There wasn’t a dry eye in the outfield.
Dave Belisle, manager of the Cumberland Americans, delivered a pick-me-up pep talk for the ages after his Rhode Island squad was eliminated from the Little League World Series with a seesaw 8-7 loss to Chicago on Monday night.
Many of the 11- and 12-year-olds in the huddle let the tears flow as Belisle praised their accomplishments and competitive spirit — with an uncommon dose of perspective — before ending on this soaring note:
“I love you guys. I’m gonna love you forever. You’ve given me the most precious moment in my athletic and coaching career, and I’ve been coaching a long time – a long time. I’m getting to be an old man. I need memories like this, I need kids like this. You’re all my boys. You’re the boys of summer.”
Here’s the full text, as transcribed by the Providence Journal.
It was Belisle’s second YouTube-worthy speech in three days. The coach pumped up his team on Saturday night right before they rallied for two runs to beat Tennessee, keeping their tournament alive temporarily.