Cocoa Expo

I would suggest trying find another venue, the Cocoa facility is a dump.

We went there 5 years ago and it was run down then, I see from the previous post it hasn't gotten any better.

We are looking at Cocoa Expo for a venue. Visited a few months ago, and liked it. It isn't Disney-perfect, very old Florida. We think the atmosphere will be great for baseball players to be immersed in baseball in Florida- good field, good practice facilities, have heard the food is good. Dorms could use some spit and polish. We like the closeness to the beaches, and the relaxed, warm feel. Thought the atmosphere was one the players would like.

I'll repeat what I said on another thread. The dorms are a bit rundown, the food is marginal, though edible. There are alternatives to the dorms, like nearby hotels, that might make the players a little happier. The benefit to staying in the dorms is that they are right there -- no transportation issues.

The biggest positive is that there are lots of fields, lots of teams, and someone to put it all together for you. We tried some other venues, but always kept coming back to Cocoa Expo because it was the most inclusive and easiest to deal with.

Also, the parents and other family members stayed on the beach (we always favored Royal Mansions in Cape Canaveral)which made for a GREAT vacation for all involved.

Our team has been playing there regularly for over 5 years. Granted, we are very close by, but we would not keep joining the tournaments if we felt it were a waste of time.

The fields are very playable when the weather is good. They don't do so well when they are subjected to a few days of good rain. The fields are large and give you the feel of big boy baseball. No can of corn homers here. They have two sets of batting cages that serve their purpose.

The competition can be very good as well. We have had very hotly contested games there on many occasions. In the older age groups, you'll find 6-12 teams--four or five of which can be very solid. Usually, about half of the teams come from out of state.

The directors do a good enough job of running things.

I cannot speak for the accomodations, but there are several alternatives within a few miles.

The concession stand leaves something to be deired, and the public restrooms are not kept as well as they could be.

It is not a fancy place, but once that first pitch is thrown, that is almost certainly forgotten.

Hope that helps.

Thanks for all the viewpoints. I understand "old and tired facilites" ... but since we want to play in Feb, there just aren't many choices. Was hoping we didn't have to go all the way to FL though. It just means more travel time and less baseball for the boys.

I will keep looking into Cocoa Expo unless somebody has any other suggestions (ideally a little further North). Thanks again.