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The Little League World Series is an event I watch on television nearly every year.

There’s just something about it that is intriguing.

The thing that stands out the most is the fun the kids have playing the game of baseball — not for a big paycheck, but just because they love the game.

Going to the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, was always a bucket list item for me.

With the schedule of the tournament falling right at the start of the high school football season, I was unsure when I would finally get to make the trip, so I just enjoyed the action on TV.

In 2004, my dad, a friend of mine and I went to Waco for the Southwest Regional championship game. Randal Grichuk — now a starting outfielder for the Toronto Blue Jays — hit two home runs in that game, including the game-winner in extra innings to send Lamar National Little League to the World Series. Lamar National eventually lost in the United States semifinals.

In 2012, Lufkin started a Little League program and was one game away from advancing to the Little League World Series, falling in the Southwest Regional championship. I was working in Nacogdoches at the time, so it is unlikely I would’ve been able to go to Pennsylvania even if Lufkin had won.

But in 2017, while I was the sports editor of the Lufkin Daily News, Lufkin made another run to Waco for the Southwest Regional championship.

I attended the final game, which Lufkin won 2-1 to punch its ticket to South Williamsport.

I finally got to attend the Little League World Series, and not just as a fan, but I got the chance to go for work to cover a local team.

The team from Lufkin won the United States championship before falling to Japan in the World Series finale.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

This year, I will be back to watching on TV.

The event, which starts Thursday, will feature teams from Houston, New York, Iowa, Georgia, Michigan, Iowa, Rhode Island, Idaho, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, South Korea, Mexico, Australia, Spain, Japan, Panama and Canada.

The team from Houston is Post Oak Little League, which won the Texas East state tournament here in Tyler. Post Oak is led by Richie Klosek and Ryan Selvaggi.

Other players I’m looking forward to watching are Hawaii’s Aukai Kea and Sean Yamaguchi; and Georgia’s Will Clem, Charlie Clem and Jansen Kenty; Idaho’s Christopher Reynolds, Rhode Island’s Jake Mather and Logan Lama; Iowa’s Connor Duong and Brody Watson; New York’s Gregory Bruno (who struck out 12 in a no-hitter in the regional championship); and Michigan’s Jarren Purify and Brennan Hill.

So flip on the television to ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC during the next week-plus and watch some kids play the game of baseball.

TWITTER: @BrandonOSports