Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1541815
December 2025/January 2026 | maconmagazine.com 83 team since his T-ball days, and he has developed lasting friendships with his teammates, whom he says he feels like he's known all his life. Now, Easom would advise younger players trying to work their way up through Little League, "Work hard and find a group of guys that you really want to play with and have fun." "It feels great to know that all the people in Macon are very supportive," Easom said. "They care about us, and they want us to do well." With this community support and lasting relationships, Easom hopes to continue to play baseball into his high school and even college years. The team now heads towards a new season, representing not only their league but the entire city that has rallied behind them. From Vine-Ingle board members to parents and community supporters, the team's success has become a shared point of joy for residents who have watched this group grow up through the sport. But as Foster put it, the story is ultimately about the players on the field. "They played the game, they got the job done. I was just thankful to be along for the ride." Exped qui iumqui audam aut et verit volor re eumqui cus, que premqui si conse nese. "Have passion in what you're doing. Be willing to learn. Take feedback. And above all, love the game." Registration to play in the 2026 season opens in December. Visit vineingle.org to find out more. families as well. We've been blessed with families that believed in what we were doing, along with talented young men who gave their skills and their time to something special." The core of this roster has been together for years, playing rec ball, travel ball, and even many players attending school together. That long-term chemistry has carried them through tough competition across Georgia and into the Southeast Regional. Foster describes the group as not only skilled, but deeply connected, committed to each other, and unwavering in their belief in the program. Still, even the most talented young athletes face pressure on big stages. Foster, who has known many of these players since they were small, takes his role as a mentor to the athletes seriously. "Every huddle, before every game or even at practice, I told them the same thing: 'I love each and every one of you, and it has nothing to do with what you'll do on a baseball field,'" he said. "I wanted them to believe in themselves. This didn't happen by accident. You didn't make the World Series last year by accident, and you didn't make it back by accident." What he wanted most was for the players to enjoy the game, and each other. Trust, he said, became their edge. "They trusted each other, played for each other, and they played for something bigger than themselves." For Foster, this return trip to the national stage is also a personal journey. Born and raised in Macon, he says he grew up believing in the city's potential, especially its young athletes. Seeing his players shine at this level has reaffirmed something he's always felt: Macon has talent that deserves to be seen. "I grew up watching my dad and people I respect coach baseball," Foster said. "I always believed Macon had talented athletes who never really got the exposure or the shine to show what we're capable of. These last two years have reinforced everything I believed about where I grew up." He still remembers the excitement back when Warner Robins won the championship, and how he felt imagining that moment someday belonging to Macon. Helping bring that pride home, he said, is something he'll carry with him for the rest of his life. As for what he hopes younger players might take away from Vine-Ingle's run, Foster's message is simple: love the game and stay coachable. "Have passion in what you're doing. Be willing to learn. Take feedback. And above all, love the game." And for the players themselves, the experience is one they'll remember long after summer ended. Warren Easom is a 9th grader at First Presbyterian Day School who plays outfield, third base, and pitches. He describes walking off the field after winning the U.S. Championship as, "the best moment of my life so far." Easom has been on the Vine-Ingle