Honolulu’s Daly Watson tries to throw out a Glendora American player at first in the Little League West Regional at Al Houghton Stadium in San Bernardino on Saturday, August 6, 2022. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Glendora American Little league fans watch Glendora American play Honolulu in the Little League West Regional at Al Houghton Stadium in San Bernardino on Saturday, August 6, 2022. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Little league fans watch Glendora American play Honolulu in the Little League West Regional at Al Houghton Stadium in San Bernardino on Saturday, August 6, 2022. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Honolulu players celebrate after warmups top play Glendora America in the Little League West Regional at Al Houghton Stadium in San Bernardino on Saturday, August 6, 2022. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Glendora American Little league fans watch Glendora American play Honolulu in the Little League West Regional at Al Houghton Stadium in San Bernardino on Saturday, August 6, 2022. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Glendora American’s Kolt King during warmups to play Honolulu in the Little League West Regional at Al Houghton Stadium in San Bernardino on Saturday, August 6, 2022. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Little league fans watch Glendora American play Honolulu in the Little League West Regional at Al Houghton Stadium in San Bernardino on Saturday, August 6, 2022. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Glendora American players take the field to play Honolulu in the Little League West Regional at Al Houghton Stadium in San Bernardino on Saturday, August 6, 2022. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Honolulu players during the national anthem before the Little League West Regional at Al Houghton Stadium in San Bernardino on Saturday, August 6, 2022. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
A player from Snow Canyon Little League, from Santa Clara, Utah, carries the state flag into Al Houghton Stadium during opening ceremonies for the Little League’s West Regional Tournament in San Bernardino Friday, Aug. 5, 2022 at Al Houghton Stadium. Twelve teams from 11 western states will compete over the next week with 3 of them advancing to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Glendora American’s Sebastian Lawrence is safe as Honolulu first baseman Esaiah Wong can not field the wild throw in in the first inning of the Little League West Regional at Al Houghton Stadium in San Bernardino on Saturday, August 6, 2022. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Glendora American players during the national anthem before the Little League West Regional at Al Houghton Stadium in San Bernardino on Saturday, August 6, 2022. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
A Glendora American fan catches a foul ball during the Little League West Regional at Al Houghton Stadium in San Bernardino on Saturday, August 6, 2022. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Fans watch Glendora American play Honolulu in the SoCal at the Little League West Regional at Al Houghton Stadium in San Bernardino on Saturday, August 6, 2022. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Honolul’s Jaron Lancaster pitches against Glendora America’s Aiden Garcia in the SoCal at the Little League West Regional at Al Houghton Stadium in San Bernardino on Saturday, August 6, 2022. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Glendora America shortstop Aiden Garcia throws out a Honolulu player at first base during the Little League West Regional at Al Houghton Stadium in San Bernardino on Saturday, August 6, 2022. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Honolul’s Jaron Lancaster hits a single against Glendora American in the SoCal at the Little League West Regional at Al Houghton Stadium in San Bernardino on Saturday, August 6, 2022. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
A young baseball fans jumps in the stands with his cottoncandy before Glendora American plays Honolulu in the Little League West Regional at Al Houghton Stadium in San Bernardino on Saturday, August 6, 2022. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Parents, family and friends wait for the opening ceremonies for the Little League’s West Regional Tournament in San Bernardino Friday, Aug. 5, 2022 at Al Houghton Stadium. Twelve teams from 11 western states will compete over the next week with 3 of them advancing to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Players and coaches from Sidewinder Little League, left, from Peoria, Arizona, and Glendora American Little League, right, the Southern California representative, take part in the opening ceremonies for the Little League’s West Regional Tournament in San Bernardino Friday, Aug. 5, 2022 at Al Houghton Stadium. Twelve teams from 11 western states will compete over the next week with 3 of them advancing to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Players and coaches with Gillette Little League from Gillette, Wyoming, take part in opening ceremonies for the Little League’s West Regional Tournament in San Bernardino Friday, Aug. 5, 2022 at Al Houghton Stadium. Twelve teams from 11 western states will compete over the next week with 3 of them advancing to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Glendora American players and coaches with Glendora American Little League, the Southern California representative, take part in the opening ceremonies for the Little League’s West Regional Tournament in San Bernardino Friday, Aug. 5, 2022 at Al Houghton Stadium. Twelve teams from 11 western states will compete over the next week with 3 of them advancing to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Glendora American during opening ceremonies for the Little League’s West Regional Tournament in San Bernardino Friday, Aug. 5, 2022 at Al Houghton Stadium. Twelve teams from 11 western states will compete over the next week with 3 of them advancing to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Glendora American players and coaches from Southern California representative Glendora American Little League walk into Al Houghton Stadium for during opening ceremonies for the Little League’s West Regional Tournament in San Bernardino Friday, Aug. 5, 2022. Twelve teams from 11 western states will compete over the next week with 3 of them advancing to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
SAN BERNARDINO – It was a birthday to remember for Kit Golden.
The new Little League Western Region director, Golden celebrated her birthday Saturday on the opening day of the West, Northwest and Mountain baseball tournaments at Al Houghton Stadium.
“We’ve been waiting for this day, so I’m really excited and it’s been a lot of fun,” Golden said. “
Joined on site by her husband, three adult sons and thousands of fans, Golden took a quick break from orchestrating her first regional tournament and its myriad volunteers as temperatures soared near 100 degrees.
“For me, it’s the community of it and it’s coming out and cheering on the kids, supporting their dreams and it’s all of that,” Golden said. “It’s the pureness that you don’t find in many other organizations.”
Yankees fall, 1-0, in Jordan Montgomery’s stellar revenge game
Hired in the spring to replace outgoing director April Meehleder, Golden had previously served as Little League CA District 20 administrator since 2016.
“That transition was actually made pretty easy, and April still texts me today and says, ‘Happy Birthday and good luck with the tournament, and we still talk,” Golden said.
Meehleder was hired in 2017 and served the Western Region through the COVID-19 pandemic.
“She’s been great and has really been there when I needed it,” Golden said.
Golden is a self-admitted “Little League lifer” whose roots with the organization go back to her pre-teens years.
“I’ve always been involved in Little League since I was a kid,” Golden said. “I played Little League softball and I was that kid that hung out at the field from sun-up till sundown. I was just a ballpark rat kind of kid.”
She watched her boys go through Little League in their hometown of Glendora, now she welcomes Glendora Little League as it makes its first-ever appearance in the West Region.
“Glendora has never sent a team here so it’s pretty impressive,” Golden said. “All of Glendora has come out in support, so it’s been refreshing to see the community.”
The Southern California 11- and 12-year-old champions, Glendora American Little League suffered a 3-0 loss against Honolulu LL in Saturday’s late game.
Hawaii pitcher Jaron Lancaster had 12 strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. Glendora was held to one hit.
“There’s a 25-percent chance that (Glendora American) can be the West Champion and be the first from the city to go to Williamsport, but a lot will depend on what happens (on Saturday night),” Golden said.
With an estimated 6,000 in attendance for Saturday night’s game, it was the first time fans have been allowed into Al Houghton Stadium since the 2019 tournament.
“Having actual fans here, you can’t beat it,” Golden said. “And to see the excitement on kids’ faces because of all the people is great.”
