It’s not very often one of your local sports teams wins a title like Dixie Youth World Series champion.

Valley Parks & Recreation’s 9 & 10-year-old All-Star team did that this year. It’s something the City of Valley, the Greater Valley Area and Chambers County should be extremely proud of.

When Dixie Youth play started early in the summer, more than 800 teams in 11 states had a chance to win the championship trophy.

That one team hailed from Valley, and it was no fluke in what they did. At each level of play— district and state play in Alabama and World Series play in Lumberton, North Carolina — this team was dominant.

Valley Parks and Recreation sponsored this team on its incredible journey and hosted a parade and celebration Wednesday afternoon inside the gym at the Community Center.

Our thanks go to the Valley City Council for presenting plaques to members of the team and a key to the city.

Some people live in Valley all their lives and never earn such honors from the city, and these guys have done it when they are nine and ten years old.

It was good for local citizens to line the parade route and to fill the gym, recognizing the classy manner these boys, their coaches and parents represented our community.

This team’s relentless drive to be the best team out of 800 was something many of us will never forget.

Judging from the many smiling faces on Wednesday, it’s clear this year’s championship won’t be forgotten by the players, their families, coaches and fans.

These guys still have a few years to go before they get that driver’s license or high school diploma, but they are already champions. If each one of them lives to be 100 years old, it’s something that can never be taken away from them.

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