STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Gorham's 10U Little League softball team is in New York to play in the regional tournament.
This is the first time that both Gorham 10U and 12U softball teams have won the state championships in the same year.
The 10U coach, Nathan Schools, said Little League does not provide any funding for this age group. He said that means paying for the hotels, fuel, and food is all on the families. He estimates that the cost is nearly $25,000 for the team, and they are trying to find help fundraising so the kids can experience playing high-level softball.
Parents and Coach Schools agree that the girls never give up, even if they get off to a slow start and fall behind early on.
"You know, I probably need blood pressure medicine for the first three innings, and after that, it's a slow roll-in," Coach Schools said. "We've gone from down five runs and won a game by ten runs with that same way. Once the bats come alive, they all work together. They all strike the ball, they all run, they all have a great time. They all pick each other up. They're all really great teammates."
"It's amazing. I mean, they don't, they don't give up. They don't quit. They are, they motivate each other. They pick each other up. They, it's great to see their team camaraderie off the field as much as on the field helping each other out," Jenna McCurdy, a mother of one of the players, said.
"Right? And they do a lot of things off the field together, too. And I think that really helps on the field. Their communication," Mindy Taaffe, another parent, said.
"Lots of people say that the hardest part of youth sports is parents," Schools said. "This group of parents is the best group of parents that I've ever really worked with. They're all supportive of their athletes and we're trying to help them get their athletes there and have the best time in their lives."
Schools said most of these girls have never had this opportunity. This team had never played on a turf field until the week before they left for Staten Island, which features turn fields. The teams attend a minor league baseball game in New York, as well as take part in a skills competition called the Home Run Derby.
"This tournament is pretty special," Schools said. "It's not just about going down there, wins and losses. It's about going down there, having them enjoy this, and just remembering it all the way through the rest of their playing career."
The 10U team plays its first game Wednesday night.
Gorham's 12U team was also in the regionals in Bristol, Connecticut, but was eliminated after three games.
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