Little League families put lives on hold for 'once in a lifetime chance'

WARNER ROBINS — School starts in a few weeks, and instead of being at the Wilkes County, N.C., elementary school where she is principal, Michelle Shepherd is at Little League Southeast Park.

Her daughter plays for North Carolina’s Wilkes County Little League, and at 4:54 p.m. Thursday, Caitlin Shepherd’s turn at bat against Alabama in the Little League Softball Southeastern Region Tournament was more important than preparations for the first day of school.

Not that work was completely forgotten.

“I’ve been making class lists from the phone,” Michelle Shepherd said. “I wouldn’t miss (the game).”

Such is the life of the parent of a child on a successful Little League team. When there’s a game, you travel — no matter the distance. Parents and siblings take leave from school and jobs, and rearrange their summer vacations. Some grandparents travel just for the thrill of it.

“It’s just exciting, a once in a lifetime chance,” said Gina Matich, mother of Florida’s Erica Matich.

Gina Matich took time off from her job as an endoscopy nurse at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa, Fla. But leaving her patients wasn’t the most difficult part. It was instructing her 18-year-old son to take care of the dog while he stayed home taking college summer classes, she said.

The ballplayers make sacrifices as well.

“(Florida’s) Carlee (Jacobs) gave up her family reunion for this, which wasn’t a hard choice at all,” said her mother, Cindy Jacobs.

Employers and the players’ hometowns are supportive of their teams’ bid for the Little League Softball World Series, parents said.

“The whole city came through,” said Robin Dilenardo, mother of Alabama’s Taylor Lane.

Monday and Tuesday were spent fundraising for the Phenix City Little League team’s trip. Dilenardo said she had no trouble taking vacation from Cable TV of East Alabama, where she is an account executive.

“You’ve had to leave some stuff, but everybody wants to help, said Terry Livengood, father of North Carolina’s Allison Livengood. Livengood, sales manager for a millwork distribution company, continues to work from the road. Before the team got a tour bus to travel to Middle Georgia, he even thought about making business stops along the road.

“I’m using all my vacation, and the sad part is I’m living off my Blackberry,” he said.

And they’re ready to do it all again in Portland, Ore., if their girls make it to the World Series.

“We tried to take as few days as possible (in case) we were to win and go to the World Series,” said Crystal Bates, mother of South Carolina’s Madison Bates. Then big sister Lauren, 18, mentioned that she starts college at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., in a few weeks.

“I never thought of that. You have to go to college,” mom said. “You may not get to go to the World Series.”

Lauren Bates was not deterred.

“I think they’d understand.”