There's a price to pay for playing in World Series

By Michael Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

Parents willingly make sacrifices for trip of lifetime

Parents and players of the 'Aiea Little League Junior Division (ages 13-14) all-stars gathered recently to share photographs and memories of the team's three-week odyssey that ended with a world championship in Taylor, Mich. See story. Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser

It was just a few weeks ago that three Hawai'i teams stormed the Mainland and returned home with youth baseball championships. For the boys who pulled off this unlikely feat, the memories of that crazy August are sure to last a lifetime. So, too, may their parents' credit card bills.

"We spent maybe $12,000 in the postseason," said Chris Johnson, whose son Christian was part of the 'Aiea all-star squad that successfully defended its Little League Junior (ages 13-14) World Series championship. "I'm not sure what other parents spent, but I'd guess the average is probably around $10,000."

As it was for the Maui Bronco All-Stars, who won the Bronco World Series for 11- to 12-year-olds, and the O'ahu team that captured the Babe Ruth World Series for 13- to 15-year-olds, 'Aiea's thrilling run to the top was powered by aluminum bats and platinum cards, ferocious line drives and withering lines of credit.

For Johnson and his family, the costs started accruing during the regular season.

"Just the potlucks cost $50 a week," Johnson said. "Over 12 weeks, that adds up. In the postseason (in Hawai'i) the potluck quadrupled to feed all the other people."

But that's nothing compared to what happened once the team won the state tournament and earned the right to represent Hawai'i at the divisionals in Salem, Ore.

"The divisional is brutal," Johnson said. "(The organizers) had no heart whatsoever about the kids and their parents, especially the ones from Hawai'i. Other teams in the region were able to bus it, but we had to fly out and the air costs weren't included."

Players and coaches were hosted by families in the area, but families were left to make their own hotel arrangements.

The divisionals lasted a week, with Johnson and his family — wife Charlotte, and sons Christian and Robby — spending about $50 per person per day for food. (Johnson's daughters, Lauren and Alaina, would join the family later.)

"It's hard because you can't really cook," he said. "The schedule revolves around the games. That dictates when you have to be here or there, when you can eat."

The family also chipped in their share of the team van — about $500 for the week.

Winning brings more bills

	One family's bill: $11,600
•	The memories were priceless for the Johnson family during their 22-day trek to Oregon, Washington and Michigan to watch Christian Johnson and his 'Aiea all-star teammates make their way to the Little League Junior World Series. Everything else came with a receipt. Here's what Johnson's father, Chris, estimated it cost the family to make it to the World Series and back.
•	Airfare $ 3,300
•	Hotels $ 2,400
•	Car rental $ 1,450
•	Gas $ 150
•	Meals $ 2,300
•	Gifts $ 1,500
•	Memorabilia $ 500
•	Total $ 11,600

"You can't really plan for it," Johnson said. "It's not like God told us, 'You're going to win.' People had to call home and let their bosses know they weren't coming in. And not everybody had vacation."

The rental of the team van was extended for another week and cost an additional $500. Hotel reservations were also extended and the restaurant and fast-food receipts continued to pile up.

Johnson and the other parents were thrilled when the team advanced to the World Series in Taylor, Mich., but with victory came more white hair.

"If you win the regional, your (return flight) tickets are screwed," Johnson said. "If you plan to go you have to pay the penalty for canceling your flight and then you have to find tickets to get there."

The last-minute flights from Oregon to Detroit cost some of the families $900 to $1,000 per ticket.

Johnson, owner of Hawaii Pacific X-Ray, returned home before the championship series to attend to business, then flew to Michigan with his two daughters. Charlotte, Christian and Robby went directly from Oregon to the finals.

Series organizers put the team up at the local Ramada Inn and picked up the bill for meals and transportation. But, again, the families were on their own.

Johnson said each family took care of their own hotel and transportation costs, with rooms at the Ramada averaging about $600 for the week.

Though tensions occasionally ran high — "You'd be surprised at the fights people got into over dumb things," Johnson said — the families stuck together.

"We all just maxed out our cards," Johnson said. "Toward the end, it wasn't embarrassing to get your card declined at a restaurant. At that point we were so close-knit, we were like family. We were always going out to dinner together, and we knew how much each of us were spending."

Joy comes with price tag

The cost of 'Aiea's three-week odyssey came as no surprise to Dani Asuka, whose older son Brandon, 15, was part of the 2000 Little League Junior championship team.

When her younger son, Brent, was selected for the 14-player all-star team, she knew the potential joy and expense the experience held.

"Last year, it cost $10,500 and we had to scramble for hotels, rental cars and flights each time they advanced," Asuka said. "This year, I don't know how much we spent, but it's probably about the same."

As they did last year, Asuka and her husband, Mike, both civilian employees of the Navy, had to expend all of their allotted vacation for the year.

Adding that to other expenses the Asukas already had to deal with this year — a new car and tuition for both boys at Iolani School — they are left wondering what they'll be doing for the rest of the year.

Still paying for last year

Art Ishikawa and his wife, Jean, were with the Asukas when their sons played for last year's Junior League champions. This year, Reid Ishikawa, 15, returned to postseason play as a member of the O'ahu all-star team that won the Babe Ruth World Series in New Jersey.

As with the Asukas, the Ishikawas will have to find some way to absorb the cost of back-to-back baseball vacations.

"I'm still paying for last year's trip," Art Ishikawa said.

Ishikawa, an employee of Hawaii Stationery Co. Ltd., said he used up all of his vacation last year and had to get "advance vacation" for this year's two-week trip.

"This was a once-in-a-lifetime thing so you just do what you have to do," said Ishikawa, who isn't sure how much his family spent on this year's trip. "The scary part is waiting for the final results of what you spent. I told my son it's time to get back to reality now."

'Only' $3,000

It is perhaps an indication of the economic realities of youth sports that Louis DeCoite and his wife, Gail, can consider themselves lucky for having spent a relatively moderate $3,000 to see their son, Chase, and his Maui teammates compete for a national championship.

The DeCoites traveled to Whittier, Calif., with their daughter, Ciara, to watch the team compete in the West Zone Tournament.

Louis DeCoite said the family spent $550 each for flights to California, and about $1,800 for their hotel, transportation and food.

DeCoite returned to Maui for his parents' 50th wedding anniversary celebration and did not attend the finals in Monterey, Calif. DeCoite said the financial burden for the team was eased by energetic fund-raising activities right after the team won the Hawai'i Region Tournament.

"We had a lot of fund-raisers and we solicited donations all over Maui," he said. "I got about $600 in donations from people who wanted to help the team."

Despite the expense, the families wouldn't have it any other way.

"I'm not grumbling," Johnson said. "It's kind of like that credit card commercial — 'Trip to the World Series: $15,000. Winning the title, beating the world in America's game, being on ESPN, visiting with the governor, all of that stuff: Priceless.' "

Johnson, who is also a wrestling coach at McKinley High School, said watching his son play in the World Series eclipses anything else he's experienced in sports.

"I've been at McKinley for 15 years, been to the Olympics, coached All-Americans, won national championships, but nothing compares to this."