Philadelphia supports their sports teams, including the Little League.

On the afternoon of August 27, the City of Philadelphia celebrated the Taney Dragons Little League team’s accomplishments at the 2014 Little League World Series. The Dragons became the 2014 Mid-Atlantic Little League champions, advancing them into the Little League World Series. There, the Dragons made it to the U.S. Championship semi-final round, becoming the third best Little League team in the country.

The Taney Dragons were the first team from Philadelphia to reach the tournament.

Members of the Taney Dragons, their families, friends and coaches rode atop multiple parade floats along Market Street and South Broad Street as bystanders held signs and cheered. The parade included performances by the Philly POPS! and the Mummers, and ended with a pep rally at Franklin D. Roosevelt Park.

After the parade, the Philadelphia Phillies honored the Taney Dragons before their game.

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“As Mayor and as a father, I know that any child can accomplish great things if she is given the opportunity and support needed to succeed, and I care deeply about ensuring that the City of Philadelphia provides those opportunities for every young person,” said Mayor Nutter. “This parade and celebration are the result of what can be achieved when young Philadelphians are supported by their community.”

The City of Philadelphia has been investing in the improvement of recreational activities for the city’s youth. Over the next year, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation will renovate five baseball fields for the spring 2015 season.

“Taney was an inspiration for the city this summer,” said Councilman Kenyatta Johnson.  “With $50,000 which is coming from my office and $50,000 from Parks and Recreation, this combined investment of $100,000 should ensure that we have many more summers of watching young Philadelphians compete on the global level.”

The City has also invested more than $1 million in a project to build a Major League Baseball Urban Youth Baseball Academy at the Marian Anderson Recreation Center in South Philadelphia. Construction for the academy is planned to start this fall.