At the Little League West Region Tournament, pin trading is everywhere, but tucked among the dozens of pins being passed around is a collection with a little more meaning.
Bob Diosdado is part of the event staff at the West Region Headquarters. About six years ago, he and a group of fellow volunteers decided to create their own collection, turning their golf carts into the starting point for a tournament-wide treasure hunt.
“We said ‘well, why don’t we do something a little different for the event staff committee. We decided to do a puzzle one. So once the kids see it, then they just go crazy.”
The idea started with just eight volunteers, and has since grown to 13. Each event staff member carries a different colored pin, and kids have to find every one before returning to any member to collect the centerpiece and complete the set.
The designs are different every year, and what originally started as a simple picture of Western Region eventually turned into a home plate, a baseball field and, this year, a baseball glove.
“I'm the one that designs it. So they're asking me now what next year is going to be. I go, I have no idea. So what's going to happen is I'll go home, and I'll be in front of my computer, and I'll start tinkering with it, and somehow, some way, hopefully, we'll come up with a new design.”
The kids aren’t just collecting souvenirs, they’re exploring the stadium and striking up conversations with the volunteers that make the tournament possible. Antonio Castaneda says that finding each pin can feel like its own victory.
“My favorite part is how hard some of the pins are. So it's like a challenge, and it's thrilling to find them.”
For AJ Torres, the hunt also became an opportunity to connect with those working behind the scenes.
“It’s cool how you get to meet all the cast members and like really talk to them and like get their pin and their personality.”
Little League local tournaments rely heavily on their volunteers and the people who give their time and effort because they love the game and the community surrounding it. For Diasdado, watching kids get excited over something the volunteers created is the biggest reward.
And the pins have become popular with more than just the kids. Parents help with the search, players collect them, and even other volunteers want to complete the set. Those reactions make the time spent designing each year’s puzzle worthwhile.
“The gratitude that you give them a pin and they get excited, and when they collect the whole set, they're so excited. It’s a cool thing. It gives you gratitude to see that, and it's nice to see a design that I made that everyone seems to like.”
A handful of volunteers, thirteen colorful pins, and a tradition that’s turned a small souvenir into a way to connect an entire tournament.
For KVCR, I’m Maile Palacios.