstown Dreams Park memories for Team TBS . . . The Cooperstown Dreams Park NATC week came and went, way too quickly.

What made this team successful?  First and foremost, it was the 11 GREAT KIDS AND FAMILIES that made this team. These 11 kids and coaches came from all areas of the United States and from all walks of life, but the one thing they all had in common was, they were all thankful for the opportunity to play on this special team – and, they all accepted and supported the team rules.  Namely, having fun, being respectful, show class to their teammates, coaches, opponents, families, umpires, and staff members of Cooperstown Dreams Park.  The number one goal from Travel Ball Select for this team was to enable these kids to go to a national venue to play the game they all love and gain memories from this experience that would last them for a lifetime.  It was NOT to see how many homeruns they could hit, or how many bases they could steal, or runs they could score.  Travel Ball Select feels certain that this was accomplished by all players, coaches and family members.

There were many memories that were gained last week, but TBS will only mention a few that Coach Ivey shared with TBS at this time.   On day one while at Dreams Park Coach Ivey expressed how important it was for the players on his team to unite and play as one so he and the other coaches took 12 pieces of short rope and gave one piece to each player.  The 11 players tied their piece of rope together with one another and the 4 coaches tied 1 piece of rope to the player’s rope. In the end they had 12 pieces of rope tied together as one. This rope represented that the strength of the TEAM comes from the unity of its twelve parts. A different player had the responsibility of carrying the team rope to each game. Coach Ivey told the players that there would be 12 games played if the team made it to the championship game and that someone special would carry the rope to the championship game if Team TBS made it to the finals.  Finally, someone special would leave Dreams Park with the rope.  

After the third game was played Team TBS was having a meeting in their barracks when Lou Presutti, the founder of Dreams Park walked in and sat in on the remainder of the team meeting. Mr. Presutti noticed during the team meeting a Team TBS player holding the rope so when the meeting was over he inquired about the rope.  The Team TBS player described to Mr. Presutti exactly what the rope was and what it meant to the team, and how important it was to the team - it was a symbol of strength for Team TBS - 11 players playing as 1 .  Mr. Presutti asked Coach Ivey if he could talk with the boys of Team TBS about what Team meant to him and of course Coach Ivey agreed.

Mr. Presutti starts to tell a story of an innocent 10 year old boy named Tommy who lost his life battle with leukemia only four weeks after he played at Cooperstown Dreams Park. Tommy's life was cut short but while on earth he loved the game of baseball and Cooperstown Dreams Park. When Little Tommy was laid to rest, he was in his Dreams Park uniform and wore the ring he received from CDP, along with his 12 Teammates rings beside him. Coach Ivey said, "there was not one dry eye from any coach or player of Team TBS".

Team Travel Ball Select players asked Mr. Presutti and Coach Ivey if they could play their remaining 9 games at CDP in honor of little Tommy and TBS believes that the 11 players and 4 coaches of Team Travel Ball Select will never forget this. If you happen to know a player or coach that was on Team TBS, ask to see their CDP hat, on the hat you will find the name Tommy. When all emotions calmed, Mr. Presutti asked Coach Ivey for the team rope to keep on his desk at the end of the tournament and Coach Ivey agreed to give it to him after game 11.  Mr. Presutti brought the rope to game 12, the championship game and hung it in the Team TBS dugout.  After the game Mr. Presutti took the rope back to keep and place on his desk. The score of the championship game may just be coincidence but it was 11 - 1. The rope that was important to the team had 11 pieces of rope for the players and 1 piece of rope for the coaches.

Another TBS story from NATC week is the Rome Jr Indians team. Team TBS played the Indians in game 3 to a score of 20 - 0. This game became very friendly and fun for Team TBS and the Rome Jr Indians in the second inning when all of the Team TBS were asked by Coach Ivey to bat from the opposite side of the plate. (Team TBS did this in several games). Somehow a couple of the Team TBS players managed to hit homeruns from the opposite side of the plate against the Indians. The Indian players and families were just amazed as the Team TBS players and families were.  

The Indians team continued to play in the NATC tournament and were the 89th seeded team after pool play allowing an average of 17 runs per game. The Indians players were great kids that had just as much fun as any team at Dreams Park. After game 3, the Rome Jr Indians kids spent a lot of time at the Team Travel Ball Select barrack laughing, dancing and just having fun with Team TBS throughout the week.  TBS believes that all would tell you that the Team TBS kids were very respectful and made friends quickly with the Indians players.  

All of the Team TBS players and coaches were at the Indians first elimination game on Thursday at 2:00 supporting the Indians team.  When the Indians were eliminated in that game, all of the Team TBS kids lined up on the field to shake the Indians players' hands and congratulate them on their tournament. The Indians in return were at the remaining games that Team TBS played, giving their support. During the championship game, the Indians players and families sat with the Team TBS families and after the championship game was played, Team TBS and the Rome Jr. Indians players celebrated on the field with one another and took pictures together on the championship field.

Cooperstown Dreams Park is a very special place that is hard to describe, much unlike any other baseball tournament that a child can play.  Lou Presutti often says that it was his families dream that all youth baseball players have the opportunity to play baseball in Cooperstown.  They like to think of Dreams Park as Americas first and foremost Youth Baseball Experience where “No Player” is Left Behind.  Team Travel Ball Select would agree with all of those statements from Mr. Presutti based on the experience that Team TBS players, coaches and families had during NATC week. Travel Ball Select would like to Thank Mr. Presutti and CDP staff for offering such a special place where lifelong memories are made for so many kids, year after year.

Travel Ball Select.com would also like to Thank and Congratulate Team TBS on a great week of baseball that was played with class. We know the friendships that were made that will last a lifetime. 

2008 NATC Team TravelBallSelect players were:

Tyler Alamo, Jacob Barfield, Carrington Bell, David Boyle, Julio Gonzalez, Jerrod Hathcock, Brett Henderson, Grayson Ivey, Matt Jervis, Nathan Rodriguez, Kevin Wade. 

Team TBS Coaches were:

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