PM360 recently spoke to Aaron Bunn, MS, Pan-Tumor Marketing – Key Accounts at Merck, about coaching his son’s team to the Little League World Series.
PM360: You were a coach on a team that made it to the Little League World Series (LLWS) in 2021. Can you tell me about the experience leading up to that and qualifying for the tournament?
Aaron Bunn: It was an experience of a lifetime for my son and I. The team came together at a local Little League from a small town in Pennsylvania when the boys were just 7 years of age. As you can imagine, we had to work extremely hard over the next five years to position ourselves to make a run at the series. We had to win our District, Sectional, and State Tournament before winning the Mid-Atlantic Region in Bristol, CT against the likes of New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. It was simply an amazing ride to see our boys achieve at the highest level. It also wasn’t a bad thing to be featured on ESPN for two weeks. And, the heartfelt support we received from our small community and the state of Pennsylvania was unprecedented.
What was it like when you got to Williamsport, PA where the LLWS is held?
You cannot describe to anyone exactly what it feels like to get to the pinnacle of youth sports. Nothing is more special than the atmosphere at Williamsport in the summer. The staff and accommodations were wonderful. Our players had an opportunity to fellowship with players from around the country. And, of course, it did not hurt that the Los Angeles Angels were in town playing the then Cleveland Indians right down the road. MLB is now a part of the LLWS experience each year. So, our kids were able to meet Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani.
How did your team do?
Honestly, we played our best baseball at the Mid-Atlantic Region where we went undefeated. By the time we got to Williamsport, the players were emotionally and physically spent after being on the road for nearly the entire month of August. We competed well at the LLWS, but we could not pull out victories against Oregon and Louisiana. While we lost, we were not disappointed. Rather, we were elated with the experience of being one of only eight Regional winners in the entire country out of 6,700+ teams that start the journey to Williamsport.
Beyond coaching, you also volunteer in your community. What are some of the things you will be doing as we approach the holiday season?
My players and I generally raise monies and food each and every year for food pantries and to buy Christmas presents for the less fortunate. Through these charitable efforts we have shown our players how good they have it and how they can impact their community and pay it forward to those in need. Not everything we do as coaches happens on the field, but how they show up in their community is what is important to me.
