February 2002 Newsletter 

This newsletter will bring to you every month, year round, to keep you informed about things happening in youth baseball around the country.  We will try and fill the pages with interesting articles about new equipment, coaching tips, rankings and tournaments.  If you have a tournament that you are involved with that you would like us to post on the newsletter, please send us the name of the tournament, dates, ages, and governing body, a contact name and telephone number.  Please feel free to send in coaching tips, stories about baseball, letter to the editor, fundraising ideas and anything having to do with youth baseball.  For more information to www.baseballtravel.org.   

Coaches, every year you have to get together with your parents and have the same meeting.  Make sure your kids are on time to practices and games; make sure the kids get plenty of rest the night before a game. Oh, and by the way, please don't take your summer vacation this summer during baseball season.  We all hate to ask this, but how to you put together a team week after week when players are on vacation with Mom and Dad.  Now you can have your meeting and tell Mom and Dad that they can make vacation plans during season.  As a matter of fact, you will help them.  You will show them how to take their dream vacation to Hawaii at unheard of group prices while attending a great baseball tournament.

Another New Year is upon us, time to make those plans to play baseball in Hawaii.  With three great tournaments to choose from, why not plan your family vacation during one of those times.  Not only will your team have a great experience playing baseball in the Islands, but it's a perfect location for that long awaited family vacation.

The first tournament is the 4^th of July Kauai Classic, held July 4^th - 7^th, 2002.  This tournament is for ages

10 - 18.  Kauai is known as the "Garden Island" and it is just that.  The fields are located on the West Side of Kauai where the weather is always wonderful.  The hotel accommodations are beachfront hotels that have been specially selected for team comfort.  Because we bring thousands of travelers to Kauai for our baseball and other youth sports tournaments these hotels give us rates that are 50%, or better, below the norm.  These are not just hotels, but Kauai beach resorts.  You may say that's all well and good, but how about the baseball?  The answer is simple; the baseball tournament is competitive, friendly, and fun for all.  A luau for all travelers is always held the night before the tournament starts. The warm, friendly Hawaiians love to feed you and show you the true spirit of Aloha.  The day after the tournament there will be a home run hitting contest, all-star game, and bar-b-Que.  We work closely with all the merchants on Kauai to get all the group travelers great discounts on things to do and see as well as food.   Trophies will be given for places 1^st thru 3^rd and individual medals for Champions and Runners-up.  Don't miss this chance to give your team, their parents, grandparents, and friends a chance to play at one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

The next tournament is Baseball in Paradise, held July 18^th-21^st, 2002,  ages 12, 15 and 18.  This tournament is on the island of Oahu.  Oahu is the home of Honolulu and Waikiki Beach.  The hotels are Waikiki hotels, both Sheraton and OutRigger/Ohana.  This tournament is hosted by Hawaii Winter Baseball, a well-known youth baseball organization.

We have a third tournament, The Friendship Games, held July 28- August 2, 2002.  The ages are 18-10u.  This tournament is on the island of Kauai.  This tournament is going into it’s 5^th year with teams attending from all over the US.  Kauai is known as the "Garden Island" and it is just that.  The fields are located on the West Side of Kauai where the weather is always wonderful.  The hotel accommodations are beachfront hotels that have been specially selected for team comfort.  Because we bring thousands of travelers to Kauai for our baseball and other youth sports tournaments these hotels give us rates that are 50%, or better, below the norm.  These are not just hotels, but Kauai beach resorts. 

USA SPORTS RANKINGS

 USA Sports Ranking is a great web site.  They will host your team's web site and information package in addition they have a baseball ranking poll both nationally and by state.  Over the next year the national rankings will be featured in several national magazines.  All are national publications that feature highly select teams across the country.  In addition, they have given us permission to post these rankings in our monthly newsletter.  For information contact Jennifer Buford at jen@usasportsrankings.com or call 970-223-6644  ext 131.  Contact Jen and let her know who you think will be the top teams in your state this year.  Pre-season polls will begin on February 18^th.  Many of the top teams are getting involved in the site to feature their profiles and gain the right to vote over the next season.  The cost of $79.95 for the season is well worth the investment due to the fact that not only will the USA staff build the site for you, they will help you maintain it and help you with anything related to baseball to make your season more successful.

Ads from Our Readers

MR Mitts

MR Mitts are used in Major and Minor Leagues of Pro Baseball, Colleges and High Schools through out America.  All gloves are pre-oiled and leather conditioned.  Prime leather steer hide.  Thick rawhide laces, pre-formed pocket and shock absorber pocket pad. 

Need a brochure, or not sure of what glove is best for you, give us a call.

