It all started as we sat around in utter defeat. The phone rang and it was our tournament venues Park Supervisor telling us simply "we're sorry, we don't have sufficient staffing to accommodate your rental request next year". It made no sense. It didn't add up. We did it all right but still wasn't good enough. So what now? The rug was pulled and here we stood with no answers, no fields and looking for a sign.

Our options were simple, adapt or die. Look fast, adjust curve. 

So we sat down to FFO. Echoing low in the background of our meeting was Morgan Wallen on shuffle as the Miller Lite's were cracked. How do we keep working towards our goal of growing this game, while staying afloat as a family owned and operated small business? Then a nostalgic electric guitar riff hit the speaker and "More than my Hometown" started to play. Problem solved.

Hometown was born. A tournament series operated like an out of own town travel experience, but right here in our own backyard. A tournament run by baseball dudes who play and coach in this community, then drive 10 minutes back home to their families. A tournament where the players, the families, the coaches and even the umps are all appreciated and provided an opportunity to compete and enjoy competition at the highest level - without sacrificing quality for quantity.

Our tournaments hit different and until you participate in one, you might not understand what we mean.

From the second you arrive, it's about baseball. Flags blowing in the wind, music playing loud in the background, the smell of hot dogs in the air and that feeling of dirt in your cleats that was picked up on our kids only wiffle ball field. We like to say the ambience is for the kids, the tournament is for the parents. No long waits in between games, no traveling field to field, no gate fees and no mandated hotel stays. We simply made a list of everything that is wrong with other tournaments and did the opposite. 

Finally, the memories. As fathers ourselves with kids ranging in age from 4-34, we know all of this is irrelevant. The losses mean nothing and the wins mean less. 10 years from now your kid will forget who they beat to win that plastic ring that's still sitting in the center console of your truck. What they will remember however are their teammates. They'll remember the wiffle ball games. They'll remember the time they chirped their Coach as he swung in the Home Run Derby. It's our job to create those memories and it's something that we take very personal.

We truly appreciate all the teams who've participated and made Hometown the premier tournament in WNY. There's nothing better than showing up at the yard and talking to parents, players and coaches who share the love of this game. There's countless options out there, so we can never thank you enough for your continued support and encouragement.  

As always, Go Bills.

3&2 Baseball