Last Night Hear # 13

The trip is winding down to an end....what a ride!!!! Its late at night and its hard to believe we have played 2 of the 3 other best Little League teams in the world, in the last 24 hours. I am so proud of these boys.Not just the way they played ,but the way they handled themselves,in victory and defeat, with fans they didn't know and the media. It is a testament to how the boys were handed over to Mike and I 2 1/2 months ago..We did not build their character, we just showed it off. Coaching them has never been hard. Like being grandparents,we have enjoyed them and now get to give them back. Their are big plans back home and the boys heard about some of those tonight. Yes, they are wound up again. There are more happy times to come. The tough part for them , like when we return to work from vacation, will be getting into the swing of things...it will take time.Many highlights again today. The best was seeing the smile on Wyatt's face today(not as big as the HR. but close) when he got a package from the Pennsylvania Game Warden Commission,complete with videos,books and a job application. The outdoors mean way more to him than baseball (Tvland has made that known). I cannot say how proud i am of him ,and my time hear with him,well.... i cant even start to describe without getting emotional. His siblings as well as everyone else's hear have been beyond supportive...they too all had a blast!! It has been a trip full of smiles. These memories will be passed down to great grand kids....We are blessed and we know it. God has given us that extra helping and we are thankful!!! Many, many have wrote notes here, some i see, and for some reason others i do not. My son Colton set this up for me and i don't even know if i could,or how to respond. For all the comments i say thanks. All are traveling tomorrow and some parents, to get home before the kids,are leaving early, 3:00 am in the morning. Prayers of thanks and safe travels would be appreciated..There are no more games to watch video of so i am going to call it an early night(midnight). Thanks a million...coach lee

U.S. Championship night

What a day!! We almost didn't get to play because of all the water in the outfield. What can i say about the 1st inning...its baseball and you have innings like that...unfortunately we just dug to deep a hole to bounce out of....the good news is the boys seem more wired tonight than when they win, and it is midnight here...hopefully we can get them to bed soon as we have an early game tomorrow. The hardest part for the boys was facing family...they wanted so much to bring the title home for them(and believed in their hearts they would)...but after the reconnect in the tent, it was all good. The family and friends were awesome. Tv land typically shows the boys that are upset. I do wish they would show the boys just 30 minutes after the game. We forget how it was when we were twelve, it really is only a game to them and life has already moved on. They are all arguing about which ones should pitch tomorrow. It is great to hear!!! For me, i figure it is Gods way of keeping the boys and I humble. He does that every now and then you know. They got to play for the US championship,it doesn't get much better than that at any age. The pressure is off and i am relieved. Tomorrow will be fun...till then.. coach lee

Day #11 Friday

What a day...up earlier today and off to practice. After about 30 minutes of fielding, the rain came down...no problem for us as the covered batting cages were open. We hit till lunch time. After lunch we had a special treat. They took our team to the fields where the 1st little league began...the best part was meeting three players that were little leaguers 70 years ago...talking to them, seeing the old pictures,and hearing their stories about back in the day was totally awesome!!! It was one of the coolest things i have done hear...i liked it more than the boys. We took some great photos there. Then back to the grove and the media blitz was on...four boys went with ESPN for a while and a couple more did live shots with WOAItv(Don Harris)...Ksat is here also...lots of media is showing up and security is much tighter. It has rained most of the day and a 60% chance tomorrow. I am not sure what the plan is if it rains, my guess, ESPN classic with a time change. Family and friends also flew in today. We ordered over 100 extra tickets today for extra people. Some are traveling tomorrow and need prayers for safe travels. Kylee(my daughter) got here today and her smiling face made my day!! Everybody is blessed with a gift,and mine is energy. I cant lie...i sleep well at night...you come hear you better have the same gift!! It is go,go,go. Tomorrow is no doubt going to be another big day. The media here still likes California..Mike,I and the boys like Texas. One thing for sure, it will be a blast!!! coach lee

