For a week this summer, baseball became more than a game for two Mt. Lebanon youth teams.

It became late-night Wiffle ball games, trading pins with players from across the country, visiting the National Baseball Hall of Fame and building memories that several players simply described as “the best week of their life.”

The Lebo Prime Blue and Gold 12U teams represented the Mt. Lebanon Baseball Association at Cooperstown Dreams Park in Cooperstown, New York, where more than 100 teams from around the country gathered for one of youth baseball’s premier tournaments.

While both teams competed at a high level on the field, coaches agreed the experience extended far beyond wins and losses.

“This experience is basically summer camp with baseball,” Blue coach Ian Smith said. “This experience is about a shift of perspective with no expectations that we will win it all.”

Instead, Smith said, the week is about friendship, teamwork and creating memories that will last long after the final out.

The Blue team, coached by Smith, James Angelo and Scott Deemer, enjoyed one of the strongest Cooperstown performances in Mt. Lebanon history.

The team went a perfect 5-0 in pool play, highlighted by a walk-off home run and a combined no-hitter. The Blue squad earned the tournament’s No. 7 seed among 102 teams before falling in the opening round of bracket play to the team that ultimately finished as tournament runner-up.

Along the way, the Blue team faced opponents from Minnesota, Florida, California, New Jersey, New York and Virginia.

The Gold team, coached by Ramiro Sigala, Jeff Shellenberger and Brent Losee, also turned in a memorable tournament.

The team posted a 3-2 record in pool play, earning the No. 46 seed in the
102-team field before bowing out in bracket play. Two of Gold’s victories came in dramatic fashion with late-inning comebacks, demonstrating the team’s resilience throughout the week.

Gold competed against teams from New Hampshire, California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and Virginia.

Combined, the two Mt. Lebanon teams hit 28 home runs during the tournament.

Between games, players competed in Dreams Park’s signature skills competitions, including King of Swat, Road Runner, Golden Arm and Around the Horn Plus. They also visited the National Baseball Hall of Fame, where they explored the history of the game and its greatest players.

For many of the boys, however, their favorite memories came away from the ballfields.

Players stayed together in the Dreams Park clubhouse barracks, where they lived alongside teams from across the country, traded collectible pins, played pickup Wiffle ball games and formed friendships that extended well beyond baseball.

Those moments, coaches said, are what make Cooperstown unlike any other youth tournament.

The week also represented another milestone for the Mt. Lebanon Baseball Association.

The Blue team’s unbeaten pool-play run marked the first time a Mt. Lebanon team has finished 5-0 in pool play at Cooperstown. Likewise, the Gold team’s 3-2 record represented the most pool-play victories ever by a Mt. Lebanon Gold team.

Those accomplishments reflected the talent and competitiveness of both teams, but Smith believes the lasting value of the trip can’t be measured by wins, losses or tournament seedings.

The memories, laughter and shared experiences between players, coaches and families, he said, were championship caliber.

As the players returned home, they brought back more than souvenirs and tournament T-shirts. They returned with lifelong friendships, unforgettable experiences and stories they’ll be telling for years to come.

For many of them, Cooperstown wasn’t just the highlight of their baseball season.

It was the highlight of their childhood.