World Series Recap – 7-24-12
On a typical tournament weekend, Big League Dreams Chino Hills will have at most, eighteen teams in their park; twelve teams playing on the six fields, and six more waiting to play on those fields. If you estimate that each team brings approximately 50 people per team (12 players, 3 coaches, roughly 35 parents and siblings), then you’re looking at about 1,000 people maximum in the park at any given time. The Opening Ceremonies for the 2012 Western World Series aimed to push Big League Dreams Chino Hills to their limits. By 5:00 PM, there were over 80 teams in the park, plus 10 different vendors, along with the extra USSSA and Big League Dreams staff called in to help run the park. A safe estimate would say that there were over 5,000 people in the park, trading pins, shopping, socializing, and generally having a good time.
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| Just a fraction of the people and vendors at Opening Ceremonies |
From 3:00 PM-5:00 PM, coaches were able to check their teams in for the coming week. This gave parents and players a couple hours to enjoy the atmosphere. Players were running around, hunting down those elusive pins that they didn’t have yet. One family even set up a pin trading table to make sure they got all the ones they possibly could. Parent and family were able to browse the 10 different vendors that came in to make our opening day a true event. Combat and Baden came out with tables full of bats and baseball gear that players could not keep their eyes off of. We had a jewelry tent set up for the moms, Kettle Corn and Shaved Ice to keep everyone cool and their sweet tooth happy, and Riverside Toros came out with Performance necklaces and misters. Baseball Youth Roadtrip had their booths set up for the players and siblings to get free stuff, play Topps Attax, and so much more.
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| Pin Trading Central |
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| More bats than we know what to do with at the Combat Booth |
At 5:30 teams started lining up on both Tiger and Wrigley to prepare for the opening ceremonies. Teams carried their souvenir World Series signs with them, as they were announced to a standing room only crowd of parents and families and made a grand entrance. After getting their photos taken by our professional photographer, teams gathered on the field for our National Anthem. After being dismissed, players were treated to a free hotdog meal prepared by Big League Dreams.
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| 7-Under and 8-Under teams lined up after having their photos taken |
Once they were done eating, players had to get warmed up for the Skills Competitions. We had three competitions for the players to participate in. Four players participated in the running relay, where we would see which four player team could round the bases four times the quickest, which lead to some incredible matchups and some incredibly close times. After the running relay was over, teams gathered five different players for the around the horn relay. The baseball starts on home plate. The catcher starts by throwing the ball to third, where it makes its way around the bases to first, who throws it back to second (with the shortstop now covering), back to third, before finally ending where it started at home plate. Teams with the quickest times were crowned the champions. After that, the throwing for accuracy was for any player that didn’t get to participate in the other two events. Players would stand between the pitching mound and second base, and have to throw the ball into a 4’x4’ opening into a BowNet at home plate. Players had to get two of their three throws in the opening to win an individual prize.
Here is a list of the winners and runners ups of the skills contests, and their times.
Thank you to all the teams that participated in our Opening Ceremonies, especially the teams that came from all over the country to play with us this week. We wish everyone the best of luck all week.
See you on the fields
-AC
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