By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
Playing a baseball tournament in Cooperstown, N.Y.—home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame—is an amazing experience.
Hitting your first ever home run there? That, as those MasterCard commercials say, is priceless.
And that’s exactly what Allegan middle schooler Smith Chestnut did.
Smith was part of the Elite Bad Boys U12 baseball team—based in Grand Rapids—that participated in a recent tournament in Cooperstown.
“It’s every baseball player’s dream,” Smith said of playing at Cooperstown. “I think that every kid should get to experience it because you get to meet new kids from all over. I met kids from all over the USA—California, Texas, Arizona, Washington.
“You get to play lots of baseball and have time for other fun, like whiffle ball. One of the coolest parts of Cooperstown is that you trade pins with all the kids. I now have a book full of all the pins from the teams that played there that week, something I get to keep to remember the trip forever.”
The trip was also successful on the field, as Smith’s team won a bracket championship and he connected for the first home run of his career.
“I felt so great,” Smith said of hitting the homer. “When I was rounding the bases, all the parents and my teammates were going crazy. My dad (Andy Chestnut) got a video, which is a really cool memory. I was able to get the ball engraved, so I will have that forever.”
According to Smith’s mom Brady Chestnut, the experience was a surreal one.
“As parents, Andy and I experienced an overwhelming sense of pride,” she said. “We are baseball fans, but more a fan of our kids doing the things they love. We knew the experience was going to be fun, but it definitely will be a core memory for the entire family.
“Win or lose, (Smith) learned so much and met so many awesome kids. There is a sense of family for the whole tournament—cheering other players on, encouraging them when they are down and pushing yourself to get better. Smith works really hard, and it was great to see his work put into action and the joy on his face, especially when he hit his first home run.”
The tournament began with pool play, with teams then being split into three brackets based on record.
“We played some really good teams,” Smith said. “The competition was tough. We ended up in the lower bracket—the Monster Bracket—but we ended up winning all five of our bracket games. It was super fun.”
As part of the trip, Smith and his teammates were able to tour the Hall of Fame, learning about some of the game’s greatest players.
“They showed a movie at the Hall of Fame and that was the coolest part,” Smith said. “The movie showed us how great all the players are, even years ago. And seeing all the players’ jerseys and gear and how different it is now than when baseball started was really cool.”
The trip to Cooperstown isn’t the only cool sports-related event for Smith.
He is also part of the Russell Wilson 3BRAND Youth Athlete of the Year contest, with voting starting on Monday, July 28.
“This was something I came across on social media,” Brady said. “After doing some research, I decided to sign Smith up. Smith is a great baseball and football player, and you can tell he has a deep love of sports. But more importantly, he is an amazing teammate.
“He has always been social and sports are a great outlet, where he thrives. He is encouraging to everyone and always makes sure kids feel like they belong.”
To that end, Smith participates in the LINKS program at L. E. White Middle School, which has allowed him to help others enjoy sports also.
“Also, Smith’s cousin Charlie, who is also a baseball lover, was in a sledding accident in January and suffered a (traumatic brain injury). I know that Smith plays for him too. I believe he truly encompasses what it is to be the Youth Athlete of the Year.”
Voting for the contest begins at 10 a.m. on July 28. Each person can vote one time per day until Thursday, Aug. 7.
“If Smith makes it to the top 20 on Aug. 7, then voting begins again and it keeps narrowing down,” Brady said. “The final votes are cast on Oct. 17, so if Smith continues to make it through each round, you can vote one time per day until Oct. 17.”
The link for voting is https://athleteoftheyear.org/2025/smith-9049.
