RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Members of Panama's Little League team take the field during opening ceremonies on Wednesday.

For some, nothing is more agonizing than waiting.

In a major event or moment in one’s life, most believe that it is best to pounce ahead at it, go at it while the iron is hot, and do the best you can do.

But for Panama, one of the 20 teams competing in this year’s Little League World Series, they have had ample time to wait.

And wait.

And wait some more.

While most teams clinched their ticket to South Williamsport over the course of a grueling summer schedule, Vacamonte Little League, who represents their nation of Panama at the World Series this year, punched their ticket in February.

Going 8-2 overall in their regional tournament, Vacamonte would defeat Aguadulce Little League 4-0 in Panama City on Feb. 27 to clinch the Panama Region Championship.

When they make their first appearance at Volunteer Stadium on Wednesday against Australia, they would be 167 days removed from their regional championship in Panama City, by far the longest stretch amongst the Little League qualifiers this year.

“We’ve been practicing for a year,” discussed Panama manager Elpidio Pinto via a translator. “Before they got to and won the championship, they were already practicing.

It is the second time that Vacamonte Little League has made the trip to Williamsport, having made the trip in 2018. In the campaign while representing Latin America, the Hub of the Americas would have a scintillating start by defeating Canada, 8-3, in their first contest before dropping games to Japan and Puerto Rico, the latter of which would finish third in the tournament.

Starting in 2022, the return of International teams in the Little League World Series following no tournament in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and then a U.S.-only tournament in 2021, Little League granted Panama their own spot in the World Series when the tournament expanded to 20 teams.

The spot comes in the form of a rotation with Puerto Rico and Cuba.

Because of that, although they have already been to South Williamsport, they will be representing their nation on their jersey’s for the first time.

“It’s bigger than the last time I came,” admitted Pinto. “Last time we came to Latin America, but this time we are coming to our home country of Panama. So it’s something bigger.”

One could see the passion in Pinto’s eyes prior to Tuesday’s Grand Slam Parade when discussing what it meant to have Panama on their jerseys with the manager gripping his jersey with pride as he spoke.

The last team to represent Panama was in 2023, when Activo 20-30 Little League won two contests before being eliminated by Japan in the elimination quarterfinals.

Panama’s re-entrance in the tournament commences at 5 p.m. on Tuesday at Volunteer Stadium against Australia with the winner facing off against Aruba while the loser plays the loser of Japan against the Czech Republic.

For Panama, a team with an abundant history of baseball, coming up north is met with high expectations despite never winning a Little League World Series.

“The goal is to be one of the two teams playing for the international championship,” concluded Pinto.