I spent the afternoon at the LLSBWS and have lots of photos to share... But what I may need to publish is an x-ray, for perhaps my heart was swelling during today's Opening Ceremony.
At three o'clock in the afternoon, most of the crowd was probably on vacation, and while the event may not compare to the Olympics, it is nonetheless a wonderful affair, with teams of girls singing their national anthems, dignitaries saying a few words, and heroes from ESPN throwing out the first pitch. The owners/founders of Alpenrose were honored, and Lexi Cadonau herself sang the United States' National Anthem.
Asia Pacific Update
Well, I had assumed that all ten teams had made it to Portland yesterday (and today, in the case of Team Canada), we found out today that the team from the Phillippines has been delayed. They are expected to be in town by tomorrow's Game 3 versus EMEA.
Lots of Accents
One reason I love the Opening Ceremony is that it is one of the few times during the week that all the teams are on site. As the tournament progresses, teams and host families use their bye day for a trip to the beach or to Mt. Hood. So, hanging out in the crowd reveals all that is special about bringing together girls from all over the world: accents and other languages. What a treat for a suburban mom to hang out with world travelers!
Sara & Mallory: ESPY Winners
What an honor for the teams and fans to have the 2008 ESPY Winners for "Best Sports Moment of the Year" Sara Tucholsky and Mallory Holtman onsite, participating in the Opening Ceremony and signing autographs today.
Text Message Updates
Text messages will start tomorrow. You can sign up at any time during the tournament -- it's free and I won't bombard you with spam.
Online Scoring
Follow each game's scorebook on the SoftballWorldSeries.com website by going to the "Bracket/Results" page, then clicking on the game you are following. Thanks to many volunteer hours and hi-tech equipment, the ballfields are equipped with wireless connectivity, thus each game features LIVE BOX SCORES. Not even the boys have that :)
Photos
Click here.
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