12U NATC Preview - Cooperstown Dreams Park - TEAM TBS, Part 1 of 3

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12U NATC Preview - Cooperstown Dreams Park - TEAM TBS, Part 1 of 3

2008 NATC Championship week at DREAMS PARK is nearing OPENING Day
August 19, 2008: Cooperstown, New York

Part 1 of 3

As the 2008 Summer Travel Baseball season keeps rolling to its close – giving way to many “back to school” opening days that are now sweeping across the country, TravelBallSelect continues its coverage of the major events that are closing out this great year for travel sports. For the 12U age group, there is no bigger event taking place anywhere than the NATC week at Cooperstown Dreams Park. This is the big week when each of the weekly Dreams Park Champions, over the eleven week season, are invited back to compete in the "Grand Finale" 12th week - the NATC Championship week. This event not only matches these champions against champions, but also against many of the top travel baseball traditions from all across America.

This year, TravelBallSelect is proud to launch its coverage of the exceptional tradition that has been built over many years at Dreams Park. To honor the tremendous tradition, TravelBallSelect.com has organized a team to compete at this famous NATC 12U Tournament week. Before TravelBallSelect would consider such a task, it had to make sure it had the right leadership at the helm. Therefore, the team went to a coach that has supported the efforts of two NATC Championships over the past four years. If this team would be a reality it would hinge on the answer of Coach Shannon Ivey. After much deliberation, Coach Ivey said yes to TBS and the wheels started rolling. Coach Ivey set a couple of rules before selecting any players. First, he wanted strong leaders - coaches who had the same values, principles and were men of character. Next, the team would be built on respect - the team would not recruit players who were on a team or already committed to another team. Finally, play to win but doing it the right way. Once everyone was aligned, the team started to take form. But to know where the team is going you have to understand more about Shannon Ivey and his background.

In 2003, Shannon Ivey and his good friend, Alex Holman, started a team - the Georgia Bandits. Coach Ivey has two sons, Dylan and Grayson, who have both played travel baseball since they were 8 or 9 years old. Both have gained many fond memories of Dreams Park during the course of their four trips to the Park over the years. Perhaps, their most prized memories came as their Georgia Bandits won the 2007 NATC championship against the highly respected Team Anderson from Southern California.

After such a great finish, Coach Ivey knew it was time to hang up his coach’s shoes and pass the torch on to others as the Bandit players were ready to move on to the next level - high school play. During 2008, Coach Ivey kept true to his decision and enjoyed his role as a parent. But the opportunity to once again coach at Cooperstown Dreams Park has lured him to (temporarily) abandon the life of coaching retirement. Says Coach Ivey “Although I had planned to coach no more, I jumped at the opportunity to do this with these young athletes because there is not another tournament that I know of - where they can gain memories like those they will experience while at Cooperstown Dreams Park”.

Coach Ivey has three very accomplished coaches who will be assisting him;Rick Goff, Humberto Bencomo, and Wes Etheridge.

Rick Goff is well known in travel baseball circles as he directs the Michigan Sports Academy’s (MSA) 8U-14U baseball programs. This 2008 season has been a successful year for MSA programs as they had two teams, 9U and 13U, qualify for the Elite 24. The 12U MSA Black team, which Rick coached, won the 12U AAA World Series back in July of 2008. Rick is an honored part of the Team TBS coaching staff.

Humberto Bencomo is from South Florida. Humberto has been coaching competitive baseball since 1995. Thru these years, Humberto’s has many accomplishments including wins at the Pony World series championships in 2005 and 2007 while coaching the Tamiami Rangers. His Rangers team was also the week 1 Dream Park Champions in 2007. Humberto is presently the coach of Leon Medical Centers 10U baseball team that in week 2 (June 2008) became the first Florida 10 under team to win the Dream Park championship. Humberto is looking forward to a great week coaching the fine group TEAM TBS athletes.

Wes Etheridge is from Buena Park, California. He has been coaching for over twenty years. Wes has won his share of National Championship along the way, as he develops young players by focusing; not only, on the fundamentals of the game, but also teaching them the life lessons that come from competing in team sports. Wes says, “By competing against the best talent around, players learn that preparation, hard work, and focus are the keys to success”.

Coach Ivey and his staff feel that this "TEAM TBS" is blessed to have talented 12U athletes who have also shown great character and respect. Team TBS, just as any other team, will want to win ball games while at Dreams Park. But, these TEAM TBS coaches keenly realize that this great event is more about assisting these athletes to cherish the friendships and memories that will be built while in Cooperstown.

TravelBallSelect will be following with features that have more information about this years’ "TEAM TBS”, along with other "Teams to Watch" as the August 23rd opening day approaches at Dreams Park. Once the opening pitch is tossed, TravelBallSelect.com will be covering the key results during this 2008 NATC Championship week.

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