SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT -- The Little League World Series is in full swing in Lycoming County and teams from Japan and Africa are mixing with teams from Texas and Connecticut.
For those playing in the series or working to welcome the players and coaches, this is an opportunity to get some international insight.
After spending a day sightseeing central Pennsylvania, the team from Texas is back at the Genetti Hotel in Williamsport to talk about its favorite part of the trip.
“We went fishing, we caught some fish. We caught perch, big mouth, small mouth bass,” said Jack Scarborough.
However parent Lorraine Sanchez says she made sure the boys got a more unique Pennsylvania experience.
“We did want to go see the Amish and kind of show the boys a little bit of the culture here and how people live a little differently than we do in Texas,” said Sanchez. “We saw a horse and buggy and I`ve never seen, personally, apples on an apple tree.”
The families of the Texas team are staying here as the boys compete in the Little League World Series in South Williamsport.
They are among several teams and fans that have descended on Williamsport from around the world, including Japan and Africa.
Genetti Hotel Manager Mark Schefsky says every year they see families from all over and his staff does their best to cater to individual needs.
“With the U.S. teams that come in, a lot of times we do get requests for certain foods that they`re missing from home and we do buffets down in the restaurant,” said Schefsky.
However he says with international families, they prefer to do the tourist thing.
“They really want to experience American foods. They don`t necessarily want the comforts of home, they want to try different things,” said Schefsky. “Just like if you go to Germany, you want to drink German beers, you don`t want to have a Budweiser.”
Parent Lorraine Sanchez says she`ll take from this event how her son got to not just experience different cultures but also learn from them.
“I think being with the Uganda team and watching them and just interacting, and seeing what they have,” said Sanchez. “My son called me and asked me if he could give away one of his bats that he wasn`t using to the Uganda team and he did.”