Palm Desert Little League Kicks Off its 2011 Season

America’s favorite  pastime was celebrated in beautiful weather Saturday morning, as Palm Desert Youth Sports Association hosted its 2011 Little League Opening Day.

The events took place at , and attracted well over 1,000 spectators throughout the day.

The U.S. Marine Corps band and color guard performed as Tricia Ridgway sang the National Anthem, followed by a flyover by the Warbirds West.

Opening ceremonies also featured a speech by Hall of Fame catcher, Johnny Bench, who gave his heartfelt thanks to all of the coaches, and heeded advice for the young players:

"All you youngsters, listen up, your coaches deserve respect, they have to be listened to,” Bench said. “You will learn from them, and you will learn from the game of life.”

One mother also praised the dedication of the coaching staff of the Boys 8 Division Cardinals team.

“Some teams have a hard time getting one dad to step up to the plate as coach, but we are lucky to have four; we have a great support system,” said Laresa Grooms of Rancho Mirage.

The head coach of the Cardinals team gives his thanks for their team’s parental involvement.

“Our parents are phenomenal,” Coach Sonderson said. “When they show up to every practice, the kids are more into the game.”

Today was a big day for some of the players, as they have promoted to an older age group division.

“Playing at the 8-year-old level is a big step; now they are pitching instead of playing tee-ball,” Coach Sonderson explained.

One thing the Little Leaguers across all age groups had in common was their excitement for all the activities available to them after their games had been played.

In addition to the 50-minute games, there was a carnival with an inflatable rock wall slide, jump houses, a special visit from Mickey Mouse and Elmo, a cotton candy booth and a barbeque that filled the air with the smell of American spirit.

The Living Desert also provided entertainment with a Wildlife Wonders show that took place during some of the games, showcasing their New Guinea singing dog named Teluk, a horned owl, a monitor lizard and an African crested porcupine.