As summer winds down we get the chance to re-live our true glory days as an athlete through ESPN’s coverage of the Little League World Series. This week is the Regional Tournament and is the last step these 12-year-old legends have before they make it to Williamsport, or go back home to go school shopping with their parents. I feel bad for those kids who come so close to Williamsport but come up short on national television, but there is a group I feel even worse for: The Parents of the losing Regional teams.

Imagine sitting through an entire spring baseball season and your kid gets the chance to play on the All-Star team. “Awesome” a parent may say, but then the summer grind starts. Baseball all day and all night for your son which leaves very little time for normal summer activities like swimming or just going to the beach for a family vacation. All of that goes out the window because little Johnny has practice every day and games 3 times a week. At some point these poor parents have to hope a kid has an error or the pitcher gets shelled once they run up against the team that hit puberty a little too early in life.

So, to the parents who’ve drove their kids up, down, and all around the country to play Little League baseball I hope your team makes it to the Big Dance at Williamsport, but that’s doubtful. My advice to you? Sneak in a flask and hope you face all the opponents that South Park Little League faced on their baseball journey.