TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — On a rain-soaked baseball diamond at the Chaires-Capitola Little League complex, a group of nine, 10, and 11-year-olds is gearing up to face off against some of the best baseball competitions in the Sunshine State.
“Yea it’s pretty fun because I’ve never done it before. It’s a great opportunity," said Chaires Capitola catcher Mason Githens.
“I think anytime you tell a kid they’re one of the final eight teams in the entire state of Florida, which is obviously a dominant baseball state in America. I think it resonates with them," manager Scott LaFuria said. "And I think they have a good idea.”
And as excited as this group is to play against the top teams in the state. They’re even more excited to play with each other. Knowing that they all have each other's backs on the field has made this team fearless.
“No, we're not scared of anyone. Whoever is on the field we’re gonna play. Win or lose and be happy after," adds first baseman, Nick Fiore.
“It’s really hard competition which is really great for us. It makes us better and it’s fun to be out there," shortstop Tyler Wilson added.
And for this opportunity to even happen, it’s taken a village. The support from the community and those who have donated to the GoFundMe page have truly shown their commitment to making sure these kids have a chance for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“It really is a testament to our kids. The number of kids we have out here, the families that support us. I mean any night of the week you come out here in the spring and these parking lots are full," said vice president of the Chaires-Capitola little league board Robert Vos. "Out here you have moms, dads, grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles, cousins all coming out here to support these kids.”
And if this team comes back to Tallahassee with some hardware we’ll have to see how that support holds up when the team goes out for their celebration dinner.
“Probably going out to eat. The dinner bill is going to be extremely expensive," said Wilson.
“Yea the bill at dinner is going to be pretty big. Hopefully, we can bring it back to Tallahassee," Fiore added.
Chicken Tenders aren’t that expensive right...? You can find a link to the GoFundMe page here.
