---
description: Photographer Wayne Lawrence's portraits of young baseball players from around the world at the 66th Annual Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa.
title: Portraits from the Little League World Series by Wayne Lawrence
image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt24e6c1858909c4cf/6986893755a8594437a8024a/01_uganda_team.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9
---
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# Small Ball! The Faces of Baseball’s True World Series
by
[Sean Gregory](/author/sean-gregory/)
## Sean Gregory
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Senior Correspondent
Aug 23, 2012 11:31 AM CUT
All photos taken on Aug. 16, 2012 at the 66th Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa. The Lugazi Little League team from Lugazi, Uganda celebrate during the opening ceremony.
All photos taken on Aug. 16, 2012 at the 66th Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa. The Lugazi Little League team from Lugazi, Uganda celebrate during the opening ceremony.Wayne Lawrence–INSTITUTE for TIME
by
[Sean Gregory](/author/sean-gregory/)
## Sean Gregory
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Senior Correspondent
Aug 23, 2012 11:31 AM CUT
On Aug. 20, Will Lucas, a lanky righty from Fairfield, Conn., pitched a no-hitter in the Little League World Series. His performance was the opening highlight—the _lead_—on ESPN’s _SportsCenter_ the next morning. That’s a lot of pressure to put on a bunch of prepubescent ballplayers, a few with voices higher than an Albert Pujols homer. Are we such a sports-obsessed society that we’ll devour the sporting thrills and heartbreak of children just to hold us over until football season?
But try telling the 11-year-olds from impoverished Lugazi, Uganda, who play in bare feet at home, why they shouldn’t be on television. They’ll just keep smiling and having the time of their lives in Williamsport, Pa., host since 1947 to the series—a 10-day tournament featuring eight teams from across the U.S. and eight international teams from places like Mexico, Curaçao, Japan and Panama.
Plus, the kids give better interviews than the pros. After Lucas hurled his no-no, an ESPN reporter asked a typical postgame question: How did it feel to be on the bottom of a celebratory dog pile? “It’s exciting,” Lucas said. “But then at the end, it really hurts.” Sharp, and funny. Can we call him up to the big leagues?
_Sean Gregory is a staff writer at_ TIME_._
_Wayne Lawrence is a Brooklyn-based photographer. See more of his work_ [_here_](http://www.waynelawrenceonline.com/ "undefined")_._
All photos taken on Aug. 16, 2012 at the 66th Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa. The Lugazi Little League team from Lugazi, Uganda celebrate during the opening ceremony. Wayne Lawrence–INSTITUTE for TIME
Felix Enzama #9, pitcher for Lugazi Little League. They were the 2012 MEA Champions. Wayne Lawrence–INSTITUTE for TIME
Christian Dakan #6, left fielder/catcher for Kearney Little League, Kearney, Neb. Wayne Lawrence–INSTITUTE for TIME
Players from Kearney Little League, they are the 2012 Midwest Champions. Wayne Lawrence–INSTITUTE for TIME
Tyler Woodberry #25, pitcher/1st base for KMC American Little League, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Wayne Lawrence–INSTITUTE for TIME
The KMC American team practices drills . They are the 2012 Europe Champions. Wayne Lawrence–INSTITUTE for TIME
The McAllister Park National Little League team from San Antonio, Texas at batting practice. They are the 2012 Southwest Champions. Wayne Lawrence–INSTITUTE for TIME
Feng Chen #22 (right), catcher/1st base, and Cheng-Feng Lee #21 (left), infield/pitcher, for Taiwan's Kuei-Shan Little League. They are the 2012 Asia-Pacific Champions. Wayne Lawrence–INSTITUTE for TIME
Yao-Jung Chuang #15, catcher for Taiwan's Kuei-Shan Little League. Wayne Lawrence–INSTITUTE for TIME
Feng Chen #22, catcher/1st base for Taiwan's Kuei-Shan Little League. Wayne Lawrence–INSTITUTE for TIME
Howard J. Lamade Stadium Wayne Lawrence–INSTITUTE for TIME
Parents and grandparents cheer for the New England team. Wayne Lawrence–INSTITUTE for TIME
Will Lucas #24, short stop/pitcher for Fairfield American Little League, Fairfield, Conn., the 2012 New England Champions. Wayne Lawrence–INSTITUTE for TIME
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