D I A M O N D D R E A M S ...''The Ultimate Softball Experience''
COOPERSTOWN- ''WHERE LEGENDS LIVE!''
FAQ's Frequently Asked Questions How is Diamond Dreams Different from other Tournaments? Teams travel to Cooperstown and stay at Diamond Dreams in a private clubhouse within ''Softball Village'' for six nights. Each team is assigned a college softball player that chaperones' and mentors your team! You compete in the best National Invitational Tournament atmosphere in the USA. Your participant package includes meals, laundry service, uniforms, attraction tickets and the Shuttle service to the beach and Cooperstown! Most importantly you experience opening and closing ceremonies including skydivers and fireworks and just when you think whats next...you are enshrined into the National Youth Softball Hall of Fame and presented with the exclusive HOF ring. What is the skill level for the weekly tournaments? Typically the teams that will register are travel teams from associations such as ASA, PONY, USSSA, DIXIE, LL and local tryouts from youth leagues. Some teams will combine players from several travel teams within their age group to form a new team for participation at Diamond Dreams. Why register now? The Diamonds sports field complex and Softball village space is limited to 24 teams per weekly session in 2010. There are more than 100,000 softball teams in the United States. Youth teams from Canada and foreign countries will participate at Diamond Dreams. Registration will be accepted strictly on a first received basis. What age does my team qualify for during the 2010 summer season? Diamond Dreams follows the now standard age cut-off date of December 31 of the previous year. If you are eligible to compete at 12U in 2010, you will compete at the same age at Diamond Dreams. What are the tournament Rules? Diamond Dreams presents a National Invitational Format and are open to ALL teams. It's Official, as of 2010 DIAMOND DREAMS Tournaments will be played by ASA RULES, slightly modified. All Games are played to completion (weather permitting). The International Tie Breaker will be enforced after 7 innings of play. Rules are mailed with The Team COACHES HANDBOOK and will be mailed at the proper time. How do we register our team? Teams are selected on a first served basis and are screened. 1. Teams are required to complete the TOURNAMENT APPLICATION FORM and return it including the 2010 Tournament Fee of $250.00 Once received the team is expressed mailed the TEAM REGISTRATION PACK and assigned a softball sales coordinator. 2. Coaches and Players can purchase the Diamond Dreams ALL Inclusive package with accommodations and meals provided in the exclusive Softball Village for a Fee of $595 OR the INAUGURAL 2010 BASE PACKAGE (call for details) where the teams make their own accommodations and are provided one meal per day. ALL teams are provided the DIAMOND DREAMS AMENITY PACKAGE that includes laundry service, player uniforms, coaches gear, and a host of additional items. Umpires stay FREE. The fees are broken into two payments! 3. Installment (second) Payment: HALL OF FAME TEAMS- $1500 due 30 days from Registration. COOPERSTOWN CLASSIC TEAMS- $500 due 30 days from Registration. 4. Team Balance: HALL OF FAME TEAMS- is due 60 days from Installment payment due date. COOPERSTOWN CLASSIC TEAMS- is due 30 days from Installment due date. Where do I register my team? Travel team coaches or managers can reserve their team slot by clicking onto the 2010 Team Registration form >>> CLICK HERE <<< Call (800) 807-3580 9am-9pm EST or email us at info@diamonddreams.net How is payment made to Diamond Dreams? We are asking the designated coach for each team to assume the responsibility for collecting all participant fees on his/her team and submit to Diamond Dreams. Payments can be made either by certified check or U.S. Money Order payable and mail to Diamond Dreams at Cooperstown, PO Box 186, Cooperstown NY 13326. Are there any fundraising programs available for our team to implement? Yes. Diamond Dreams has partnered with www.mysportsdreams.com fundraising program to help defray your costs. Click onto the FUNDRAISING button for complete information on how your team can save up to 50% of the Team Entrance Fee by participating in our fundraising program. Are Umpires Needed? Yes. Diamond Dreams at Cooperstown invites certified umpires to attend weekly sessions where they will share in the experience and stay in the Softball Village, receive all their meals, Diamond Dreams cap, shirts, jacket, tournament ring and special recognition at the closing ceremonies, all for no charge. Please contact umpires@diamonddreams.net if you would like to be considered for a Guest Umpire position. Can I register as an individual? From time to time, teams are seeking guest players to complete their roster or provide additional substitutes throughout the tournament week. If you are interested in being considered as a guest player, contact info@diamonddreams.net Please specify the week and age group you are available. Can parents participate at Diamond Dreams? Parents that are coaches and or certified umpires can attend Diamond Dreams and live in the Softball Village. Parents and family members of participants are encouraged to attend the games each day during tournament hours and for special events such as Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Championship Game, Hall of Fame Induction, and the spectacular fireworks display. There will also be special programming and dedicated dining facilities for family members who visit Diamond Dreams. What is the maximum number of players & coaches that can attend? Each cabin can accommodate a combination of 20 players and coaches. In some instances additional bunk beds can be moved into a cabin to accommodate a larger team. How many Guest Players can be on a roster? There is no limit since teams are formed to participate only for the Diamond Dreams experience. Is the Resort Secure? Security is a primary precaution at Diamond Dreams. The Resort and Softball Village are continuously patrolled and staffed with 24-hour security staff members. The Softball Village (with the exception of Saturday morning when parents may assist in the move-in process) is a controlled access venue where only the registered and identified athletes, coaches, and umpires may enter. Any team member or coach leaving Diamond Dreams must sign out and all players must be signed out by their coach, parent, or designated guardian. Do Coaches and Players attending need to complete the forms and waivers? Yes. The necessary background information and waiver forms will be completed by each player, coach, and guest umpire attending Diamond Dreams. Can players leave the Resort? Yes. Participants at Diamond Dreams may be signed out of the resort by either the team coach, guardian or their parents to visit the many attractions in the Cooperstown area and Herkimer County. Should we bring our team uniforms? Teams will wear the exclusive Diamond Dreams, home and away uniform. Each player will receive home and away jerseys, shorts, matching socks & headband. Players must wear a Diamond Dreams uniform during the opening and closing ceremonies. Each coach will receive a Diamond Dreams cap, two coaches shirts and a pull over jacket, exclusively designed for Diamond Dreams. Participants keep their uniforms to bring home as a keepsake. What is included in the player package? In addition to cabin lodging for 6 nights and 16 meals, each participant will receive a host of amenities and merchandise including the exclusive Diamond Dreams Hall of Fame Induction Ring, Diamond Dreams Uniforms, and photo keepsake. There will also be prizes for team and individual skills contest winners, and trophies/prizes for top teams in each weekly tournament. What should each participant bring? Each cabin is equipped with bunk beds and space for belongings. In addition to all of your usual tournament and practice wear, attire at Diamonds Dream is casual and comfortable. In the region it can get chilly (50’s) at night so bring a few heavier items to wear. Also, the summer season does bring rain, so some type of rain gear is helpful. The Softball Village will be well lit, but as a precaution against power failure you may want to bring a small flashlight. Each person needs to bring sheets (or a sleeping bag to place on top of the bunk bed), a pillow and pillowcase, washcloth and towels. Also toiletries such as liquid soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, and shampoo should be brought with a portable carrier to bring to the bathhouses that are adjacent to the cabins. The Department of Health mandates that bathing suits and waterproof shower shoes must also be worn to the bathhouses for showers. How is laundry handled? Laundry wash and fold service for uniforms and personal items is included in the participant fee for Coaches, Players and Umpires. The Laundry sevice begins on Saturday and runs through Wednesday of each week. Besides the tournament games what else is there to do at Diamond Dreams? Diamond Dreams is all about a non-stop week of action you can relax when you go home! Some of the additional amenities include the Diamond Dreams Practice area, skills contests, WIFI (bring your laptop- we have FIOS), weekly music/entertainment, Diamondsgear- the retail store with a full line of Diamonds Dream apparel and merchandise, fireworks, arcade area and vending machines. Why was the Cooperstown area selected for Diamonds Dream? Diamonds Dreams specifically targeted this region for its summer climate and reputation as an ideal area for youth sport participation and has several attractions and events taking place throughout the summer. Participants, under adult supervision and their families, can take a break from all of the activities at Diamond Dreams and take advantage of the many historic and recreational Cooperstown area attractions. We encourage families to join their daughters attending a Diamond Dreams tournament and make this a week-long action packed vacation at one of the most popular summer tourist destinations in the United States. Will we face many new teams? The tournament directors at Diamond Dreams is recruiting teams and receiving registration forms from all regions of the United States, Canada, and calls from foreign countries. All teams stay together in the Softball Village which creates a tremendous social and cultural opportunity for every team. In fact, we invite you to come and play for a week…the friends and memories will last a lifetime. Will my team have practice time? Yes. There are hitting and pitching cages that can be used by registered teams only. What if I have to take medication daily or have a medical problem at the Park? Diamond Dreams has a complete medical facility with 24-hour medical professional staff that will inventory and dispense medication according the label directions. In case of accident, injury, or other medical emergency, the highly trained on-site staff are coordinated with Bassett Healthcare Medical facilitity that is fully equipped to deal with emergency situations. Will we need Insurance? Yes all teams are required to have incurance. Diamond Dreams provides secondary insurance as well. |
