Taney Dragons Celebration

From @Phillies Instagram account!

Wednesday, August 27th was quite the interesting day in Philadelphia.  It started with a parade in Center City and ended with a wonderful on-field tribute at Citizen's Bank Park, and I was fortunate enough to help the staff on the field during the celebration of the Taney Dragons Little League team, who had a great run in the Little League World Series! 

Once I stepped out onto the field to help, the parents and family members of these incredible young athletes were taking their seats on the warning track behind home plate.  The energy was alive with excitement as their kids were being honored in front of the city of Philadelphia once again. 


From @Phillies Instagram account!

The kids were welcomed by walking down a set of steps from the outfield wall, and walked the red carpet down to a stage in front of the pitcher's mound, just like Charlie Manuel did the day he was inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame.  The carpet was lined with Phillies front office staff, Phillies players, as well as their family and friends.  Once they got to the stage, they stood proud and as still as pre-teens could, as Mayor Michael Nutter and Ryan Howard addressed the crowd.  Each kid was announced and applauded for, and videos of their success played on the big board.  Their parents laughed and cried tears of joy and happiness for the kids, and the manager of the Taney Dragons thanked the parents for all their hard work and support of their kids’ effort during this wonderful season. 

And I was there to watch all of this happen.  I could not be more excited for these young athletes, too!

The kids then took a victory lap on the warning track of Citizen’s Bank Park, and were given the opportunity to throw out the first pitch all at once!  A member of the Phillies was assigned to catch the first pitch from one of the twelve Taney kids.  Papelbon had the honor of catching the famous Mo’Ne Davis’s first pitch, and our starting line-up was matched with a Taney player of the same position, i.e. Taney short-stop was with Jimmy Rollins, etc. 


From @Phillies Instagram account!

Taylor, Alison W, Tyanna, and I were holding Phillies jerseys with the Taney players’ last names and numbers on them, and as soon as the pitch was thrown, we were handing them out to them.  The look on their faces as they were handed their very own Phillies jersey were of sheer joy and appreciation.  I work this job specifically for those expressions on kids’ faces.  It’s unexplainable.  The kids stood on the field for the national anthem, and walked downstairs to the media room, where I HIGH FIVED MO’NE DAVIS! YEAH THAT HAPPENED, I FEEL AWESOME!

I would like to end on how proud I am of Mo’Ne Davis.  This extraordinary young female athlete has the greatest mindset of a leader will go very far in her future.  She not only throws the ball accurately and faster than most other kids her age, but she throws like a girl and proves it isn’t a bad thing.  She is a role model for not only her peers, but for young female athletes everywhere, and the poster child for drive and breaking barriers by showing everyone that the capabilities of genders aren’t defined.  You go, girl! Congrats to her and the entire Taney Little League Team!

From Mo'Ne Davis's Instagram.