A few weeks back I got an email inviting me to come out and see how Honda was a proud sponsor of the Little League World Series and partake in the activities that were planned. If you know me in person you realize that I pretty much hate to get on an airplane, so the thought of leaving the safety and comfort of my snugly warm bed and embrace of my children is pretty much like asking me to plan a funeral for another pet. But since I had also turned down more than my share of trips and this one did seem genuinely interesting, I decided to take a shot and pack up my bags and head out to discover the world of baseball.

I’ll admit it.

I am a football fan. I get all riled up for the Saints and to sit in front of a flat screen with an excuse for chips, salsa, and a side of sour cream. With a son only a year old, baseball as never really been a part of my life to this point. I have instead been inundated with cheer leading, gymnastics, dance, and a never ending flow of Justin Bieber. All of that said, I have to admit baseball was….dare I say….FUN!?

Clearly Honda makes sure they put on a fun environment including full on dunk tanks, pin trading, and pies in the face but the kids were a blast.

There was so much excitement in the air.

Not only was this a joy for the amazing and athletic children that had made it to the coveted Little League Championships, but for all the parents and children that were clearly enjoying their days out sliding down the hills, eating hot dogs, and cheering on the teams.

Learn more about Honda and how they have impacted in a positive way for 16 years!

As the official sponsor of Little League Baseball®, Honda maintains a fun and festive interactive vehicle display at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA. We have an Odyssey and Pilot on display there, as well as an eye-catching baseball exhibit. Each year we create new collectable Honda pins and hand them out at the Little League World Series. Guests can receive souvenir photos of themselves at the World Series to take home. Honda is proud to help Little League Baseball manage the astounding logistics involved in running this World Series

Further, as a company founded on The Power of Dreams, Honda understands that children need programs that build discipline and self-confidence to make their own dreams come true. This is why Honda has chosen to focus its sponsorship efforts on Little League Baseball’s Urban Initiative, a program designed to create or renew leagues in urban areas. Honda contributes $100,000 annually to Urban Initiative to find and build baseball diamonds and to teach parents how to run a little league baseball team for their area. By doing so, Honda hopes to help Little League Baseball fulfill its fundamental mission to assist community leaders in fostering the positive influences of citizenship, discipline, self-esteem, teamwork and physical well-being.

Buy me some Peanuts and Hershey Bars…

We arrived a day earlier than the semi-finals so we used that time to drive a few hours up to Hershey Park. Honda let us take a gorgeous Honda Odyssey on our mini road trip.

I know what you are thinking….I would NEVER drive a “soccer mom/baseball mom/football mom/mom jeans” mini van. Well, you might if it had captains seats, a reclining 3rd row seat, a dual widescreen so BOTH kids can watch what they want, a back up cam and pretty much every option you could think of.

And I drove the two hours to Hershey Park myself and while it was most certainly bigger than my Ford Explorer, it drove very similarly. I forgot I was IN a van till I got out.

You buy this vehicle for your family if you actually love them.

Hershey Park was also a lot of fun.

While not a roller coaster buff, I still got more than my fill of Hershey bars, knowledge about the Worlds Largest chocolate factory, and was thrilled by the sights, sounds, and smells. It was one of those rare days that you get to spend time without your kids doing something kid like.

It’s root, root, root for the Home Team!

On game day we got to be present as 5 lucky participants stood up to pull a key fob out of a black bucket and the one that set the alarm off WON the Honda Pilot. Potential winners had been entering online and were chosen in a random sweepstakes and one was chosen during the week of the Little League to participate. Can you believe that the FIRST PERSON to pull the key out won?

She was really excited. Obviously.

I had a chance to talk to her and she was saying that she entered almost every day but thought she was entering to win the TRIP and thought it would be fun for her and the kids. When she got the notification that she was in the finals, she realized it included a car drawing.

The game were exciting. Even when it’s not your child, you still get all riled up and in awe about home runs and getting to the bases. I was proud of the kids in how well they behaved, how supportive the teams and coaches were.

Baseball has a reputation for being Americas past time for a reason. It really is a very team orientated and fun sport.

It’s 1, 2, 3 strikes you’re out….

And then the weekend was over and I had to stop eating cracker jacks and go back on the salad.

Thank you to everyone at Honda that continues to make this sport something the kids can look forward to and for allowing me to be an honorary team member this weekend.

I especially love the pins. Keep that part up.

Hugs to everyone that makes this possible…

Psst…

and a sneak peek at the new 2013 Honda Accord:

You can see more pictures about this trip on Momdots Facebook page, learn more about Honda here, and the Little League World Series here.

~trisha

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