Thursday day off

Well today was a much needed day of rest!!! Best news of all is Travis is out and spending the night with mom and dad..he got the good news at about 5:00. We were watching the game together when they came in and told us....boy was he happy...with another day of rest, well he might just be back Saturday!!! Today we basically practiced and ate lunch with our families and then watched games....it was actually a little to chilly to swim although they tried. i Spent some time with the boys between games and it so funny watching them sign autographs, take pictures with people they don't know, and just have a blast at the ballpark..It was an awesome experience to watch...the funniest moment today was watching Lorne Chan( the Express News staff writer here) try and hit 80 mph fastballs from the machine that the boys were hitting on...the boys, Mike and I were crying we were laughing so hard!!! He finally fouled one and the boys all cheered as he ran out!! The saddest moment was watching the New York team load the bus and head home...it reminded me of they last day of summer church camp when i was a kid...i really don't look foreword to Monday when all this comes to an end...i know the real world is out there, but i am not ready for it....it is starting to sink in that the ride is almost over for the boys and I, and no matter how many tokens we have, we cant stay on it...i keep hearing how everybody back home is really supporting us...for that we are very thankful. We have a big(no pun intended) rematch Saturday...i promise the boys will play their hearts out for San Antonio...We are also thankful for all the prayers...we can really,really feel and see the results of them....life is good!!!...good night....coach lee

U S semifinal recap

What a game!!!! Talk about an up and down day...We needed to get through tonight so we could heal and rest for two days. After lasts nights emotional win, i thought it might be alittle tough. I was wrong. We are on the east coast so you can imagine the popular choice tonight...the boys came out for the 1st time, since we got hear, hitting. The boys had big shoes to fill with Travis(hitting 700 avg. for the LLWS) out and they did...Drew and John started hot and stayed that way. We played defense like no one ever has in LLWS history and Drew's play made ESPN's Top Ten! They had tremendous confidence in Steven tonight and he showed everybody why. The boy is very special!! When we needed a shortsop tonight Nick volunteered, his 1st time there for us ever... New York has been in our building the whole time and i have become friends with their coaches...i can tell you as a group they are a 1st class act!! Their fans were the loudest we have heard so far..not counting ours of course whom i cant here from my cheap seat in the dugout!!! Travis is spending the night in the infirmary and will be there all day tomorrow...he is the only kid in there and is very lonely...he needs everybody you know to pray for him...he IS one of the most competitive kids i know and obviously was still sick when he played yesterday but wouldn't let on..missing the game was way worse than his illness to him..me and him will watch the games on TV tomorrow and i am looking froward to it...he looked great tonight and no fever so maybe he is starting to get better... he did come to the window from his two story room and all the boys and family cheered for him from down below outside...it was an emotional ending to another memory filled day...we have made the final 4 and i am not sure how, but am smart enough not to question Gods plans...however they play out it has been all good for me..sleep well, i will....coach lee

game 3 recap

Oh what a feeling!!!!!!!!! no recap of today...it is all about tonight....to call it emotional is an understatement!! The boys were quiet before the game but focused in a different way than the 1st two games. When we were standing out there for the National Anthem and the crowd of 22750( i hear a pool game record) started singing after the boy playing messed up, and it got louder and louder, ....well it was emotional is all i can say. The boys confidence really started in the 2nd second after Jacobs hit. They started making good contact,all of them, and it opened up in the 3rd. ..i guess that's just our inning. Drew and Travis's(prayers answered again!) hits really pumped the boys up. What can i say about the little guys tonight,T-roy(95lbs),KP(104 lbs) and Wyatt(really 92lbs)!!! My texts have lit up on everything from David over Goliath to all of Texas is thrilled and supporting us, to do you believe in miracles!!! My favorite one was when my sister texted me that Kylee said she was crying tears of happiness for her bubba!! (so was I!!!) Life is good right now for us in these trying times for many...we hope we are bringing a little bit of happiness to those who need it right now...For this mountain top high,we are thankful...the boys are asleep,its 1 o'clock(another small miracle)....till tomorrow...coach lee

