The big American flag was soaring through the air as Pearland Mayor Kevin Cole declared Sept. 1 Pearland Little League Day in the city.
“They showed us how to unify our community east to west,” Cole said. “Let’s take note of that and let's take their example to continue to unify our city.”
The All Stars finished as the third-best team in the United States, falling one game short of advancing to the U.S. championship game, and fifth in the world in the Little League World Series.
Pearland’s celebration of the young team was a culmination of an undefeated regular season that ended with five Little League World Series games, three wins and countless memories.
When the All Stars first arrived in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, the entire team ran down to the fence, assistant coach Robb Zurek said. It was one of the most beautiful things he had seen, he said. They all went against the fence to look at the field.
“It was magical,” Zurek said.
Once in Pennsylvania, the All Stars showed out with several noteworthy plays and moments from overcoming an early deficit against Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania in the first game to plenty of homeruns and even stealing the opposing team’s homeruns.
“Thank you for representing the state,” said Ed Thompson, state representative for District 29.
He presented every member of the team with certificates commemorating the run.
The All Stars’ journey started on May 15 with tryouts, said assistant coach Andrew Solomon. Even then, he told the kids that showed up for the tryout they needed to get Pearland Little League back where it deserved to be.
After several trips to the Little League World Series in the past, the city had faced a small drought in success, Solomon said. As the 2022 season progressed, the All Stars began to make that goal of putting the city back on the map a reality.
Now with the journey in the rearview mirror, Solomon hopes one of the things the kids take is the new connections and bonds they were able to make, he said.
“It's more about what they get to experience through that process,” Solomon said.
