Great community made experience a great one

I just returned home from an incredible two-week journey. I was lucky enough to be part of the North Idaho Yankees 13U Intermediate 50/70 baseball team that won the Idaho state championship and competed in the Western Regional tournament in Irvine, Calif., this past week.

I could not be prouder of this group of young men. They represented Sandpoint, Bonners Ferry and the entire state of Idaho in a way that should make us all proud. Their heart, competitive spirit and sportsmanship was second to none. Winning the state title was amazing, as far as I am aware this was the first state Little League title for any city north of Hayden.

I know it was a first for Bonners Ferry and I believe the same holds true for Sandpoint. While we didn’t fare all that well in California, we did beat Oregon 13-4. We lost to teams from Southern California, Arizona and Hawaii. The level of play those teams demonstrated was amazing. You could tell they play baseball 365 days a year. Despite their superiority, our boys played hard and showed a great amount of heart and sportsmanship.

While in California we went to the beach and played in a 7-foot surf. I am still removing sand from areas that cannot be mentioned here. We attended a MLB Angels game, and spent a day at Universal Studios.

None of this would have been possible without the tremendous support of our local community in Sandpoint, Bonners Ferry and even Spokane. Local businesses stepped up with donations. Local residents participated in a bake sale at Walmart that raised more than $1,100. And individuals from all over contributed to our cause.

We raised the $6,000 needed for travel, lodging and food for the players in less than five days. We also raised an additional $2,000 plus to spend on making sure the team experienced some California attractions. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity that almost every young boy dreams about. Playing for a chance to play in the Little League World Series. These boys lived that dream as did us coaches and parents that were lucky enough to ride along.

Thank you to all of you who so generously donated to help us live out this dream. Thank you to the 6-year-old who stopped by Panhandle with a $5 donation as well as a local family who donated $1,000. I am so blessed to be part of this community and will forever be grateful that you helped make the dreams come true for these 10 young men from the North Idaho Yankees.

TED FLINT

Sandpoint

Yankees assistant coach