Monday evening

Another day has just blown by. Today was supposed to be a slow one. We started with practice both fielding and hitting, 30 minutes in the pool, then off to lunch sponsored by a family in San Antonio,who played in the LLWS in 1969 for Williamsport and whose parents and sister still live hear. They fed 85 of us from SA!!! From there most of the boys watched the end of the Japan game and then they watched both Georgia and New York play to try and prepare for our game after California. As most of you have figured out by now, the game is for seeding only.We will be taking a conservative approach as the next game means much more. We need healthy players for the semi final round, that is our primary goal. The good news Nick is coming back strong..the bad news is this 24 hour bug has gotten hold of Travis. It started this morning and after a visit to the infirmary( i have a frequent visitor card) he is off site with his parents for the evening. Please, we ask for prayers again for a speedy recovery. Just like Nick,Travis is devastated right now...these boys don't want to miss a game. Today's e-mails to the team were interesting..from boys like Garrett Williams and Kenon Fontenot( two stars from recent LLWS) to teams we have played along the way..all telling us great job and good luck..tomorrow will be very interesting. Mike and I will be more creative than we want to be. Please keep the boys health in your thoughts and prayers. This is a TEAM of TWELVE and it is very hard to do with eleven. Thanks Coach Lee

game day 2 wrap

What a day!!!! Everything could not have gone better!! Nick showed up at 10:00am and we went straight to the doctor. Although he was given clearance to play(answered prayers) we decided he still needed some recovery time. Being the future salesman that he is, he closed Mike and I on playing one inning....and the rest is history as they say!!!! Inside the dugout the boys were very relaxed, they felt like they were going to open it up in the third. John had settled in and the defense was on. Zac was my hero today! He was wrapped with ice(hit by pitch) when i asked him if he could pinch run for John if he got a hit. The Dr. said 5 more minutes on ice,wrap him and then he could go. Drew got the big hit, then John followed, Travis then took his time ,and a pitch. In went Z and one pitch later he was flying from 1st to 3rd on another Travis hit!!! The things you don't see on TV land are these boys hearts. They are bigger than Texas!! We celebrated with a quick meal and then off to watch California play. We stayed to watch the Japan game, what a game!! We are getting all the baseball you could want. From church this morning to everywhere in the ballpark tonight people are telling the boys they are pulling for them. It is awesome!! I just finished reading Olivers article in the Express online and it was emotional for me. There are many people from San Antonio here besides our families. The team is getting lots of e-mails through the Little League site and I know the support back home is HUGE! Bigger than i ever imagined ,or dreamed about...for all this support we count our blessings and are thankful...tomorrow is another day...coach lee

Day 3 final

We are putting the boys down as i write this. It is 11:00 oclock. The boys went to the game tonight and had a blast! California looked good. Nick is still sick. He could use a few prayers. Today was very relaxing . 1 hour of fielding then 1 of batting and we turned the boys over to mom and dad..we all ate together at Bullfrogs..it was really good getting everybody back together. Most of the boys relaxed all afternoon with their parents. I took a 3 hour nap!!! Boy do I feel better!! Mike took one also!!!The schedule treated us well, as today was really needed. We obviously need the win tomorrow...John will get the start...the boys are still very relaxed..coach lee

Morning after the Big win!

Well it is early here and the boys are still sleeping!! They watched ESPN trying to see themselves until we turned it off..getting them down last night was virtually impossible...Mike and I had met our match and we could only sit in our rooms, look at each other and laugh !!!! This morning the uncles agreed to let them sleep in and will surprise them with donuts and more song at 9:30. Then we are off to practice(fielding) and then BP at 11:00. We are then going to try to hook up with the parents for a couple hours family time. The boys are being treated like rock stars here, people wanting autographs,girls giving them phone numbers. This presents new challenges for Mike and I and the parents. We are fortunate we have a great great group of boys character wise. I believe we are never given more by God than we can handle and i believe the boys will be fine, but they are 12-13 year olds. Your prayers for humbleness for them and patience for Mike and especially ME would be appreciate...we are looking foreword to a fun more relaxing day....till tonight...coach lee

