Note: A picture that was included with this story when it was originally posted has been removed.

The kids that make up Jackie Robinson West (JRW) grew up without the privilege of top-notch equipment that a bunch of the other teams could take for granted. The parents from the JRW team from Chicago (the south side is broken up into different teams) could not even fund the parents’ plan ride to Williamsport, Pennsylvania (the sight of the Little League World Series) itself without help like they got from Chicago Cubs pitchers, Edwin Jackson and Wesley Wright.

Jackson, Wright, and three other major leaguers put up $20,000 of their own money to help fund the little leaguers’ parents’ hotel rooms and flights to Williamsport. Yet with all the restrictions this team had financially, it did not limit these kids on the field at all.

Jackie Robinson West won the state of Illinois rather easily, which is no easy feat, seeing as it is the fifth most populous state in the country. Once into the Great Lakes Region, they matched up against the other state winners in the middle of the country. Illinois outscored Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio by a ridiculous score of 36-10 over the four games.

The championship of the Great Lakes region was the first real test for these Chicago kids, but after falling behind 5-0, they showed the resiliency they would become known for, and came back to put a 12-spot on Indiana to win.

After drubbing the state of Washington 12-2 in the first round of the Little League World Series, they matched up against the favorite of the tournament, Nevada. Nevada gave the 12-year-olds from the South Side a first-hand look into why Nevada was the favorite in the way of a 13-2 take down of JRW.

The JRW kids ended up winning in one-run games against Rhode Island and Pennsylvania, and blowing out Texas, and while doing that, raised attention in the country and captivated their hometown of Chicago. The streets on the south side of Chicago, which are usually dangerous, were suddenly the place to be. Filling the streets, and even closing State Street, were thousands of Chicagoans who were bound together by the same thing… a passion for the 11 and 12-year-old baseball players in their community.

These kids had not only the eyes of everyone, but now the pressure of their whole city, on their young shoulders. For all the miracles that occurred to get JRW to this point though, it looked all but impossible going into the U.S. Championship Game against Nevada. Nevada had neither of their best pitchers (one of whom already beat Chicago) available, and JRW’s two best pitchers were not available. Instead in their classic fight-until-the-end spirit, the Chicago kids went on to beat the powerhouse and favorite of the tournament in a 7-5 game.

Even after losing to South Korea in the world championship game by a score of 8-4, Jackie Robinson West truly accomplished way more than was thought possible. The aftermath of their run has been spectacular, and has continued to get the support of the people of Chicago.

On Wednesday, August 30, the city of Chicago once again flocked toward these young baseball players. A massive parade with thousands of people commenced for them. A Dick’s Sporting Goods in the South Loop sold out of 7,000 JRW shirts in fewer than five hours.

Instead of keeping all of those proceeds, Dick’s Sporting Goods turned around and presented $164,481 check to the team of Jackie Robinson West for everything they need. That money will go towards equipment for the team, and the jerseys for next year’s team.

Since the parade, the kids have continued to celebrate, and have made stops at both Wrigley Field and U.S. Cellular Field (home to the Chicago Cubs and White Sox, respectively). Singing the seventh inning stretch, throwing out first pitches, and even getting to hang out with the major league players, these 11 and 12-year-olds truly brought new meaning to the power of the Little League World Series. They will continue to celebrate in the coming weeks, and most will go on to play baseball again next year. While only two are eligible to play for Jackie Robinson West again next year, these 11 and 12-year-olds made an impact never thought possible in just a matter of weeks while coming together as a team.