My Brother’s Extravagant Time in the 2012 Little League World Series

And how I had the best time supporting his awesome experience

The Little League World Series is one of the most spectacular sporting events that’s ever been created.

In 2012, my family was living in Kaiserslautern, Germany. My brothers and I were military kids who loved sports — especially baseball. Jared, the second eldest of three, earned his spot on the KMCC All-Stars team — a team comprising Air Force and Army Kids.

They worked their way out of Europe, outscoring their opponents 182–15 throughout the tournament. The boys won the Championship game against the Netherlands 11–4 and got their plane tickets for the LLWS in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

What an experience it was.

Players are Treated Like Celebrities

When you qualify for the Little League World Series, your life gets crazy. You’re surrounded by the best little league players in the entire world, and cameras are literally everywhere.

Never have I ever seen so many kids come up to my brother for autographs and to take pictures. It was stardom. It made me think about all the hard work he and his teammates went through to get to this point.

There are so many kids who are inspired to be great baseball players like my brother and strive to one day play in the big tournament.

The uniforms the teams receive are absolutely stunning. It’s all free and made by one of the greatest baseball brands out there — Easton. There’s no wonder why fans walk up to players and they’re so easily identifiable.

It’s an Incredible Experience for the Families

Families get their own fan section on the first and third baselines of the stadium. We made signs, painted our faces, got crazy wigs, you name it we did it. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience to root on my sibling in front of millions around the world.

One of the coolest parts of the entire experience was traveling with some of my closest friends who were older and also had their siblings playing under the lights. My family had never expected to experience a tournament so exciting and diverse in our lives.

It was a blessing to cheer on our boys and share the experience of military children and the sacrifices they make moving anywhere their parents are asked to go. There’s no other way to express the entire situation, other than lucky.

I was not only attending a baseball game, something I love to do, but I was watching the kids I know and grew up with getting to play in front of massive crowds!

Diversity is Beautiful to See

In the tournament, there are 8 teams from the United States and 8 teams from around the world. Each championship game results in one American team versus one international team.

The year I went I got to witness Japan defeat Tennessee 12–2. It’s intriguing to see an American sport be played so well and so cleanly by other countries. Baseball grows more and more every year, and the Little League World Series is a huge catalyst.

If you ever get the chance to attend the Little League World Series, you must go! It’s a free event that runs for two weeks, and you can see a bunch of inspirational events happen right before your eyes.

Video of My Brother’s Team Intro

Final Thoughts

Traveling halfway across the world for one of the most memorable sporting events in my life will stick with me forever. I’m incredibly grateful to have not only experienced the game of baseball as a fan but as a supporter of my brother playing in it.

When everything else in the world may seem divided, sports find a way to bring us all together and inspire us to all be better and achieve more in life.