Hastings All-Stars team has a lot to celebrate
Posted August 20, 2012 9:32 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – They played their little hearts out at the Little League World Series but that wasn’t enough for Team Canada. The Hastings All-Stars fell 4-3 Monday to Curacao which meant the East Vancouver team was eliminated.
One parent News1130 spoke with says all of the pressure may have played a role in the loss.
“I think nerves got to them, they’ve been tired these past few days, all the go, go, go, the press the media, just the hype,” explains Charlotte D’Alessandro.
She’s the mother of Cortez D’Alessandro, who is a ‘jack of all trades’ type of player on the team, having played as pitcher, second baseman, shortstop and other positions in the series.
For her and other parents, the loss isn’t seen as a total disappointment. Many of the athletes are turning the tough loss into a positive.
“They supported each other through it all and they were hugging each other after the game. There was nothing negative about the team,” says D’Alessandro. “(They learned to) focus on what got them here, to not get down on themselves when they lost, and when things were going tough in games, kind of just take a breath, look around and appreciate what was going on.”
For all of the kids, now is a time to celebrate. There are no more practices, curfews, and plenty of time to spend poolside in Williamsport for the rest of the week. Because of this experience, D’Alessandro says the players aren’t returning home as a team but as a family.
