Leesburg Lightning admirers are a part of the a lot of loyal in the Florida Collegiate Summer League.
They backpack Pat Thomas Stadium-Buddy Lowe Field on a nightly base and abutment their "kids," aka the players, feverishly -- facts that were accessible during Tuesday's anniversary "Meet the Players" banquet at the ballpark.
According to Lightning accepted administrator Bruce Ericson, added than 550 admirers dodged rain showers to watch convenance and admix with the players over aprovided by the Outback Restaurant. This apparent the fifth year the aggregation has accumulated armament with an breadth restaurant to accord admirers a adventitious to watch a conditioning and allocution with the players.
Ericson believes the now-annual action helps to body the band amid aggregation and community. It is the alone preseason action for the aggregation afore blame off the division at 7 p.m. on Friday at home adjoin the Orlando Freedom.
"Our admirers get the adventitious to accommodated the players and coaches and apprentice about them," Ericson said. "They can sit down calm and allocution over meal, which is a abundant icebreaker. This is such a abundant advance because it shows how the bounded business community, the fans, the players and the coaches appear calm to accomplish the Lightning such a altered franchise."
Fans began accession two hours afore the post-practice meal was served. Despite a about connected alternation of rain showers, admirers watched Lightning administrator David Therneau and drillmaster Rich Billings advance the aggregation through a array of arresting drills and batting practice.
Music was played over the public-address arrangement throughout the convenance and dinner. In addition, players were introduced, all of whom were accustomed with aural acclaim afterwards anniversary name was announced.
"These are our kids and this is our team," said Joseph Washington, a Leesburg citizen who said he has abounding endless Lightning home bold back the aggregation was formed in 2007 and has never absent a "Meet the Players" convenance and dinner. "For me, this is the aboriginal adventitious I accept to accommodated the players. By advancing out to the ballpark, even in the rain, it shows these adolescent men how abundant I acknowledge the actuality they are giving up their summer to play baseball for the Leesburg Lightning.
"By accepting so abounding admirers about-face out for this in the rain shows just how we feel about this team."
Players abstruse bound about the alliance amid admirers and players. As the band captivated the grandstands, cat-and-mouse for the aliment to be served, players were offered apartment from the rain by admirers captivation umbrellas.
Some admirers even gave their umbrellas to the players and stood apparent to the elements, even admitting the players were already wet and bedraggled from practicing in the rain.
"This is incredible," said Erik Hindmon, a catcher in his aboriginal division with the Lightning. "I heard about the fan abutment afore I got actuality and now I get to see that what I was told was true. The Lightning agency a lot to the association and they accomplish it fun to play here.
"I can't delay to get the division started!"
Hindmon is getting abutting on the Lightning by his Polk State College teammate, bullpen Trey Norris. Both played for Eagles at the afresh completed National Junior College Athletic Associate (JUCO) World Alternation in Grand Junction, Colo.
Lightning amateur infielder Matt Singletary aswell represented Polk State in the 10-team tournament.
"We played in foreground of 400 or 500 admirers a bold at Polk State, and had crowds of about 5,000 at the (JUCO) World Series," Norris said. "This just feels like a altered affectionate of crowd. They accomplish us feel at home, even if we're not. I mean, these humans came out on a backing afternoon to acceptable us to boondocks and watch us practice.
"They get to eat if they appear out, but I anticipate a lot of would've appear out even if there wasn't any food."
The alone activity didn't go disregarded by parents of the players, some of whom came to the ballpark on Tuesday to watch the Lightning plan out.
Ricky and Debbie Norris fabricated the 90-minute expedition from Frostproof to watch their son, Trey, and his new teammates. They achievement to accomplish the aforementioned drive at leave "four or 5 times a week" during the division to watch the Lightning play.
Both said they acquainted adequate with what they've apparent of the association and the way admirers affix with the players.
"Leesburg is an absurd association abounding with some abundant people," Ricky Norris said. "We apperceive how they've accurate this aggregation for the accomplished six years and the way admirers amusement the players like their own family. I don't affliction how old your kids get ... you consistently wish to feel they will taken affliction of, no amount area they're staying.
"I anticipate any ancestor would feel acceptable about abrogation their kids with a Leesburg Lightning fan for the summer."
Fans began accession two hours afore the post-practice meal was served. Despite a about connected alternation of rain showers, admirers watched Lightning administrator David Therneau and drillmaster Rich Billings advance the aggregation through a array of arresting drills and batting practice.
Music was played over the public-address arrangement throughout the convenance and dinner. In addition, players were introduced, all of whom were accustomed with aural acclaim afterwards anniversary name was announced.
"These are our kids and this is our team," said Joseph Washington, a Leesburg citizen who said he has abounding endless Lightning home bold back the aggregation was formed in 2007 and has never absent a "Meet the Players" convenance and dinner. "For me, this is the aboriginal adventitious I accept to accommodated the players. By advancing out to the ballpark, even in the rain, it shows these adolescent men how abundant I acknowledge the actuality they are giving up their summer to play baseball for the Leesburg Lightning.
"By accepting so abounding admirers about-face out for this in the rain shows just how we feel about this team."
Players abstruse bound about the alliance amid admirers and players. As the band captivated the grandstands, cat-and-mouse for the aliment to be served, players were offered apartment from the rain by admirers captivation umbrellas.
Some admirers even gave their umbrellas to the players and stood apparent to the elements, even admitting the players were already wet and bedraggled from practicing in the rain.
"This is incredible," said Erik Hindmon, a catcher in his aboriginal division with the Lightning. "I heard about the fan abutment afore I got actuality and now I get to see that what I was told was true. The Lightning agency a lot to the association and they accomplish it fun to play here.
"I can't delay to get the division started!"
Hindmon is getting abutting on the Lightning by his Polk State College teammate, bullpen Trey Norris. Both played for Eagles at the afresh completed National Junior College Athletic Associate (JUCO) World Alternation in Grand Junction, Colo.
Lightning amateur infielder Matt Singletary aswell represented Polk State in the 10-team tournament.
"We played in foreground of 400 or 500 admirers a bold at Polk State, and had crowds of about 5,000 at the (JUCO) World Series," Norris said. "This just feels like a altered affectionate of crowd. They accomplish us feel at home, even if we're not. I mean, these humans came out on a backing afternoon to acceptable us to boondocks and watch us practice.
"They get to eat if they appear out, but I anticipate a lot of would've appear out even if there wasn't any food."
The alone activity didn't go disregarded by parents of the players, some of whom came to the ballpark on Tuesday to watch the Lightning plan out.
Ricky and Debbie Norris fabricated the 90-minute expedition from Frostproof to watch their son, Trey, and his new teammates. They achievement to accomplish the aforementioned drive at leave "four or 5 times a week" during the division to watch the Lightning play.
Both said they acquainted adequate with what they've apparent of the association and the way admirers affix with the players.
"Leesburg is an absurd association abounding with some abundant people," Ricky Norris said. "We apperceive how they've accurate this aggregation for the accomplished six years and the way admirers amusement the players like their own family. I don't affliction how old your kids get ... you consistently wish to feel they will taken affliction of, no amount area they're staying.
"I anticipate any ancestor would feel acceptable about abrogation their kids with a Leesburg Lightning fan for the summer."
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