It’s the end of the summer and that means the end of the Little League season. The boys Little League games are all over ESPN as they ramp up for the grand daddy of them all in Williamsport.
The Little League Softball championships are also being played and can be seen on ESPN as well. Unfortunately, not quite as many games and not with quite as much fanfare.
I have seen several different age groups play and have enjoyed seeing the excitement for the players, families and coaches of all the teams. This is a big deal to these kids and they should be proud of their accomplishment!
Which leads me to this rant:
People stop talking about Little League and High School and Middle School and everything that isn’t travel ball like like it isn’t important!
Just because these are not the best of the best, hand picked and recruited players, in many cases from several states doesn’t mean that their efforts are less valuable or less meaningful.
They deserve our respect for what they are accomplishing and they shouldn’t have to be defended!
But defend them I will. I spent the first years of my coaching career coaching high school softball and to me, at the time it was everything. Just like the Little League softball championship is to these teams. They work hard, they play hard, they work for each other, they sacrifice for the team and town. They give it everything they have and then some.
Can they beat the PGF National Champion?
Who Cares!
About the Author: Tory Acheson brings a wealth of knowledge to the Fastpitch Prep staff. He has coached at all levels of the game, including the last 25 years at the college level at the University of Wisconsin – Parkside, Tennessee Tech and Kennesaw State. He began his coaching career at the high school level spending 9 years Whitnall High School in Greenfield, Wis. and is now working as a professional softball instructor.
