SPORTS

Moving on to August

Posted 8/5/21

The summer always goes by fast. It's a cruel joke that Mother Nature always seems to play on us here in New England. The three months of actual warmth, where we can enjoy being outdoors without going numb, are always the quickest. That said, I can't

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SPORTS

Moving on to August

Posted

The summer always goes by fast. It’s a cruel joke that Mother Nature always seems to play on us here in New England. The three months of actual warmth, where we can enjoy being outdoors without going numb, are always the quickest.

That said, I can’t believe that we are already in August. July is always a fast month, but holy cow, this was a fast one.

We are winding down in the baseball and softball seasons here and are beginning to see our fall sports get the ball rolling in preparation for the preseason. It will be September before we know it next.

August is always a special month for me when it comes to sports and it is because it is such a transition.

The spring and summer, for me, always seem to be the end of the sports year. I’m assuming it is because high school sports end in June and there are so few sports playing competitively in July. Things then obviously ramp back up in September and throughout the fall.

August is a 31-day transition. A move from the end of the year and relaxation to the excitement of a new round of sports to keep us entertained for the next 12 months. It’s bittersweet closing the book on each year while welcoming in a new one.

Similar to the seasons in general. Weather-related seasons I am referring too.

As much as August can be a bummer knowing that we are in the final few weeks of consistent nice weather, there is always an air of excitement for what is to come. The foliage in the fall, the snow (before it becomes tedious), the holidays and so on.

High school sports return in September, as does the NFL. Other sports like basketball and hockey return shortly after and before you know it, you’ll be crammed in a packed gym in the thick of basketball season or in a loud ice rink for hockey.

So, welcome back, August. I am ready for the excitement that you bring, but am also prepared for some of the bitterness that will be felt as the fall approaches.

Now, I am telling the absolute truth with this next part.

After writing this first bit of my column, I took a break and scrolled through Twitter and came across a tweet from Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy. Literally, less than two minutes after completing those first few paragraphs.

The tweet read, “I hate people who give up on summer in August. August is prime summer. Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.”

I thought this was hysterical to read just seconds after completing my thoughts.

To add to this column, I agree with Portnoy on this also. Far too often do we hear people complain and whine about how short the summer is and how after the Fourth of July the summer is essentially over. Heck, I do it as much as anyone as evidenced above.

But Dave is right. Embrace every month for what it is, and August in particular, is summer. Let’s not lose sight of that and make the most of these final few weeks. Fall will come in time, let’s make the most of the summer which is always too short.

The Little League state tournaments wrapped up this past weekend and a few of our teams put on a show and made their hometowns proud.

First off, congratulations to the Cranston Western 11’s who topped Warwick Continental for the title. CWLL rolled throughout the summer and never lost a game.

Going unbeaten in district play is one thing. That is very challenging in itself, but it does happen. But to carry on and stay unbeaten in the state championship portion? That is pretty rare.

The CWLL 11’s were clearly just a dominant force. When looking at their scores, it was not as if they were not tested from time to time, but to win the way they won is just so impressive and it’s a shame that they could not play in the regional level due to the pandemic. Who knows what would have occurred next, but I would have liked their chances at making something special happen.

Moving forward, this does bode well for them next season when they are 12 year olds looking for a chance to compete at Williamsport. You’ve heard me say it time and time again, but I have always been blown away by the talent and consistency in Rhode Island Little League. So for this team to go unbeaten this summer, I think the sky's the limit next season.

The Warwick Continental 11’s fell to CWLL and the 12’s fell in the state championship game to North Providence, which had a breakout summer.

Although the results were not what WCA wanted, it also bodes well for the future of this league. WCA has a pretty well-respected and established reputation in the region, so to take two teams to the state finals is a feather in the cap, for sure.

For this year’s 12’s, they deserve a ton of credit considering last year was taken away by COVID. For them to reunite after nearly two years apart and not skip a beat, much respect to them as well as the coaches.

As for the 11’s, like CWLL, I fully expect this team to be right back in the hunt next season. There is no reason why it shouldn’t be.

I am also excited to see a potential rivalry next year between these two squads. WCA played well in the deciding game and held the score to a 1-1 tie until the late innings. Had WCA pulled off the win, the next game could have been anyone’s to take. We’ll see what next year brings, but these two squads could very likely run it back with a trip to regionals, and maybe even Williamsport, on the line.

Congrats to all of our Little League All-Star teams on a great summer. I look forward to seeing you next year.

sports, column, pitch

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