[1. CALL TO ORDER]
[3. La Verne Little League Softball 12U All-Star Team]
[00:00:06]
WE ARE GOING TO CALL THIS SPECIAL MEETING OF LA VERNE LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL 12 U ALL STAR TEAM. SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO WE'RE JUST GOING TO RISE AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO RISE.
WE'RE JUST GOING TO STAY THERE. SORRY, WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO THAT.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO. WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO A FLAG.
WE'RE GOING TO MR. CROSBY AND MR. DAVIS, IF YOU'D LIKE TO JOIN US DOWN HERE.
ABSOLUTELY. GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY.
HOW ARE YOU, GIRLS? IT'S REALLY NICE TO SEE YOU GUYS HERE.
SO PARENTS, COACHES, LA VERNE LITTLE LEAGUE GIRLS 12 U ALL STAR TEAM WON THE LITTLE LEAGUE DISTRICT AND SECTIONS CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENTS [APPLAUSE] AND THEN WENT ON TO WIN.
SO THEN THEY WENT ON TO WIN THE LITTLE LEAGUE CALIFORNIA STATE CHAMPIONS TITLE AND THEN MOVED ON TO THE WESTERN REGIONALS TOURNAMENT, WHERE THEY WERE DEFEATED, UNFORTUNATELY, BUT WHAT AN EXPERIENCE.
THE TEAM HAD A TOTAL RECORD OF 28 TO THREE FOR THE SEASON AND TOURNAMENTS.
CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN [APPLAUSE] THIS TEAM WAS MANAGED BY KRISTEN TORRES AND WAS COACHED BY ROGER LEHIGH AND LORETTA WASHINGTON.
[APPALUSE] AND I'M GOING TO HAVE BRANDON COME ON UP, INTRODUCE YOUR TEAM AND BRANDON.
I HAVE SOME CERTIFICATES FOR YOUR COACHES.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO CALL THE THREE COACHES UP AND I CAN GIVE THOSE CERTIFICATES AND THEN THEY CAN STAY WITH YOU. BUT OK, IF YOU'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE.
CAN I SAY SOMETHING FIRST REAL FAST.
ALL RIGHT. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
DO I HAVE TO USE THE MIC TOO. HELLO. GOT IT! OK. FIRST OF ALL, YEAH, FIRST OF ALL, I'LL SAY THANK TO THE CITY, THANKS TO THE MAYOR MR. HEPBURN FOR ALLOWING THE GIRLS TO COME OUT HERE AND RECOGNIZING THEIR ACHIEVEMENT FOR WHAT THEY DID THIS SEASON.
IT'S REALLY SPECIAL TO THE CITY AND FOR THE LA VERNE LITTLE LEAGUE, BUT TO BE RECOGNIZED BY THE CITY AND HAVE THEM HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME OUT.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY AWESOME OF YOU GUYS.
LA VERNE LITTLE LEAGUE WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1954, SO FOR A LONG, LONG TIME WE'VE BEEN AROUND AND THIS IS THE VERY FIRST TIME WE'VE HAD A BASEBALL OR A SOFTBALL TEAM ACCOMPLISH WHAT THESE GIRLS ACCOMPLISHED.
MAKING IT TO THE LITTLE LEAGUE REGIONALS IS NOT A SMALL FEAT.
AND FOR I CAN'T DO THE MATH BACKWARDS, BUT SINCE 1954, WE HAVEN'T HAD ANYBODY DO IT.
SO FOR YOU GUYS TO BE THE FIRST TEAM, THAT'S REALLY AWESOME BUT SPECIAL, AND IT'S GOING TO GO DOWN IN HISTORY AND DESERVES A ROUND OF APPLAUSE [APPLAUSE].
SO JUST BRIEFLY TO I KNOW WE'RE HERE TO RECOGNIZE THE GIRLS, AND I'M GLAD WE'RE HERE, BUT ULTIMATELY I ALSO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE PARENTS.
WITHOUT THE PARENTS BUY IN AND THEIR SUPPORT, THIS WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED.
THE ALL OF US ARE PARENTS UP HERE.