game night recap

wow!! wow!! wow!what start to a day and what afinish.. stay tuned for the details....early breakfast...meeting and talk with Jim rice,,,then off to opening ceremonies.. it did rain a little but all games went off as planned, went at 5;30 for BP then off to the fields...13500 fans showed up. Saw Mark harless the kirksey clan with Matt Ruiz, it was awesome... i cannot describe the electricity here but it is great!!! the fans have been great.... they love the games! so do i!! we were confident even with drew out the boys never faltered. for that i am very proud...we had some post game excitement as one of the boys got overly excited and fill the entire boys room with pueck..i am just finishing cleaning his mess at 2;45 am in the morning the things they don't tell you about when you sign up to coach. the day has been awesome but we do have minor health issues to hand.le..looking for some rest tomorrow I'll give a better report in the morning but the feelings a re we can play...just need to stay healthy..i really hope we are making San Antonio proud!!!!!!!!!the boys really came to play and it showed!!! this is a special group!!! i said it before and i mean it...my hightlight today was beeing miked up and not getting into trouble with it ! blesseings til morning coach lee

Day # 3

Today started today with omelets at 7:30 and a young guy from Hannah Montana( i didn't know him) eating frosted flakes with the boys and the cameras rolling...after a quick trip to the souvenir shop,where i bought hats for friends and balls for the boys to sign and bring back to our sponsors we were off to a photo shoot and 2 hours of interviews of the boys. This is where they get all the info that they talk about during the game. They interviewed them separately from Mike and I so who knows what will be on TV, I hope no surprises. Then a very quick lunch and off to practice. This was tricky as we are used to having 10 other dads plus older siblings and friends helping. They only allow Mike and I to practice the boys. We threw 4 boys today and it looks like Travis will probably get the nod. Steven,Troy and John all looked good!! Watch the lineup tomorrow,it will be interesting!!!Then off to BP. Parents could watch from outside the fence and it was great to see familiar faces..We rushed to the room,quick showers and off to the picnic at Penn University...it was great..the Japan coach joined in the breakdancing competition that the boys had created. You can see the boys from the other counties starting to get comfortable with our boys. I saw the boys from Saudi chasing Wyatt. Thank goodness he isn't slow because their big boy (Cameron 6'4") was hot on his heals. I got a photo of them sitting together on the float in the parade and it is hilarious..the boys are all making international friends. They took us from there to the parade. The crowd was estimated at 30000 and I believe it...lots of warm welcomes,congratulations and well wishers...the boys really had BIG SMILES on their faces throughout the parade. Where we show up for the Spurs in San Antonio,they show up for the Little League World Series!!! We really were busy today and the boys are wiped out and down early tonight. I really do not have words to describe the emotions i am feeling right now, but excited about tomorrow is probably the best one. We are as ready as we can be and Mike,I and the boys are ready to give it our all. Win or lose this whole experience is like a dream ,and i am waiting to be pinched and woken up. Mike and I have recieved lots and lots of texts,e-mails and phone calls of support and for those we are very grateful. Sometimes i wonder why God gives out the blessings he does and to whom he gives them. We are glad we got some extra ones this time!!! till tomorrow..coach lee

