“Aren’t they so cool?” Bonney Lake-Sumner Little League all stars praised by Pierce County

Over the past two months, Jess Workman took trips to Southern California and the East Coast, all while enjoying one of his favorite sports — baseball.

But the fun came with conditions. During those travels, the little league manager and Bonney Lake High School special education teacher took on the responsibilities of taking care of 14 tween boys 24 hours a day; devising strategies to beat some of the best youth baseball teams in the country; and weathering the emotions of invigorating wins and devastating losses.

In late August, when these duties ended and Workman returned to his east Pierce County house, he had a clear plan for the three free days he had before starting 2022-23 school year preparations:

“We just literally sat at the house,” he said. “Went for a couple of walks, trying to get back to normal.”

It was a change of pace from the prior month on the road; as the Bonney Lake-Sumner little league 12-and-under all stars won their tournaments, they continued to advance to larger ones until earning a berth in the Little League World Series. The victories made the squad the most successful little league team in Pierce County history, but it kept the players and their families away from their lives.

Workman loved the experience, citing it as one of his favorite sports experiences ever. He was also relieved for it to be over.

“To be honest, it feels good,” Workman said. “[Only] have to worry about one 12-year-old.”

There was, however, one last responsibility. The manager, the other coaches and the all stars were asked to attend Tunes @ Tapps event at Allan Yorke Park to be honored by their communities.

“Aren’t they so cool?” Sumner Mayor Kathy Hayden asked a crowd of cheering BLS supporters as the squad stood in front of her. “I am so proud of them ... they were winners for getting there.”

Hayden was among many notable East Pierce County residents who honored the boys that evening. Weightlifter Melanie Roach compared her 2008 Beijing Olympic journey to the boys’ Williamsport, Pennsylvania trip. Pierce County Executive Bruce Dammeier, although unable to attend the event, passed along a message about how well the boys represented South Sound.

Bonney Lake Mayor Michael McCullough highlighted the team’s last play of the tournament, in which a BLS player ran back and forth between second and third base until he was eventually tagged out, as a symbol of the squad’s resilience.

“Each and every one of you deserve to be recognized for your effort on this,” McCullough said to the crowd.

The speakers stressed that fans should not dwell too much on the team’s last game, a quick elimination from the tournament. They instead suggested focusing on what an accomplishment it was to make it to Williamsport.

In a phone call with the newspaper a couple days after BLS played their final game, Workman said players were clearly feeling disappointed. But by Wednesday evening, they boys seemed to have taken the speakers’ advice to heart.

“It was awesome playing in front of all the fans because we never played in a crowd that big,” said pitcher Brody Santman.

The time away from the team also allowed the coaches to ponder new perspectives. At the event, they focused less on game plans and more on the children’s overall experiences.

“They had to grow up a little bit,” bench coach Tucker Baker said. “There were some tough times. But as a group, I think they all did great. And it does transcend baseball, It’s bigger than that.”

After a summer of adrenaline and excitement, it may be hard for the boys’ upcoming experiences to match the World Series excitement. The players agreed unanimously that they were not looking forward to starting school again.

But, for outfielder Fisher Seibert, there’s a least one reason to be excited about the future.

“I’m looking forward to seeing [each other] in the MLB soon,” the 12-year-old said. “Maybe [in] seven years.”

This story was originally published September 2, 2022 at 5:00 AM.