WE UNDERSTAND THE CRAZY SCHEDULES THAT WE ALL HAVE OUTSIDE OF SPORTS, JUST WITH WORK AND SCHOOL. THEN YOU ADD SPORTS INTO IT, AND A LOT OF THE GIRLS HERE ARE MULTI SPORT ATHLETES, MULTI TEAM ATHLETES INTO THE SAME SPORT, MEANING THEY PLAY IN MULTIPLE SOFTBALL TEAMS. BEING ABLE TO JUGGLE THAT AND MAKE IT AND COMMIT TO WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO AT LA VERNE LITTLE LEAGUE WAS A FEAT IN ITSELF TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE GIRLS TAKE THE FIELD, WHETHER THAT BE ON A WEEKNIGHT OR A WEEKEND JUST TO SEE THEM OUT THERE TOGETHER WAS AWESOME. THEY IGNITED LA VERNE LITTLE LEAGUE FOR US TO HAVE GIRLS BACK AT THE FIELD.
WE HAVEN'T HAD GIRLS BACK AT THE FIELD IN A VERY LONG TIME.
THEY BROUGHT SOMETHING SPECIAL.
THEIR ATTITUDES, THEIR ENTHUSIASM AND ALONG WITH THEIR PARENTS BROUGHT SOMETHING THAT I'LL NEVER FORGET IN THE LAST TWO YEARS.
WE'VE HAD A LOT OF PARENTS HERE NOT ONLY MAKE SACRIFICES THROUGHOUT THE REGULAR SEASON TO GET THEIR GIRLS TO GAMES JUST TO GET QUALIFIED.
THEN WHEN TOURNAMENT TIME CAME AND GOT A LITTLE TRICKY.
SO AT THAT PARTICULAR POINT WHEN TOURNAMENT TIME CAME, WE HAD TO MAKE A LOT OF SACRIFICES BECAUSE AT THAT PARTICULAR MOMENT, A LOT OF THINGS STARTED TO COME TOGETHER, AND THAT'S WHEN PARENTS NEEDED TO MAKE DECISIONS AND WHETHER THEY WERE GOING TO STICK WITH THIS TEAM AND CONTINUE ON THIS JOURNEY, BUY IN AND TRY TO ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING THAT'S NEVER BEEN ACCOMPLISHED SINCE 1954.
AND A LOT OF PARENTS DID THAT.
WE'VE HAD PARENTS HAVE TO MISS VACATIONS, POSTPONED VACATIONS, POSTPONE WORK EVENTS, POSTPONE AND SKIP OTHER ATHLETIC EVENTS, EVEN LEAVE HAWAII EARLY TO COME BACK TO WITNESS THAT. AND IT WASN'T JUST ONE FAMILY WE HAD, BUT WE HAD MULTIPLE FAMILIES MAKE THAT DECISION AND COACHES.
I APPRECIATE THAT AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE LEAGUE TO BE ABLE TO SEE THAT BUY-IN FROM PARENTS. IT DOESN'T HAPPEN THAT OFTEN.
AND WHEN YOU SEE IT, I WOULD BE REMISS IF WE DIDN'T RECOGNIZE IT.
SO THANK YOU, PARENTS. [APPLAUSE] [INAUDIBLE] GIRLS, I'LL GET TO YOU GUYS, BUT COACHES, SO OUR COACHES, WE TALKED ABOUT IT, ROGER LEHIGH . LORETTA WASHINGTON, AND OUR MANAGER, KRISTEN TORRES, BEFORE I BRING YOU GUYS UP, I JUST
[00:05:03]
WANT TO SAY THANK YOU.AGAIN A TEAM IS A TEAM OF PLAYERS IS NOTHING WITHOUT THE COACHING STAFF, WITHOUT THE LEADERSHIP, WITHOUT THE INSPIRATION THAT YOU GUYS PROVIDED THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE SEASON. AND AGAIN, THE FLEXIBILITY IN YOUR SCHEDULE IS TO FIND DEDICATION, TO STAY DEDICATED TO THIS TEAM ALLOWED THEM TO ACHIEVE WHAT THEY DID.
AND YOUR PROFESSIONALISM ON CAMERA AS YOU GUYS PLAY ON ESPN WAS WELL NOTED.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF COMPLIMENTS ON LA VERNE AND HOW THEY HANDLE THEMSELVES ON THE ON THE BIG STAGE AND ON TV AND BEING ABLE TO LIVE UP TO THE CREDO OF LITTLE LEAGUE.
YOU GUYS EMBODIED THAT AND I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU GUYS DONE TO HELP THESE GIRLS FIND THE SUCCESS THAT THEY HAD.
KRISTEN, ESPECIALLY THANK YOU.
YOU AND I HAVE HAD A VISION OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS TO SEE THIS HAPPEN, AND SOMETIMES IT'S A BATTLE.
SOMETIMES THERE'S A LOT OF OBSTACLES THAT STAND IN THE WAY THAT YOU JUST WANT US TO STAND UP AND GIVE UP AND SAY IT'S JUST NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
AND YOU NEVER DID. YOU NEVER WAVERED.