Local Pinckard Distributor: Mike Redmond 303-469-6210

Quick-T

The Quick-T is an excellent training device for both baseball and softball.  The Quick-T allows players to work at their own pace.  The Quick-T makes hitting drills and technique easier.  This is how: No need to pick up another ball, no need for a 2-man tee drill, safety concerns, coach does not have to monitor players to see if they are in fact doing the drills, players do not have to spend time standing the tee upright when knocked over, the Quick –T can be used indoors and during the off season.

Please give us a call: John Pecoraro 719-547-7110

The Creators Touch

The Creators Touch is a small family-owned business specializing in trophies, plaques, hand-engraved wooden sports awards, resin sports figurines and a full-color transfer process called sublimation which allows us to provide you with a wide variety of personalized items to handle and need you may have.

Please contact: Donna Luckett  web-site: www.thecreatorstouch.com

The Yard

The all inclusive complex for the committed baseball/softball player.  The Yard offers Automated Batting Cages, Private Instruction, Team Instruction, Pitcher/Catcher workouts, Pitching Mounds, Fitness Center, Personal Trainer, clinics by Major League Players and much more.

Located in Colorado

Please call 303-790-1297  web-site: www.yardbaseball.com

Akadema Professional Gloves “Made By the Pros….For The Pros”

At Akadema Professional, we have not only designed a glove line with professional and collegian play in mind, but also players of all ages and abilities.  Each glove is tailor-made for selected positions with the sole purpose of raising a player’s performance on the field

Please contact: Leighton Thorne 970-214-1366  web-site: www.fclugnuts.com

Great New Fundraising Ideas

Bammy’s Gourmet Cookie Dough

Schools and organizations all over have been using Bammy’s for their fundraising needs.  In the last 2 years alone, we have helped raise over $100,000.  Family owned since 1988 and each pail is homemade!  Bammy’s comes in 3lb pails, each pail makes approx. 60-72 cookies.  Flavors: Chocolate Chip, Brownie White Chocolate, M&M, Sugar, Peanut Butter and Snicker doodle.

Please call 1-888-8Bammys

Butter Braid Frozen Pastry Dough

Butter Braids are pastry loaves made from the finest ingredients and filled with five different flavors (Cherry, Apple, Blueberry, Cinnamon, and Cream Cheese)  They arrive frozen and your customers just defrost the Butter Braids, see them double in size overnight and then bake to make a premium croissant pastry.

Please contact: 303-688-1780  web-site: www.butterbraid.com

TOURNAMENTS

Arizona

Coca-Cola Tucson Qualifier

Tuscon, AZ

March 8-10, 2002

Ages 9-16

Roland Rivera 970-223-6644

California

Memorial Day Qualifier

Corona, CA

May 25-27, 2002

Ages 9-16

Conrad Topp 909-789-2065

Colorado

Arkansas Valley Qualifier

LaJunta, LasAnimas, Swink, CO

March 16-17, 2002

Ages 10-14

Sean Hardy 970-223-6644 ext 155

Ice Breaker 4 Super Series National Qualifier

Pueblo, CO

April 6-7, 2002

Marcus Grace 719-240-0864

Aurora Qualifier

Aurora, CO

April 13-14, 2002

Ages 9-15

Sean Hardy 970-223-6644 ext 155

Colorado Springs Super Series National Qualifier

Colorado Springs, CO

April 27-28, 2002

Marcus Grace 719-240-0864

Mothers Day Slug Fest Super Series National Qualifier

Pueblo, CO

May 11-12, 2002

Marcus Grace 719-240-0864

Fort Collins Qualifier II

Fort Collins, CO

May 25-27, 2002

Ages 9-18

Sean Hardy 970-223-6644 ext 155

Colorado State Super Series Tournament

June 8-9, 2002

Marcus Grace 719-240-0864

Hawaii

4^th of July Kauai Baseball Classic

Kauai, Hawaii

July 4-7

Ages 10-18

Carl Clifton 800-846-4322

Baseball in Paradise

Honolulu, Hawaii

July 18-21, 2002

Ages 12, 15, 18

Carl Clifton 800-846-4322

Kauai August Tournament

Ages 12-18

Carl Clifton 800-846-4322

Kansas

Wichita World Series Qualifier

Wichita, KS

May 3-5, 2002

Ages 9-15

Harlan Moore 303-254-6631

New York

BB-TCS Early Bird Long Island Qualifier

Hampton Bays/Riverhead, NY

April 26-28, 2002

Ages 8-12

Grant Stanis  631-467-2257

BB-TCS Long Island Fall National Qualifier

Hollbrook, NY

August 17-18, 2002

Ages 8-14

Grant Stanis 631-467-2257

For more Hawaii Baseball information, contact Charity at alohasports@qwest.net or call Carl at 800-846-4322, or visit our website baseballtravel.org .