Diamond Nation — Attraction in Raritan Township

I give Diamond Nation one star only because zero was not an option. You prepare for the tournament as a team, expecting to come for an exciting experience. WHAT A LET DOWN! Inside, the facility is beautiful. Fields are maintained, and there is plenty of room for many teams to participate. However, it is a $5 admission charge for anyone over 18. Every parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, etc. pays the admission charge. Many teams come from outside of the area to play in the tournament. So, in addition to the fees associating with the travel (hotel, etc.), they pay the admission for each day they play. No outside food/drink is allowed. There is a snack stand and vending machines for soda/water, though teams can bring a cooler. The parking is a nightmare! The main lot has hardly enough spots for 4 teams to park, and the overflow parking is ridiculous. Be warned! When you enter the main lot, go slow and be careful. There isn't a lot of room to maneuver, and people park where they aren't supposed to. It's a hazard! Now, as for the baseball. You are guaranteed a minimum of 4 games in the tournament, and each team is placed into a pool. The top teams from each pool advance. Note: Diamond Nation has three teams of their own entered into the tournament - the Diamond Jacks. In the most recent tournament, those teams were spread across two pools, increasing their chances of a victory team. Coaches from all of the Diamond Jack teams assist on the field. The umpires are awful! If you are playing a Diamond Nation team, do NOT expect a fair game. I witnessed this several times during the tournament. Balls and strikes are called inconsistently, and always in favor of their teams. A few umpires were seen giving pointers to their teams players (catcher and batters), giving them a heads up on the pitcher's stance, etc. In one game, the plate umpire made disrespectful comments to the opposing (NOT Diamond Nation) batters It showed a total lack of respect for the game and the players, and also showed the lack of focus and concentration on the part of the ump. I realize that being an ump isn't an easy job, and I give credit to all who do it. However, there is a difference between those who are just plain not good at it, and those who show favoritism to...

Jenny finch exploits the kids don’t be sucked in by the name the 12u program is a money grab not worth 3500.00 Horrible experience very poor coaching Jackie is in charge of this money grab we complained about lack of skilled coaching , Socks way to big for the kids , practice shirts were late pants and uniforms and bags were also several weeks late and or didn’t fit all the kids , however they keep charging your credit card .I was told there were 70 kids that tried out for the 12u program So I said to the directors daughter really that’s amazing because when my daughter tried out there were 6 kids and her. I even asked to see the video since everything is on camera of the tryouts for proof of 70 kids .I was told they only picked the cream of the crop lol . The other coaches on other teams are giving instructions nonstop to their kids what to do during the tournament however our coach is not . This program is a fraud and a money grab these people should be prosecuted for stealing the hopes and dreams of kids you get nothing but excuses from management .. you expect perfection for that amount of money considering they are the most expensive want to be club team . We were smart we left right after fall ball maybe Jenny Finch you come back to New Jersey and see how their exploiting her name I would give them -5 stars if I could stay away from this program . I was also under the impression that we should be physically fit as an example for the kids however the directors daughter is way out of shape that was a poor role model I receive nothing but excuses from her about the program then I was told you don’t like it leave ..This team lost 90% of their games no improvement in sight the last three games of the tournament they lost the first game they were destroyed in the second game with their mercy rule and destroyed in the third game with a mercy rule what an embarrassment to be part of this organization. Stay for away from the...

Overall, not a great experience for the weekend. The entrance fees are a bit ridiculous considering the Ripken Experience doesn’t even charge entrance fees and they are 100x better than DN. The turf fields are a horrible quality and look more like a quilt than turf, since there are random extra pieces of different color turf placed on top of random spaces throughout the fields. The 10u teams get the pleasure of playing in the outfields of other fields with metal, temporary fences breaking the field into two, which is a significant safety hazard for if your kid is trying to run down a fly ball, given these fences are hip level and with no warning track. Contrary to their advertisements, parking is horrendous and generally unsafe. Their parking lot is very small and the spillover parking requires you to cross a main road with no street lamps whatsoever.

The worst part, though, is the terrible sportsmanship by the home team. Djacks 10u played so dirty that it was actually embarrassing to be playing at the complex with them. When one of their players got hit by a wild pitch, which was obviously accidental, the dugout immediately yelled “charge the mound” and the coaches, nor the umpires, said nothing to their team. At the very end of the game, when they were the final out away from losing, #99 on the DJacks 10u ran to first and physically ran out of the baseline to step on the first baseman’s ankle. Again, no intervention from the coaches or umpires. Three teams were watching this game ending and every parent and coach saw this disgusting play and how blatant it was.

There are plenty of other reviews like what we experienced, so this clearly is a norm at Diamond Nation, and their standard for playing. Plan accordingly if you decide to play or watch games there. Or be smart and avoid...