YOU NEVER WAVERED ON THE PLAN.
YOU NEVER WAVERED ON YOUR DEDICATION TO THE KIDS.
YOUR LOVE FOR THE KIDS IN THE GAME DEFINITELY SHOWED THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE JOURNEY THAT WE'VE BEEN ON. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THAT.
LASTLY, GIRLS, ALL I CAN SAY IS IT WAS SO FUN WATCHING YOU GUYS.
LISTEN, I SKIPPED MY BASEBALL GAMES, I REARRANGED MY SCHEDULE TO COME OUT AND WATCH YOU GUYS PLAY. I LEFT WORK EARLY TO WATCH YOU GUYS PLAY IN THOSE 12 O'CLOCK GAMES ON A TUESDAY IN SAN BERNARDINO, IN THE HOT SUN.
AND WHILE I WAS THERE, I SAW A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT MISSED WORK TO WATCH YOU GUYS PLAY PEOPLE THAT I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW.
I'VE GOT PHONE CALLS, TEXTS, WE GOT EMAILS FROM PEOPLE ALL THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
WHEN ARE THE GIRLS PLAYING? WHAT TIME ARE THEY PLAYING? WHERE DO THEY PLAY? HOW DO WE GET IN? WE WANT TO SEE THEM, PEOPLE THAT I DON'T KNOW.
AND I THINK THAT THAT RIGHT THERE IS SO SPECIAL THAT YOU GUYS WERE ABLE TO ENERGIZE THE COMMUNITY TO RALLY BEHIND YOU.
A SOCIAL MEDIA POST WERE GOING OFF THE HOOK.
I HAD SEEN PEOPLE POSTING ABOUT YOUR GUYS GAMES, CLIPS, COMMENTS IN THE THREADS, JUST SO EXCITED WHAT YOU GUYS WERE DOING.
AND I THINK THAT THAT'S SOME SPECIAL.
YOU GUYS MAY NOT KNOW IT NOW, BUT LOOKING DOWN THE ROAD MULTIPLE YEARS FROM NOW, WHEN YOU GUYS ARE TELLING YOUR FRIENDS IN COLLEGE THAT YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS, AND FOR SOME OF YOU GUYS, WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS AGAIN.
WE'RE NOT DONE. IT'S A VERY SPECIAL JOURNEY FOR YOU GUYS.
NOT ONLY THAT, THE LAST PIECE, LAST PIECE GOING BACK TO HOW YOU GUYS HELD YOURSELVES OUT AT THE REGIONALS AGAIN, SO MANY COMPLIMENTS ON YOU GUYS, YOU GUYS WITH THE LIFE OF THE PARTY. I'M PRETTY SURE THERE WAS MULTIPLE STATES DOING YOUR TIKTOK DANCES RIGHT AFTER WHEN THEY GOT HOME, THEY COULDN'T WAIT TO SHOW THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILY WHAT THEY LEARNED FROM THE CITY OF LA VERNE AND THAT PART RIGHT THERE.
THE CITY LA VERNE YOU HELPED PUT THIS CITY ON THE MAP, RIGHT? THERE'S A LOT OF GIRLS COMING FROM MULTIPLE STATES THAT HAVE NO IDEA WHERE LA VERNE WAS, BUT THEY DO NOW, RIGHT? AND THEY'RE GOING TO BECAUSE I KNOW THAT A LOT OF YOU GIRLS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME BACK AND WE'RE GOING TO DO IT RIGHT.
WE'RE GOING TO KEEP YOU GUYS GOING.
BUT ULTIMATELY, I'M PRETTY SURE THEY ALL KNOW THAT WHAT BIEBER FEVER IS ABOUT, RIGHT? SO THIS MOMENT WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED GIRLS, I'LL TELL YOU, I'LL NEVER FORGET IT.
I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FROM MYSELF ON BEHALF OF THE LEAGUE.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME BE ON THIS JOURNEY WITH YOU.
IT WAS SO EXCITING AND I LOVED EVERY MINUTE, SO I'M SO PROUD OF YOU GUYS.
BE PROUD OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENT AND YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS, AND THANKS AGAIN FOR ALLOWING US TO FOR ME TO BE A PART OF THIS JOURNEY WITH YOU GUYS [APPLAUSE] COACHES.
[APPLAUSE]. MS. LORETTA WASHINGTON.
[APPLAUSE] AND OUR MANAGER, CHRISTINE TORRES.
