If you’re a regular reader of this blog you will know we delight in a good news story, particularly one that shows civility is not a lost art. In recent weeks, we’ve followed the heartwarming story of a team of Little League baseball players who personify the ideals of sport with grace and poise. Vancouver’s Little Mountain Little League team for 2010, cruised through Provincial and National tournaments and earned the right to represent Canada at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. En route they became ambassadors for their district, city, province and country and garnered immense respect not only for their extraordinary efforts on the field but also for their good humour, charm and courtesy off the field. In a previous post we talked about the rarity of these qualities in professional sport – we think the pros could learn a lot from these dedicated 12 and 13 yr olds. They were a delight to watch, whether winning or losing, as they focused on supporting one another and purely enjoying the game. As they hang up their cleats, stinky socks and flamboyant trousers for this season, we give them 3 cheers!
Read more cheering in this Letter to the Editor from the Vancouver Sun on August 21, 2010.
Little Mountain baseball team won hearts and fans
By Adrianne Sprogis and Tony Valaitis, Vancouver Sun August 21, 2010
My family and I had the pleasure of billeting some of Vancouver’s Little Mountain team as they competed in the Canadian Little League Championship here. Never having billeted before, we really didn’t know what to expect. We knew we would be cooking a lot, doing some laundry, and driving around to get the boys to their games and practices on time. But we didn’t expect how much we would get back from these boys, their coaches and their wonderful families.
Over the 10 days of the tournament, the boys and their families became part of our family. Not only were we able to share in their tears and their joy, but we learned so many things. I learned how empathetic my own children were as they tried to make the guest room more “sporty” to make our billets feel at home, knowing some of them had never been away from their parents before. My kids learned that even though our Little Mountain boys were elite athletes from way across the country, they still loved to play Wii and Nerf wars and swim, just like them. They learned that we could cheer equally well for our home team as well as our new family — even in the final. As a coach, my husband was reminded that kids’ sports should be relaxed and fun, even at a very competitive level. I learned that 12-and 13-year-old boys can be extremely gracious, even when they win a lot.
So thank you, Little Mountain, for sharing your great kids with us.
Adrianne Sprogis and Tony Valaitis
Ancaster, Ont. (affectionately known as Little Mountain East)
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