The Hinsdale Little League Team is soaking in every moment of this experience as they prepare for their first World Series game in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
“All of us we’re so excited to be here,” player Colin Boots told NBC Chicago. “I’ve been looking forward to this since I was 7, watching on the TV—it’s like a dream come true.”
The 12-year-old plays second base. He and his teammates still coming off a thrilling win last week against Indiana in the Great Lakes Regional Championship game.
“It’s just awesome the support that we have and it’s very good motivation to keep going and it’s another reason to play and win,” he said.
The team’s head coach and manager is so proud of his players saying they worked so hard to get here.
“We are just trying to get the boys to believe you know, they belong on this field,” head coach Chad Wanless said. “As Colin said, we'll go out on Friday trust the work we put in, put smiles on our faces and try to remind the boys they’re playing a game they love. Let’s go out and let everything else take care of itself.”
Wanless told NBC Chicago his players share a special bond.
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"They’re such good friends on and off the field, they play other sports together, they go around town together, they trust each other and so they have become a real definition of a team," he said. "It's so awesome to see."
The support for the team has been overwhelming, with plenty of their fans cheering them on and watching from back home.
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“The kids are super humble out there and all this stuff is just the cherry on top for them, so we’re grateful for all our little fans from our little town, which, we never expected to make it here, but we are super excited and so grateful," said Wendy Macri, Hinsdale Little League board member and parent.
The team has been in Pennsylvania for 8 days now taking in the sights and sounds, meeting other players and getting ready for Friday’s game.
“We’ve been just like practicing how we’re going to play, getting locked in now so we can put it all out on the field later,” Boots said.
Win or lose, Boots will never forget this trip.
“It’s just so cool seeing all the different teams around the country come together, interact, and play the game that we love and I think that’s like a big piece of it,” Boots said. “It’s going to be fun no matter the outcome.”
The team takes on the Central East Maui Little League of Wailuku, Hawaii Friday in the double-elimination tournament. Fuller House in Hinsdale is hosting the official watch party, beginning at 2 p.m. local time.
