Fresh off winning the West Regional championship in California last week, the Honolulu All-Stars have arrived in Pennsylvania and are gearing up for the Little League World Series, which begins Friday.
The regional champs settled into Williamsport over the weekend and are balancing practice with time to enjoy the tournament experience. For manager Gerald Oda, a two-time world champion making his third appearance on youth baseball’s biggest stage, the excitement hasn’t worn off.
“It never gets old,” Oda said. “I’m just very appreciative and grateful to have this opportunity to enjoy this journey and this trip with these 12 kids. To make it once is unbelievable. Twice, and now a third time, I’m just grateful. I want these kids to enjoy this moment with their families.”
Oda said he’s reminded his players to savor each game.
“Not many kids have this kind of opportunity,” he said. “We’ve told them to treat every game as if it’s the last time we’ll play together. Whether we win or lose, we want to walk off the field knowing we gave it everything. More importantly, we want to create golden memories they’ll never forget.”
Honolulu will open its World Series run Friday at 1 p.m. HST. The game will be televised on ESPN.