I just returned from the Dan Duquette Memorial Day Tournament out in Hinsdale, MA.
http://www.duquettesports.com
I have to say it was a very positive experience. This weekend there was both a 12U and a 14U tournament being hosted at the complex.
The facility is located right off of I-90 and made for an easy commute. Players and coaches stay in cabins located right on the facility and all meals are provided and included in the per player fee. The cabins had plenty of room and even had private bathrooms and showers which were clean and comfortable. Our teams bunk actually had foosball, a pool table, and couches. We checked in on Friday night played 2 games Saturday, 2 games Sunday, and a fifth game on Monday morning.
The camp itself is right on a lake with its own beach for swimming, kayaking etc. Infact the DD program provided Kayaks and Canoes for the kids to use along with lifeguards on duty for safety.
There are also several basketball courts and a street hockey court which were top notch and in excellent condition including glass backboards and plenty of balls for everyone to use. There was field space available for wiffleball and other games when the kids were not on the diamonds.
The 14U group played on 2 fields, one was right on campus including lights for night play and a small scoreboard which was operated by the DD staff. The second field was off campus about 15 minutes from camp and was an old fashion style stadium kept clean and modern. DD staff ran the full sized scoreboard, played music between innings over the sound system, and announced all starting lineups and batters as they came to the plate. The kids really enjoyed that.
The competition was very good, there were 8 teams in our age group. 3 games were played for seeding purposes before a single elimination tournament began, all teams played at least 5 games as there was a consolation bracket.
The "Major League" club house was a bit of a dissapointment as it did not offer much but the players did not even notice as they were busy playing ball, making new friends, shooting hoops, and swimming.
The staff was friendly and accomediating. I personally spoke with Director Kent Qualls on several occasions as he and his staff were very visable the entire weekend. He was very professional and friendly and knew the teams that were playing. I had mentioned that I was going to go watch one of the 12U games (more on that in a different post) and he could speak on both teams and told me it would be a competitive game, he was right. His team was very knowledgable and friendly. I had time to talk to two other admins there and both were college baseball players. One from Western New England College and one from Southern Vermont College, both were very friendly and polite. This was great news as a previous tournament we played in this year was not nearly as well run.
I spoke with one team that was based closer to the DD facility in Western Mass that had chosen not to stay on campus but drive back and forth each day. I would say that they missed out on a great opportunity to team building. If the coaches can suck it up for a few nights and stay in the bunks it is more than worth it! The kids loved it there. I had a chance to see the end of a 12 U game where the winner would be staying for another game on Monday. The kids had already packed up just in case they were leaving and after they found out they had won they went crazy with excitement, they were not cheering for the win but were yelling "we're staying!!!!!" They just wanted to stay another night! Plus there are a lot of 8am games and some 7pm games so if you can avoid commuting I would suggest it.
There were plenty of restaurants and hotels in the area for parents who are staying the weekend. Parents were allowed on campus and in the bunks, I think there may have been a small parking fee for the day.
The only knock I have on the place was the umpires. They may have been the worst umpires I have had the displeasure of working with. Not many of them were patched, some did not look or act very professionally, some did not even know the rules. (Infield Fly, Balk, Substitution rules) I do not want to say that about them all because there were a few good ones but I can think of 4 seperate official right now that I would say were pulled off the streets that morning. I actually heard two umps talking about a bad call they made and one of them say something along the lines of "All I care about is that I get paid" and that showed. We would have been better off if they could have just gotten local college players or students, gave them a tutorial on the rules just to brush up and had them work all the games. I know there were 44 games and getting umps all the way out there is probably tough, but its was sad. I don't think it cost anyone a game because it was equally pathetic both ways. It would have been laughable, but it was too ridiculous to be funny. We were able to talk to opposing coaches after we had just played them and nobody seemed pleased with the quality of umpires.
If at the end of 4 days at this place if my only complaint is umpires I call that a success.
This was our second tournament of the year, first being Baseball Heaven in New york, and I can say the Dan Duquette was a superior experience. I would recommend it to any coach or team that was looking to play and would be happy to discuss in a private chat.
I would suggest parents and coaches prepare their kids for camp. The bunks were not comfortable to sleep in, I know toughen up, but if you can get an air mattress it is well worth it. Also come preparred with warm blankets and with a personal fan. The temperature on the lake can change fast from swealtering hot to chilly. If you are playing 5 games it would be smart to plan on a parent or coach running out and washing the uniforms and socks. I think there might have been coin op laundry on site but I do not know for sure. Those bunks were not the best smelling places after a couple days of baseball. I'd also bring snacks and waters for after the mess hall closes down (7pm).
This is well worth the time, trip, and cost.
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