For Pearland, LLWS is familiar territory
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Pearland Little League volunteers and parents keep their baseball fields looking like the pros. But watch the maintenance workers who most often handle the field and they share another common denominator.
Most no longer have sons and/or daughters playing in the league. Those children long ago graduated Little League, but the work continues. It's a labor of love between those volunteers, their community and Pearland Little League.
There is no official statistic which measures the impact that experience creates, but four Little League World Series appearances since 2010 sure says a lot. The players and coaches do the heavy lifting but this is a group effort and one which has made Pearland one of the most decorated Little Leagues in the United States over the past 12 years.
"It starts from the ground up with the coaches and parents. There's a lot of time and effort put into our facility and that's driven by the volunteers, coaches, parents and board members," Pearland Little League president Troy Johnson said. "They help the league keep moving forward consistently in terms of keeping the facilities strong and attracting the kids to play here. It's the dedication of the coaches which helps to really push these kids to continue to grow and make them better."
"It's not a city owned park, so all the maintenance is done by volunteers. They do all the work and make this a special place. It's people who don't get paid anything doing everything they can to give these kids a great place to play," Pearland manager Aaron Cummings said. "They do it for the love of game. That adds something that I think makes us unique compared to a lot of others."
Pearland's ridiculous success also makes it pretty unique.
Pearland is tied with Nolensville, Tennessee for the most Series appearances by an American league since 2010. Pearland has shined on the big stage in South Williamsport, too, winning multiple games each time here, while reaching the 2010 and 2015 U.S. finals. The 2014 team also made its mark, finishing among the country's top four teams.
Don Smith managed that 2014 team and was a coach on the 2010 squad which made Pearland history by becoming its first to play at the Series. Before then, Pearland had captured just one state championship in its history. Smith still is helping Pearland and offering his support along this current journey. So is 2015 manager Andrew Solomon who is serving as a coach. Their sons have either graduated college or are in college but they continue helping.
That example provides another example of why this league keeps excelling. People who have helped the league flourish in the past continue to help and push it into the future. It's not just about their kids, but about all the league's kids.
"I love Pearland Little League, I love the game and I love to coach the kids," Solomon said. "Little league is a special organization and our Little League is a big part of my life."
That passion is shared by so many other successful volunteers and lessons they provide help the players grow on and off the field. These last 12 years shine a bright light upon that influence, with Pearland also coming within one victory of playing in the 2011 Series and reaching the 2016 Southwest regional. And even though Pearland had not captured a Texas East championship since that 2016 season, it was not like the league was struggling during the five previous years.
Pearland lost to eventual U.S. champion Lufkin in 2017, 2018 Southwest champion Post Oak and again to Post Oak in 2019 when that team lost to eventual world champion Louisiana in the Southwest final. Pearland was still producing great teams. It just happened to be running into other great teams, which is bound to happen anywhere, let alone in a baseball-rich state like Texas.
Still, the bar has been raised over the years and the seeds for this year's success were planted a year ago when this group, as 11-year-olds lost to Lufkin in the state final. Pearland remained Texas strong, but this team wanted to be the one that put it back on the U.S. map.
Look at what this team has done. Pearland blanked Lufkin, 8-0 in states this time and entered the Series undefeated, overpowering demanding fields at every level. Pearland wants more, but as far as regaining its status as one of the country's elite, that mission is accomplished.
"They were mad after the games last year and were saying that they were better than Lufkin. I said, 'Guys, they beat your twice, so they're better but the year that really matters in Little League is 12-years-old, so the great thing is you have a year to work hard and see if you can turn the tables on them,'" Solomon said. "Ultimately, they did that in the first game of states against Lufkin and kept going. The boys have been fantastic and it's fun to see the growth and the hard work paying off from one year to the next."
Regardless of whether Pearland makes the Series, it is the thrill of seeing that personal growth which keeps coaches and volunteers coming back strong every year. And that is what keeps this train moving along, gathering more momentum. That also is what bonds so many who play there well beyond their Little League days.
Solomon said many of his son's friends from that 2015 team still hang around together when they are home from college. A day after Pearland defeated Oklahoma and won the Southwest championship several of those 2015 players joined the 2022 squad at a Houston Astros game as the torch officially was passed.
Soon, these current players will pass that torch along to another group. Their legacy is secure, the league remains in good hands and a bond which likely never will be broken has been formed.
"It's been overwhelming. The community is on fire is the only way to describe it," Cummings said. "It's kind of surreal and I know it's something we will always remember."
"That's what you hope for. That's what it's all about," Johnson said. "It's the community rallying around these kids. It's kids playing with their buddies they grew up with and becoming lifelong friends."
And that's Pearland Little League.