Since the early 2000s, states from Colorado and New Mexico to Louisiana and Mississippi have come to Waco for the Southwest Regional Little League tournament. KWBU’s Carlos Morales reports the softball portion of the tourney wraps up today, and the baseball version kicks off tomorrow.
For the 8 teams that participate in the Southwest Regional tournament, the goal is a trip to the Little League World Series. For softball teams that means going to Portland, Oregon. For baseball, it’s a trip to South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The teams battling on this day are the no. 1 Texas West and no. 4 seed New Mexico.
At the tournament is Al Litterio. Litterio is from San Antonio; he's here cheering on his daughter who is the pitcher for the Texas West team.
"This team’s been together for a couple of years now," Litterio said. "This is their second year go at the Little League World Series at Portland. These girls are a very talented group from the ages of 13 and 12 year olds."
"As human beings, as an person, as an individual, you want to see these kids grow, in a good way, become good citizens." - Sergio Guzman
For the last 15 years, girls and boys have flocked to Waco to get one step closer to fulfilling their little league dreams. Formed in 2001, after structural changes, the state was split to include Texas West and East since Texas has an overabundance of teams and leagues, said Sergio Guzman, director of the Little League Southwest Region.
“And with that expansion – domestic and international – we were able to convert ourselves into a region, encompassing seven states from Colorado to Mississippi"
The tournament, Guzman says, is largely volunteer supported and takes 10-months of prep work. But it’s worth it because it’s about more than just the game.
"You know it’s our mission; it’s truly our mission. As human beings, as an person, as an individual, you want to see these kids grow, in a good way, become good citizens," Guzman said. "Truly learn the values of little league, learn the values we represent. Of sportsmanship, discipline, hard work, camaraderie."
From just outside right field, Litterio is watching the Texas West team take the field. And he agrees with Guzman: It's not just about innings, runs, outs or wins. It's about personal development.
"Well I think the sport in general is growing so big and that’s why you see a lot of these little ladies, student athletes, playing the game because the adversity they’re going to challenge in the future," Litterio said. "This is a major tool in their toolbox when they come out in the real world, after they finish playing this great game."
While Litterio has seen growth in his area, across the board that number has stagnated and dropped precipitously. That’s according to a 2015 article by Washington Street Journal that looked at data from the National Sporting Goods Association. The NSGA report found between 2000 and 2013, softball numbers dropped from 5.4 million participants to 3.2 million, for girls ages 7 to 17. For baseball – and other major sports like football and basketball – there was a similar drop.
But for the still-high number of participants, and their parents, tournaments like this are instrumental to their development in the sport, says Joe Lueras, whose daughter plays with the New Mexico team.
“This has been great for her. This really gives them a lot of opportunity to see what it is like to go somewhere else to play with other kids, other kids that are well-rounded in baseball. And to really know the rules of baseball and everything else.”
And as these boys and girls get older and return to their communities, Guzman hopes they take the lessons they've learned on the field and use them off the field.
"They will become good people," Guzman said. "First and foremost that’s what we want, for them not to necessarily go and chance any other distractions and temptations or anything of that sort. But for them to truly become outstanding citizens."
The softball round of the regional tournament wraps up today as Texas East faces Texas west in the final. Opening ceremonies for the baseball round of the Southwest Regional Tournament start tomorrow.