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The above thread got me thinking about 12U ball and Cooperstown etc. I wondered, where are they now and thought it might be fun to see where kids landed these days and give parents some insight of the real world after 12U.

I am listed players on son's 12U team and what they're doing now and if they played HS/College ball.

FWIW, we went to Cooperstown when they first allowed games in early June and out of 100 est teams, got 4th. Ran out of pitching and into some big time FL teams who had plenty.

1. Started HS at SS and is now a policeman

2. Started HS baseball, quit juco ball and is now finance major via UGA

3. Started HS ball infield, played several Jucos won title at Columbus State-unsure now 

4. Started HS infield, got scholarship to TN school and quit to enjoy school-dont know now

5. Started HS baseball and football and decided to be a student at UGA as he couldn't do both there and unsure now

6. started as P HS and went to D1 in GA as pitcher- unsure now may have more time due to injuries

7. went lacrosse in HS, unfortunately passed away a few years ago

8.started HS @ OF/P, scholly to local P5 D1, left for juco and is now senior P there

9. started HS P, scholly P5, drafted 

10. started HS in OF and P, playing P5 ball now as senior

11.Wrestled in HS- student and possibly graduated.

12. Played HS ball, quit and started playing golf, think he just attended private college in alabama

13. I cannot recall the kid or parents of our 13th kid..<getting old>

My son picked this to play on as  the 13th guy for the due to the coach and knowing many kids from his original ballpark. The coach busted up the team after the season, announced it at Cooperstown that he was "no longer going to coach" and then promptly had it prearranged to pull several good kids with his to start another team the next year with no option to tryout for it. We didn't care much but parents who had been there for years were pissed.

We had fun, these parents were awesome and Cooperstown and how my son ended his season then was epic and is what he recalls from that season. 

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Wow, that's interesting.  I'd like to do it as detailed as you but my son was on a team with kids from an hour away....and other than a couple I have no idea what they did after HS.  We also went to Cooperstown...I was an assistant and stayed in the barracks.  I was dreading it from the day our HC announced it lol.  Ended up a great time and for what was essentially a "local" team that was what would be considered average at best, we finished #32 in pool play and beat a team that played out of the Mets training facility in our first bracket game.  As happens, we ran out of pitching and if I remember right lost our next game something like 18-14  

From what I can remember, out of the 12 kids on that team,  they'd be seniors in college now.

1. My son....starting his senior year.... P/DH at a D1

2. Will be a weekend starter at a D2 this spring

3. Went to a Juco, then a D2, now will be starting SS at a local D3

4. Playing 1B at a D3

5. Went to a JUCO....not sure is he is playing anywhere this year

I think that's it for kids that are still playing.  One other kid likely would have but ended up playing football at a D2.....by far the most potential of the kids on that team.  Huge FB for a 12 year old.  Shut down the team from the Mets facility in Cooperstown Bracket play.  That teams coach told us the kid was by far the best pitcher they had seen that year. 

 

 

Cooperstown was only 2 1/2 years ago for me.  We went with a roster of twelve.  

3 of the 12 are already done with baseball.  Barely had the skills for 50/70.  And, 60/90 ate them up quickly.  The remaining 9 are still playing ball.  My guess is that another 3 will be done soon.  They are barely hanging in now, most likely.  The remaining six will probably play in HS.  Beyond that?  Too early to tell.

My kid had played very little travel ball -- two tournaments, IIRC -- when at the beginning of 6th grade he became part of a newly formed 12U travel team with a bunch of experienced, skilled players. The team had 11 players for the first tournament and over the course of the three-day tournament my kid got 3 at bats, total. It was a shock to his system, and mine. He stuck with that team for 12U and 13U, when it split up as some kids were headed to high school. Anyway, fast forward six-and-half years and of those 11 players:

  • 6 are going D1 
  • The other 5 all started for their high schools, and I think a couple of them will play in college at some level

 

My son's cooperstown team when he was 12 came from a 30 mile area with less than 50,000 people.  They have 1 second round draft pick, 2 SEC, 1 ACC, 3 Mid Major D1's, 3 NAIA players, 1 turned down  and all except 3 started varsity as freshmen.  2 were player of the years for their states and 10 of them made all-region senior year.  All 13 started their varsity teams last year.  They finished third that week and hit an incredible amount of HR's.  They lost in 12 inning game when the first baseman bobbled the ball three times and a run scored.  My son threw way too many pitches that week because I was not there and there is no pitch limit.  No lasting problems from it but only time coach and I really got into a heated conversation after they got home.  We still joke about it to this day.  He said my son kept saying he was fine, which he was but could have gone bad.  They set a Cooperstown record for most strikeouts in a game between the two teams.  There were only four hits in 12 innings.  The kid who came in relief for the other team in the fourth inning also threw too many pitches and was drafted last year in second or third round.    It is a place of great memories. 

There is a new organization in Branson Missouri trying to replicate it with upgraded facilities including turf fields and nice sleeping quarters.  Have not been there but looks like incredible facility.

https://www.ballparksofamerica.com/

 

Love the "where are they now" thread.  12U a different brand of baseball for sure and the above shows how kids change, mature, etc.  Cooperstown was an amazing experience for my son.  His team ended up winning the tournament during the Tournament of Champions week.  It was 4 years ago.  6 D1 verbal commits so far (of which 3 are P5) and 2 D3 commits.  Great team with outstanding players and kids.  I am curious to see where they all end up.  

Great OP, Will attempt to contribute:

1.  Inf at D3 back east

2. last played HS ball, college, now an accountant

3  Inf at D2

4.  last played HS ball,  college, now working retail

5.  pitcher at JUCO

6.  last played HS ball, working retail

7. Inf at JUCO then D3

8.  P in MiLB

9.  last played in HS, now cop

10.  last played OF at D1, now ?

11.  last played at JUCO, now ?

12.  last played HS, now in med school.

13.  Son - D1 x 3 years, currently in MiLb

Now this exercise really made me feel old!!!

I can't say what every kids on our Cooperstown team is doing now.  I know most of them either don't play anymore or play in hs but don't plan to play in college.  Funny though, I came across this picture the other day from Cooperstown.  The boy in the middle took first in the Golden Arm contest, my son (left) took second.  We laughed then about the size difference of the two twelve year olds (my son was 5 foot flat).  I remember at the time, we looked him up and he had this article written about him https://www.mlb.com/news/teen-...-the-rise/c-87683202 .IMG_1491

After reading this thread, I looked him up today to see where he ended up.  Looks like he is 6'2 and committed to LSU as a LHP.  My son also ended up 6'2, just took him a little longer

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My son played LL. The travel team was an all star prep team. When he was eleven the 11/12 all star team was loaded with future college baseball prospects. When he was twelve the team was loaded with mediocre baseball skilled future college athletes who out muscled and out ran the small field. Guess which team went further.

Last edited by RJM

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