Day #2

Well today has come and gone in a flash! Our Uncles(Bill and Walt) woke the boys up at 7:30 singing to them!!! Travis needed a little extra help so the two of them dumped him off his mattress!! it was a great start to an UNBELIEVABLE day. After breakfast we went and got our security badges. from there at 9:00 am we went to the Wilson and Easton sponsor tent....the boys got a new bat from each of them...the Easton (Stealth Speed XL)is not on the market till November so the boys were thrilled...Mike had a meeting at 10 am about instant replay...a new rule in effect this year...should be very interesting..Jace went to Building blocks with Oreses Estrada "the Big O" and said it was a blast!! (extra TV time for Jace)... before we knew it it was lunchtime.. After lunch we had an hour till our 2oclock batting... so some of the boys went swimming...we found out that Rocket Ramos could only do a 1 1/4, not 1 1/2 flip...it was two great attempts that were face plants!! Tanner,John,and Nick all did pretty good flips!! From there to BP... an indoor pavilion like Baylors that we used...Mike threw Live, with my great arm, i used a machine that threw great curves(the boys hit great!!)...from there we went to fielding practice, which promptly got rained out. We did get to see Matt and Kelly Van Parys who just arrived for Jacob(on the Germany team) by way of 7 hour flight on a military cargo plane. Then off to dinner and then another meeting for me and Mike...more stuff about the media(600 press passes issued for this event!)...the good news from the meeting...we are home,home,visitor for our 1st 3 games...Mike actually won two flips!! My highlight today was after lunch, beating Travis in Ping Pong after he had beaten half the Saudi Arabian team!!! As i write tonight it is about 10 oclock and the boys are trading old spirit shirts with their new friends from Venezuela.....i personally am ready for bed...a few families came in today but many travel tomorrow and Friday so please keep them in your thoughts and prayers...Today has been a Blast!! till tomorrow...coach lee

Day 1

We arrived at the airport at 4:15 AM and much to our surprise all the tv station reporters were there with camera's rolling. The boys flew out at 5:45 AM on time. We connected in Houston for a 3 1/2 hour flight to Baltimore. The boys slept almost the entire way. When we arrived our bus was waiting to take us on the 4 hour drive to Williamsport. We stopped half way to let the boys eat at Subway and Arby's. As we got closer to Williamsport, the countryside became more beautiful. We passed old farms with old barns like you would see in the movies. We crossed over rivers and drove along rivers that were breath taking. Everything up here is so green. The closer we got to Williamsport, the more excited the boys became. The city of Williamsport is set in some very scenic hills. We passed the stadium as we pulled into town and the boys started hooping and hollering. It was around 4 pm. When we got to the security entry gate, there was a large party waiting for us including our 2 uncles (hosts), Bill and Walt. These two fellas are the image of the "All-American grandfathers". The first thing the boys did before departing the bus was have a PA come on board and take all the boys' temperatures. They were then allowed to deboard and the microphones and cameras were already rolling. We were then escorted to our dorm which is much nicer than the word dorm would lead you to believe. Mike and I each have our own room and the boys are in a giant room with seven bunkbeds. We share our building with Venezuela, Japan and the Mid-Atlantic Region. The boys have received their jerseys and not all got their regular jersey number. The jersey number were based on the boys' sizes. They've also received their hats and wind breaker jackets. Tonight the boys have been busy meeting the other teams - trading pins. There's a large cafeteria and upstairs is a large game room with lots of free arcade games for the boys and ping pong tables. A notable accomplishment in ping pong tonight is Wyatt got beat by Japanese players 11-0 and 11-0. Nick Smisek beat multiple California players in Wii baseball. The name of where we are staying is The Grove. The name does not come close to describing its beauty. The flowers, the trees, the landscaping are awesome. There is a large Olympic size swimming pool complete with diving boards set in the middle of The Grove. The entire complex has very high security and sits on a hill over-looking Lamonde Field. If there is a baseball heaven for little leaguers and their dads, we have arrived! It is 10:30 here and we are getting the boys showered and into their room. We are expecting another very exciting day tomorrow. I have never seen 12 boys as excited as I have today. If I'd have known how awesome this was going to be, I would have been more nervous when we were behind 4-2 in the 5th inning. To say we are blessed is a huge understatement. Good night till tomorrow. Coach Lee

night before liftoff

well ,we finished our last practice tonight and are ready to go!!! our flight is at 5:45AM so the boys will be leaving early...thanks for the unbelievable showing of support the last three days!!! when we get there i will let you know if coach Mike and I survived our travels with the boys alone

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