The Fairfield Nationwide Little League crew returned residence Monday to a hero’s welcome, full with a parade, rally and a whole bunch of cheering followers lining the streets.
The crew, contemporary off a third-place end on the Little League World Sequence in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, was celebrated like celebrities of their hometown.
It has been almost 50 years since a crew from Connecticut has superior this far within the event, making Fairfield’s achievement one for the historical past books.
The boys have been escorted down Submit Street by firetrucks, greeted by chants of “Fairfield!” and a sea of supporters waving indicators and sporting crew gear. The celebration concluded in town inexperienced, the place they obtained the important thing to town.
“I just wanna thank you guys for setting the Little League world stage on fire,” one official mentioned throughout the rally.
“They’re a great team, aren’t they?” the governor mentioned to roaring cheers from the gang.
The crew’s coach expressed his appreciation for the assist, and the dedication from gamers.
“I want to thank all of you for being here, I am completely blown away at the crowd today,” he mentioned. “We keep them seven days a week for about three hours every day.”
Kids lined up eagerly for autographs, holding out hats, shirts and even Crocs for the gamers to signal.
“It’s cool how we got all these autographs, we have all these fans, it’s really cool how they support us,” participant Luca Pellegrini mentioned. “In Williamsport, it felt like a dream to me, a dream come true. It was amazing.”
“Next season, just keep on getting better at my sport and keep developing,” he added.
Among the many supporters have been the Goodman household from Fairfield, who staked out spots alongside the parade route early to cheer on the hometown heroes.
“We’re just here to watch, and enjoy,” Doug Goodman, a former little league coach, mentioned. “We couldn’t even get out of the districts here, that’s how tough it is. To see them progress to where they did ultimately, it’s terrific.”
His spouse, Katie, added, “I was nervous. You know, I always pray before a game that both teams do their best, everybody plays their best, no injuries. I was just very hopeful.”
“They were really second in the United States, and that they had beat the winning team once. I think it’s great that they have the stamina to do that,” she continued.
Ann Barbiero, of Stratford, who attended the video games in particular person in Williamsport, mentioned she was in awe of the crew’s efficiency.
“The boys were just amazing. The professionals needed to watch them and take lessons. There were so many awe moments from the audience. It was the best baseball you could ever see,” Barbiero mentioned. “Go Fairfield. We made the world. Fairfield made the world!”
