Recently, the New Hyde Park All-Stars made a storied run at a championship during the recent Little League Softball World Series that was held in Portland, Oregon. After a year of countless indoor and outdoor practices and a schedule of around 70 games played, these tweens became one of 10 teams to make the cut for this tournament. From here, the All-Stars went on a three-game winning streak before falling to the Southwest team (New Mexico) and the West team (Hawaii). That said, NHP rallied back on Wednesday, August 15 and beat its Latin American rivals from Mexico 7-6. This whole journey was one in which everyone pulled together in a way you’d expect from a squad that got this far in such a prestigious international tournament. Even the youngest All-Star, Stewart Manor’s Katie Tubridy, made her presence felt, contributing two base-on-balls and three stolen bases to help her team’s cause. And while the All-Stars finished a solid fifth out of 10 teams, this once-in-a-lifetime accomplishment was made possible by a community of parents, coaches and neighbors all pulling together to make it happen. So in a way, these gals ended up winning something—an extraordinary experience that they’ll hopefully see their daughters repeat when it comes their time to pick up bat and glove.
— Dave Gil de Rubio
