Junior Olympics Tips

sunblocker; swim trunks; sunblocker; go to the mountains for a day; sunblocker; do a day trip to the old Indian ruins; leave golf clubs at home--too hot for golfing; sunblocker; bring golf umbrella to keep you out of the sun while watching your son play; sunblocker; take a tour of UofA; sunblocker; eat at one of the restaurants in the "old" downtown area of Tucson; sunblocker; bring some money for pictures taken professional by one or two of the vendors; sunblocker.

Enjoy...that's about it.

Great environment; great memories; be sure to see some games that are sure to have some of the "big" national names that are "locks" for the USA Baseball Youth National Team. They'll be 1st round draft choices in a few years.

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p.s. Don't listen to what anyone says about the "dry" heat in Tucson being better than the "wet" heat of Florida. In my opinion, the "dry" heat is much worse and it gets to 110-115 during the day and cools down to 95-99 at night.
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Added this when jemaz mentioned the "change" of location (s)....Golfing in fun is you can play in 110-115 heat. That is why it is "cheap" to play and few players.

Tournament this year is in Peoria and Surprise, as it has been the last few years. Both towns are on the western edge of Phoenix. Both facilities are nearly unmatched anywhere in America. A day trip to Sedona is great and easy. Visits to Harkins Theatres are very, very enjoyable in the heat and the theatres are high end. Golf is great, too, because it is inexpensive this time of year and the courses are not crowded.

It is a dry heat and it does make a big, big difference. Anything up to 108 is relatively comfortable. The sun block is very important, as well as a hat with a generous bill. Lots of water is important at all times. Hikes in the mountains are spectacular, even in the heat, but the water becomes even more important and don't veer off the trails. The most popular mountains are Squaw Peak and Camelback, but South Mountain is great because you can drive to the top. The Superstitions in the East Valley are great fun if you have time. One of the area water parks might be good for the kids on an off day, but have them keep aware of sunburn. Another fine refuge is Chase Field, if the Diamondbacks are in town that week.

Shade is important too and can have a dramatic impact on your level of comfort.

I hope your team does well and that you have great time.

Thanks so much for the tips. We just purchased a shade tent with adjustable poles to fit onto bleachers if necessary. Based on your comments, I think it will come in handy. Despite the heat, we are very excited about going. Should be an awesome time!

A couple things to keep in mind are to ensure that your player drinks LOTS of water throughout the day. He should start when he gets up, and sip all day even if he doesn't think he needs it. You'll be amazed how much better they get through a week of intense heat if they stay ahead of the hydration game.

Another thing to keep in mind is to do things indoors that are cool, to keep them out of the heat when not playing. The D'backs are in town through Tuesday, and with Wednesday being an off-day for the tournament, Tuesday is a great day to go to Chase Field. It's also very cool and comfortable there, even with the roof opened. The cool air-conditioned air sits down in the stadium even during the hottest days.

The JO's are the best 16u tournament in the country, enjoy it and make the most of it.

Infield08,

My son is also going to to the Jo West. He's playing for Rocky Mountain Baseball.

For anyone who has "been there, done that", were there many pro or college scouts there? Any (subsequent) offers?

Good luck to your kid, '08!