On Aug. 25 the Lake Mary Little League All Stars team won against Taoyuan city, Chinese Taipei in a 2-1 game. Making history as Lake Mary brought home a world championship to Florida in 77 years. Lake Mary commemorated their win by hosting a parade on Aug.31, which many viewed and caused a rush in the shopping centers. Many athletes at the school have expressed their admiration for the team due to the level of dedication and time it took for them to get there. Especially over the course of an entire year. Lake Mary’s team not only had to go against every other team in the nation, but a team for every country as well.
“To be really successful at a sport, especially over years, it requires a dedication to stick through it to hone your skills and fix certain things,” senior Emily Sands said.
The team of twelve year old gave a sense of nostalgia for students, that reminded many of their time in the sport. None of them went to the world series but many saw the success of the team and reminisced about their own success and what the childhood team experience was like. Others thought of how quickly the joy of sportsmanship changed to sadness and dread of playing.
“Honestly it changed so much because it was so fun and encouraging but as you get older people become more competitive and it becomes less fun” senior Ingrid Brickley said. Its a common issue among athletes as they get older the environment becomes less welcoming and loses the joy that many athletes once got from the sport.
Former baseball players also talked about what made them give up their sport. The change might have been caused for some, but for others it was out of their control.
“I played baseball where I grew up and my dad was the coach and it was super fun but then I moved here and they wouldn’t let me play baseball because I was a girl. I wish I could have played it back then.” Senior Jade Halvorsn said.
The team might have some troubles ahead with times changing and people aging But, the city of Lake Mary has thoroughly celebrated them with their current success.
“It’s a lot of commitment,” Senior Julia Folber said. “It takes a long time and if you don’t enjoy the sport you’re not going to have a good time and it’s just going to drain you.”
