Just months after their historic victories, members of the Little League Baseball® World Series Championship Eastbank Little League team from River Ridge, Louisiana, and the Little League Softball® World Series Championship Rowan Little League team from Salisbury, North Carolina, were given the unique opportunity to visit Washington, D.C., with a trip to the White House in honor of their achievements.
President @realDonaldTrump welcomed these @LittleLeague champs to the White House! And then gave them a ride home on Air Force One! ⚾ pic.twitter.com/KuRUPvWUKA
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 12, 2019
“This summer, the players and volunteers of both Eastbank Little League and Rowan Little League represented their communities, and the entire Little League organization, with honor and respect, throughout their respective Little League World Series championship runs and are well deserving of this great honor to visit our nation’s capital for an official White House visit,” said Stephen D. Keener, Little League President and CEO. “We hope they all got to enjoy their day in Washington, D.C., and continue to cherish the lifelong memories that they continue to make with their Little League friends and teammates.”
Highlighted by a meeting with the President of the United States, the two Little League® teams also had the chance of touring the Capitol Building, areas within the White House, and other special stops throughout the nation’s capital.
“The opportunity to visit the President of the United States in the Oval Office was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and one we will all cherish for the rest of our lives,” said Scott Frazier, Manager of the Eastbank Little League baseball team. “It has been a whirlwind since we won the Southwest Region Tournament in Waco, but it has been outstanding. The group of boys have always maintained an even keel attitude through every level of the tournament, so it was no different when we attended the New Orleans Saints Practice, the Governor’s Mansion, and even our visit to the nation’s capital.”
We’re so proud of our @RowanLLsoftball team for winning the Softball @LittleLeague World Series (for the 2nd time in 4 years!). @RepTedBudd & I wrote a letter to @realDonaldTrump today asking him to invite these young ladies to the @WhiteHouse for a celebration! #GoRoCo 🏆 pic.twitter.com/mYPvfpdmf9
— Richard Hudson (@RepRichHudson) August 27, 2019
“It was a surreal experience for everyone involved, but especially for those who were able to meet the President in the Oval Office,” said Steve Yang, Manager of the Rowan Little League softball team. “Being what is believed to be the first Little League Softball World Series Championship team to be invited to the White House hopefully sets a standard for other female Little League Softball teams to work hard and receive the same notoriety as the baseball teams in our country.”
For both the players and the volunteers on each the Eastbank Little League and Rowan Little League teams, the experience in Washington, D.C., was only one chapter in the story that is the Little League World Series experience.