[APPLAUSE] READY. WHO'S FIRST? WE HAVE LAILA WASHINGTON, OUR SECOND BASEMAN.
[APPLAUSE] WE HAVE ERIN GARCIA, OUR THIRD AND RIGHT FIELDER AND OUR POWER HITTER [APPLAUSE]. RYAN TORRES, OUR PITCHER, SHORTSTOP, FIRST BASE.
[00:10:07]
WE HAVE LANEY SWEENEY, OUR CATCHER, [APPLAUSE] LANEY IS PLAYING AS A PLAYER WHO'S TWO YEARS UNDER OF WHAT THE AGE MAX IS, AND SHE WAS OUR CATCHER AND OUR CLEANUP BATTER.SO SHE IS SHE DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT.
[APPLAUSE] WE HAVE ADRIENNE ORTIZ, OUR OUTFIELDER, [APPLAUSE] OUR SPEED DEMON, OUR PICKLE MASTER.
[APPLAUSE] ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE LEAH REYNOLDS, OUR CENTER FIELDER, FIRST BASEMAN AND OUR LEADOFF BATTER. [APPLAUSE] WE HAVE AUBRIE GONZALEZ.
[APPLAUSE] AUBREY IS OUR OUTFIELDER, AND AUBREY CAME UP WITH SOME BIG CLUTCH HITS FOR US.
RILEY LEHIGH, OUR LEFT FIELDER.
[APPLAUSE]. AND SHE HAD A COUPLE OF WALK OFFS, TOO, RILEY.
WE HAVE AUDRINA ESLAVIA, OUR PITCHER, OUR SHORTSTOP.
[APPLAUSE] AUDRINA HAD A COUPLE OF ESPN HIGHLIGHTS OUT THERE.
GRACE TOLAN, [APPLAUSE] SHE REALLY STEPPED IT UP? GRACE TOLAN IS ALSO TWO YEARS UNDER THE AGE BACKS ON THIS LEAGUE, AND SHE CAME OUT AND JOINED US AND SHE DID AWESOME.
FEARLESS. WE HAVE KATELYNN BUNTON.
[APPLAUSE] LAST BUT NOT LEAST, CAITLIN WAS OUR OUTFIELDER, AND SHE ALSO CAME IN FROM THE MINORS TEAM TO HELP US OUT IN STATES AND AGAIN, A FEARLESS GIRL TWO YEARS UNDER.
YEAH, NO THOSE GIRLS ARE FEARLESS.
THEY WENT AND HAD NO FEAR GOING ON ESPN PLAYING WITH THESE BIG GIRLS.
IT WAS AWESOME. THEY WERE AN INSPIRATION TO OUR TEAM.
WE WANT TO DO A PICTURE, BUT I JUST WANT TO THANK, FIRST OF ALL, THE PARENTS, THE COACHES AND REALLY THE KIDS FOR HAVING SUCH A GREAT TIME IN OUR CITY, BUT ALSO OUR STAFF THAT MADE IT POSSIBLE.
YVONNE DURAN, CHAD PETERSEN, GUYS WITHOUT THE STAFF AND WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF THE CITY AND THE RESIDENTS, THIS WOULDN'T HAPPEN.
I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE PARENTS AND THE GRANDPARENTS AGAIN.
I WAS GETTING PHONE CALLS FROM THE GRANDPARENTS THAT THEY NEEDED, LIKE $900 FOR BAGS.
I THINK IT WAS 12 HOURS THEY HAD THEY HAD MONEY, YOU KNOW? SO, YOU KNOW, I DID A MINUTE WITH THE MAYOR REAL QUICK AND, YOU KNOW, JUST SAY, HEY, GUYS, THIS IS WHAT'S HAPPENING.
THIS IS GREAT NEWS. SO SOCIAL MEDIA IS A GREAT THING TO DO.
IF WE EVER HAVE AN ISSUE, YOU CAN RALLY THE TROOPS IN LA VERNE.
THEY CAME TO YOUR GAMES, THEY WERE ALL EXCITED ABOUT IT, AS BRANDON SAID.
SO WE ARE DEFINITELY A COMMUNITY WITH SPORTS, WITH MUSIC, WITH YOU NAME IT.
WE BACK ALL OF OUR KIDS, NO MATTER WHAT THEY'RE IN BANDS.
SO YOU JUST HAVE A GREAT SOUNDING BOARD FOR US.
BUT CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU, GIRLS.
YOU DID AN AWESOME JOB. [APPLAUSE] BREATH.
[APPLAUSE]
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.