By Carla Zanoni
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
INWOOD — The Inwood Little League kicked off its 2011 season Saturday with an annual parade that marched up Broadway and into Inwood Hill Park, a tradition that residents say embodies the small town feel of this Northern Manhattan neighborhood.
Approximately 400 kids aged seven to 18 paraded to the sound of the local Mother Cabinri High School marching band from Broadway and Dyckman Street at noon on Saturday afternoon. The kids reveled in the moment, waving to passersbye on the sidewalk before the first official games of the season were held in the park.
"You don’t even have to like baseball," Inwood resident Connor Milkens, 34, said about the parade. "It’s just a great way to ring in the spring."
Elected officials joined in on the fun as well, with Rep. Charlie Rangel and State Sen. Adriano Espaillat cheering on the kids as they threw out the first pitch.
Inwood Little League games are played throughout the week at three baseball fields throughout Inwood Hill Park. A schedule of games can be found at www.inwoodbaseball.org/calendar or on the league's Facebook page.