Members of a youth baseball team from Downingtown are not hiding their disappointment over having to cancel their participation in the Cooperstown Dreams Park Baseball Tournament, writes Jaclyn Lee for 6ABC.

The August tournament in Cooperstown, N.Y., recently implemented a new COVID-19 vaccine requirement. It mandates shots for all participants — including players 12 years and older.

The conundrum is this: There are currently no approved vaccines for children under 16.

“To me, it’s crazy that they didn’t just settle for negative tests,” said parent Brandon McLean of West Bradford Township.

The team has been preparing to attend the tournament at the Baseball Hall of Fame for the past two years. Players have spent most of their free time fundraising to make it possible to go there.

“We’ve been practicing so hard,” said 12-year-old Steven Kaminsky. “We just can’t wait for it. And we’ve been talking about it for a long time. It’s like a dream.”

The total cost of the tournament is $20,000. By canceling, the team forfeited $4,000 of kids’ funds.

“Everything we worked for is gone,” said Kaminsky.

Read more about the youth baseball team at 6ABC.