SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT – Living out a family legacy as Uncles for the Little League World Series that dates back to the 1950s, father and son team Pete and Josh Lupacchino spent this week with the Australian Regional Champions from Cronulla.
Peter A. Lupacchino, Pete’s father, first joined the Uncle program in 1958 when the Little League World Series was just 11 years old.
“I don’t think there’s anybody that beats our record,” Pete said. “It’s in our blood.”
Little League Uncles are volunteers who work in teams of two and spend the entire Series with the teams. They act as a buffer for the kids, help schedule their days and make sure they have fun.
“I think the Uncle program is more of goodwill ambassadors than anything else … making sure the team has a good time when they come here,” Pete said.
The Lupacchino duo wake up with the boys in the morning, make sure they eat breakfast and that they get to their games and scheduled events on time. The days may be long, but Josh and Pete agree that they wouldn’t miss it for the world.
Both have been involved with baseball and Little League since they were kids.
“The friendships and relationships, the stories, the memories that we can create with people all over the world … I look forward to this event every year and I wouldn’t turn it down for anything,” Josh said.
Father and son plan to return to the Uncle program next year, and they already have plans for more Lupacchino generations to join the Little League legacy.
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