JEFFERSON CITY -
"It was cool!" described Nich de Jong, member of the Daniel Boone All-Star team on his teams' visit to the state Senate and House to receive recognition for participating in the 2006 Little League World Series. The honor was the most recent in what has been a long line of recognition for the All-Star team after participating in the 2006 Little League World Series. Daniel Boone is only the second Missouri team ever to advance to the international competition. All was formality in the historical room as the President of the State Senate dropped the gavel and rattled off the names recognizable from their status painted across political posters during election season. The presence of the eleven purple and orange clad boys lining the podium served perhaps as a reminder that the duty of the legislative body is to the people of Missouri. Selected in mid-June, the team advanced in competition throughout July and August, earning them a spot in the international competition in Williamsport, Pa. The trip that was described by Daniel Boone coach and parent Jeff Echelmeier as a "22-day sleepover" ended in a loss in the to Beaverton, Ore., by only one run. "They matured a lot going through the process," said Echelmeier. "They learned lessons that will stay with them for the rest of their lives."