East Windsor Enjoys Once-In-A-Lifetime experience

While Little League champions are technically decided over a couple months each summer, the reality is they are years in the making.

The journey for the East Windsor 12-year-old softball team, which fell two wins short of making the Little League World Series in Portland, Ore., started in 2007.

"It takes a lot of hard work to build a team," East Windsor Manager Bill Giampolo said. "I started coaching these girls when they were 8 years old."

The group was talented enough to win the districts in 2007. They won a prestigious tournament in Bordentown in 2008. They were the state champs in 2009.

"We've been building for this year," Giampolo said.

If anything, the hard work increased this season. East Windsor finished the Little League Tournament with a record of 15-2. Overall, the team had a record of 50-10.

In addition to placing second in the Mid-Atlantic Little League Tournament, East Windsor won the PONY state title, the South Jersey Gators Open and Top Gun Challenge. The team ended up playing tournaments in Delaware, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

That was an especially impressive performance because, unlike the Little League events, East Windsor wasn't up against town teams in the other tournaments. Those were area All-Star travel teams that picked up players stretched across entire counties.

"This isn't just the players and the coaches, the parents are all very much a part of this," Giampolo noted. "We had 140 team events this year. That's practices or games. That's a lot of rides the parents need to give."

To take part in all of these events, East Windsor also needed to raise roughly $20,000.

"It was a big commitment," Giampolo said.

Of course, according to Giampolo, it was worth it.

"On a whole, if I look back at this in six months, it was a great experience," Giampolo said. "We enjoyed being with each other. No fighting or anything. Just a positive experience."

The reason why Giampolo wants the six months is because the last game of the season still hurts.

East Windsor was defeated by New York, 5-3, in the Mid-Atlantic title game. New York won its next game and will be the East representative in the Little League World Series.

"It's kind of a sick feeling," Giampolo said. "In our hearts, we felt like we were going to Portland. It just seemed like the earth stopped rotating. If you saw the way the girls were crying after the last out was made, you know how important that game was to them. Some players woke up the next day still crying."

The girls that put together this amazing run are Holly Bridgman, Sam Dolan, Sam Castro, Ally Huelbig, Angela Giampolo, Nicolette Garthe, Brighid Douglas, Jess Weingast, Chrissy Mayer, Kelli Swedish and Kylie Olsen.

In addition to playing in the Mid-Atlantic Tournament, the team got to tour ESPN's studios in Connecticut. It had a day at Lake Compounce amusement park.

The girls from all of the teams were put up in a dormitory at the Little League site in Bristol, Conn. They all got to eat together at a cafeteria. They played in a beautiful park

"It's just an amazing experience," said Giampolo, who wanted to thank all of the people who drove from East Windsor to support the team in the Mid-Atlantic Tournament.

"We definitely feel like we're East Windsor's team. We really appreciate all the support."

Giampolo wanted to pass along special thanks to Deana Bridgman and Isabela Huelbig, the team chaperones who had to take care of the girls in Bristol.

"I definitely have to buy them something," Giampolo said.

The beauty of this great run is the lasting impression. Giampolo hopes this was more than one great East Windsor team. He wants it to be the start of a great East Windsor program. East Windsor clearly knows the commitment and blueprint needed for success.

"If you look at the whole East Windsor softball program, it's getting better," Giampolo said.

The Kreps School had its best three seasons the past three years. The 8-year-olds won the districts. The 10-year-olds were second in the districts.

"If you look at the landscape of the districts, we're in the top three now," Giampolo said. "There's a lot of enthusiasm. When we were in Bristol, half of the 8-year-old team was up there rooting for us."

Giampolo and his girls loved that support. They thank the high school for the use of the gym to train in the winter. They want everyone that cheered them on or took part in their fundraisers to know that they were a part of this.

It was such a great journey, Giampolo realizes he'll eventually look back on it with nothing but great warmth and fondness. As for now?

"That last game still haunts me," Giampolo said. "It is what it is. You just have that one chance. That's why it's so special."