Vienna 11-Year-Old All-Stars Win State Title

A magical summer run for the Vienna Little League’s 10- and 11-year-old all-stars came to a close last weekend, but not after the team accomplished some major goals along the way.

The team, affectionately referred to as the Red Army by coach Chris Leggett, won the Virginia state title for the second year in a row after winning the 9- and 10-year-old title last summer.

Then, as the result of winning the state championship, they advanced to the Southeast regional Tournament of State Champions in Greenville, N.C., where they competed against fellow state title winners from Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama and West Virginia.

Vienna advanced to the championship game of the eight-team tournament before falling to Georgia to end the run.

“What this team has done over the last couple of years has been nothing short of amazing,” Leggett said. “The Red Army has not only been back-to-back District 4 champions, but back-to-back Virginia state champions. This year, we wont the state tournament with a six game cumulative score of 81-8. Then, after advancing to the semifinals of the Tournament of State Champions last year, I didnt think we would ever get back. When we did, we somehow advanced further, becoming the first Virginia team ever to get to the final of the Tournament of State Champions.”

Vienna’s season dates all the way back to the start of the Vienna Little League regular season last spring, from which the summer all-stars are selected.

Leggett, who has been affiliated with Vienna Little League for more than a decade as a coach, umpire, administrator and volunteer, said his favorite part of the all-star season is the journey itself. He explained that unlike travel ball, there is no buying your way into all-star tournaments. Teams either earn entrance or they don’t, and he took pride in all his Vienna all-stars achieved this year.

“They also have to be willing to give up summers, work hard, and play together and for each other,” Leggett said of his team. “On top of that, you have to have families that buy in, and a league that supports you, as well. And over the last two years, I have had 14 families and kids willing to make that sacrifice. The end result was spectacular, and I could not be more proud of them. As an adult without any kids on the team, I have had more fun coaching this team than I ever thought possible.

“That all may seem like over the top rhetoric, but it is not. Words have a hard time describing the experience of the last two years.”

Image credit: Vienna Little League

Image caption (from left): Nick Toole, Jack Emory, Alex Jreige, Manager Chris Leggett, Tyler Schoeberlein, Tommy Fiocchi, Sean Lavey, Coach Ken Tyrrell, TJ Smith, Bryce Eldridge, Dean Vance, Owen Taylor, Coach Arn Kritsky, Kevin Wilson, Kyle Robinson and Jaden Kritsky.