I know that Rockcastle County will once again be traveling down to the Cocoa Expo along with the softball team. Nice to see the girls going on a routine basis. The Rockets and Lady Rockets will be traveling down there during the first week of the season.

 

What are some of the other teams that will be traveling down there for their spring break besides Ashland Blazer, Russell, Letcher County Central, Ballard Memorial and Boyd County? I know that all of these teams go during the second week of the season except Boyd County....the KHSAA website doesn't have anything on the site for them but they almost ALWAYS go to the Cocoa Expo.

Boyd Co will be there the 1st week in April

Any idea how much a trip to Florida costs a family? Or, does the baseball program pick up the tab?

I don't understand why teams are so drawn to this thing. It is a big price to pay to go to Florida and play Kentucky teams. And before you say it is for the experience, why can't people take their team down and play Florida teams which would be even more of an experience.

 

The absolute pro at taking their team to Florida was Coach Powell at Middlesboro who took his team down to St. Augustine, Florida every year since 1982.

 

Each player raises 400 dollars to go. This is easily done by the teams annual Poinsettia sales at Christmas and their 100 inning game. More than half the team doesn't have to pay a dime out of their own pocket. And those that do are left to pay just a small amount.

 

The team goes down on a Saturday real early and gets there at about 6. They all go out to eat and check into their rooms. During the week they play about 5 games usually against St.Augustine High School, Palatka High School, Pedro Menendez High School, St. Josephs Academy, and Flagler Palm Coast High School. All the while getting every meal paid for by the team. Dinner is always at a sit-down resteraunt. On the final Saturday, they get to choose whether to go to Universal Studios or Disney where they spend the entire day. Then they come home on Sunday.

 

Now this is a Florida trip.

:thumb: We did that at Boyd Co 2 years ago and it was a much more enjoyable time. We were at Ft Walton Beach in a tournament setting they put on. The kids and prents had a much more enjoyable time than at Cocoa. Plus Cocoa is run down and the facilities are not the greatest either. But it isn't that bad, except for traveling all the way to FL to play KY teams, but it beats sitting at home playing nobody.

Model is going this year and we don't play a team from Kentucky. I know we play three teams from Canada. Not sure where the other teams are from.

From what I understand, you don't have to play Kentucky teams. The coach actually has input into the schedule.

That is correct

From what I understand, you don't have to play Kentucky teams. The coach actually has input into the schedule.

Correct, from my understanding the coach makes his own schedule. So don't understand the teams going down there and playing KY teams :confused:

Ashland is going down there this year. Last year we played Niwot Colorado a top 25 ranked team in the nation, a Minnesota team, a team from NY, and some KY teams.

Boyd generally plays a mixture, but most games end up being against other KY teams.

:thumb: We did that at Boyd Co 2 years ago and it was a much more enjoyable time. We were at Ft Walton Beach in a tournament setting they put on. The kids and prents had a much more enjoyable time than at Cocoa. Plus Cocoa is run down and the facilities are not the greatest either. But it isn't that bad, except for traveling all the way to FL to play KY teams, but it beats sitting at home playing nobody.

 

If I'm not mistaken from overhearing conversations while checking in last year, the coaches didn't like it as much because the fields weren't as accessible as they are down in Cocoa. If you've ever been down there when Boyd County is it looks like they run the show because of the number of players, coaches and fans that they have. Again the above statement was what I had heard from the coaches themselves.

 

 

As far as the scheduling, I think that it's a good idea to play a mixture of both in-state and out-of-state teams while down there. If you can suggest playing the better teams in KY (especially the ones that you wouldn't normally get to play) and the better names programs from the list of teams that will be down there can only make your team better.

 

I absolutely LOVE the experience that you get from being down at Cocoa. I like to think of it as a baseball camp cause you can have games at any time during the day and you eat in the cafeteria there on site. I will say that once the Florida Marlins left Cocoa as its spring training site that it has not been kept up well but you've also got to think that there have been a bunch of hurricanes go through that area in recent years too.

It was a different coaching staff that did the Ft Walton tournament, so they wouldn't really know. But there was some travel involved to get to the fields to play, but every field was within 30-40 min of where the teams were staying. Plus the atmosphere was more of mixing a vacation with baseball, which alot of the kids and parents liked since I think only 2 or 3 of the kids families didn't go to FL. The parents at BC are great about following their kids no matter where they play. But at Cocoa you are correct about it feeling like a baseball camp atmosphere, you can see a game anytime of the day if you wish and all the players are right there on the facility.

Letcher Central Wil be going.

Letcher Central Wil be going.

Do you know if Letcher Central will be playing KY teams or others Cougarpride?