Plains Little League baseball photo wins Little League Photo Contest in South Williamsport
From a press release:
As the summer comes to an end, Little League International in South Williamsport has announced the winners of the 2020 Little League Photo Contest.
Held in coordination with the launch of Little League’s new look, mission, and logo on June 6, the Little League Photo Contest ran from mid-June through mid-September to help Little League players, families, and volunteers tell the next chapter of “One Team. One Little League.” with photos that represent how every team, every league, every community comes together to be a part of Little League’s epic story. From memorable moments of sportsmanship and the contagious smile of teammates to those inspirational photos that motivate us to get back to the field, every photo has a story to tell.
“Each year, we hear incredible stories from parents, coaches, players, and No. 1 fans that help us write the next chapter of the Little League program and share with us the little moments they experience both on and off the field,” said Little League Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Liz DiLullo Brown.
“On behalf of Little League International, we thank everyone in our Little League family who submitted some amazing photos and congratulate this year’s photo contest winners for their inspiring stories and thank all of our parents, volunteers, and players for sharing those memories with us as we come together as ‘One Team, One Little League.'”
After receiving nearly 750 submissions over the course of three months, Little League International’s staff was able to narrow the field to the Top 20 and asked a number of professional photographers who have covered the Little League Baseball World Series to rank those 20 photos to identify the Top 5. From there, those five photos were posted on Little League’s official social media platforms to give fans their chance to vote and identify the official winners.
Below are the descriptions of the 2020 Little League Photo Contest winner, taken by Gary Cook in Plains, and the two runners-up.
Photo Contest Winner: Plains (Pennsylvania) Little League
“Featuring a number of players staying after a game to watch their friends play during Spring 2019, this photo shows how the Little League experience not only instills lifelong friendships but displays the importance of teammates and community every day both on and off the field. Most of the players pictured in this photo have either played on different teams in the past or were playing on different teams at the time of the photo, showing how all of us are all a part of ‘One Team, One Little League,’ regardless what our jersey says.”
Runner-Up: Lubbock (Texas) Cooper Little League
“Taken during a modified Tee Ball game, this photo represents the sense of community and inclusion that shines on the Little League field. Sometimes, there are moments where you just have to take away the tee and see what’s possible. We all share this series, and everyone has a role to play. Each and every player, parent, and volunteer has the opportunity to be the reason their community comes alive.”
Runner-Up: Haverstraw (New York) Little League
“This photo was taken during the Junior League East Region Finals in Orange, Connecticut last summer as Haverstraw Little League won in the deciding third game of the finals against a team from Delaware. Throughout the entire tournament, the team always played with a sense of pride and rallied together to fulfill their dreams of making it to the World Series. No matter when or where you are playing – here, team means everything.”
As the winners of the Little League Photo Contest, these three photos will be featured on Little League’s official social media platforms as well as posted in the World of Little League Museum (525 Montgomery Pike, U.S. Route 15, South Williamsport) with previous winners of various photo contests.
Little League International also thanked its professional photographers for taking the time to participate as volunteer judges in the Little League Photo Contest: Jean Fruth, Neil Holloman, Karen Vibert-Kennedy, Chris Pushart, Tom Salus, Alex Trautwig, and Ralph Wilson.
Founded in 1939, Little League is the world’s largest organized youth sports program, with approximately two million players (ages 4-16) playing baseball and softball in communities across every U.S. state and more than 80 other countries. Operated by more than one million volunteers, Little League believes in the power of youth baseball and softball to teach life lessons that build stronger individuals and communities.
From professional athletes and award-winning celebrities to public officials and other influential members of society, Little League graduates have taken the lessons they learned, both on and off the field, to create the next chapter of the Little League story. Each year, millions of people follow the hard work, dedication, and sportsmanship that Little Leaguers display at seven baseball and softball World Series events, the premier tournaments in youth sports.
