Down time: Kids love for sliding on Lamade Stadium’s hill a constant through every Little League World Series
Julie Foudy and a number of kids slide down the hill during the game between the Mid-Atlantic and West Region teams Tuesday afternoon at Lamade Stadium in South Williamsport. The West Region team won 3-1. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
James Prill, 11 of Muncy, walks back up the dirt hill in the outfield Monday evening at Lamade Stadium in South Williamsport. Prill made a custom hill slider supporting the Southwest Region team. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
Easton Gray, 6 of Cleveland, climbs out of his custom hill slider after coming down the hill at Lamade Stadium in South Williamsport recently. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
Easton Gray, 6 of Cleveland, slides down the hill at Lamade Stadium in his custom made hill slider in South Williamsport recently. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
Connor Chang of Lincroft NJ laughs as he slides down the hill in the outfield at Lamade Stadium in his custom cardboard box the “Jersey Slide” during the game Thursday afternoon. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
Julie Foudy and a number of kids slide down the hill during the game between the Mid-Atlantic and West Region teams Tuesday afternoon at Lamade Stadium in South Williamsport. The West Region team won 3-1. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
James Prill, 11 of Muncy, walks back up the dirt hill in the outfield Monday evening at Lamade Stadium in South Williamsport. Prill made a custom hill slider supporting the Southwest Region team. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
Easton Gray, 6 of Cleveland, climbs out of his custom hill slider after coming down the hill at Lamade Stadium in South Williamsport recently. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
Easton Gray, 6 of Cleveland, slides down the hill at Lamade Stadium in his custom made hill slider in South Williamsport recently. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
Connor Chang of Lincroft NJ laughs as he slides down the hill in the outfield at Lamade Stadium in his custom cardboard box the “Jersey Slide” during the game Thursday afternoon. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
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In terms of sliding down the hill at Lamade Stadium, this was not Brayden Bandiera's first rodeo.
After attending the Little League World Series last year, he knew about the popular pastime where children of all ages use discarded cardboard to slide down the hill, even if it ends with a trip to the hose near the bathrooms to wash off the dirt.
Bandiera, 12, of Cleveland, Ohio wanted to make a slider this year that was really special. When he saw that his neighbor, after having just moved in, had thrown out some cardboard, Bandiera knew this was his opportunity. He spent two hours with duct tape and a razor creating the perfect custom creation. He decorated his slider with baseballs.
His cousin, Easton Gray, 6, of Cleveland, Ohio, also made a custom design. While Bandiera had more of an open concept, Gray's design looked more like a big tube.
"The closed one works better," Bandiera said. He thought it might be because of the wind.
Regardless of whether certain features work better than others, Bandiera knew that he probably would not have another opportunity to build something like it again while here in Williamsport.
"I gotta make this one last," he said.
Jaxson Plummer, 10, of Eton, New York, started watching the Little League World Series last year and it quickly became a goal of his to play in South Williamsport one day.
While he hasn't quite accomplished the goal yet, he did get to play on Lamade Hill for the first time this year.
"It worked perfectly," he said.
Plummer, pitcher #7 according to his decorated cardboard, used duct tape and a Sharpie marker to bring his creation to life.
He was most proud of the "Hi Mom! Aloha!" that he wrote in big letters. His mom, who wants to move to Hawaii, told him that she would be looking for him when he went sliding the first time, appropriately while the team from Maui, Hawaii, played.
If the slider doesn't last through repeated trips down the hill, Plummer has a plan. His uncle lives in Williamsport and hopefully he will have cardboard for him to use.
When 11-year-old James Prill decided to make his custom slider, he was thinking about the shape of a bobsled or a soap box derby car.
"It's pretty hard to get into it." Prill said. "You have to get into a cannonball position."
He used cardboard, duct tape and paper and spent two hours constructing it. He decorated it with a license plate and the letters SW because he was cheering on the Southwest team.
As he took his rides down the hill, other sliders kept stopping him to talk to him.
"They think it's pretty cool," Prill said.