Pearland West coach Andrew Solomon is a dyed-in-the-wool fan of his team:
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Andrew Solomon takes a good deal of convincing when it is time to consider getting a haircut.
A world championship would be enough to sell him on the idea.
The Pearland West manager’s dreadlocks get a lot of attention, and he is happy to use that as a motivational tool if it will give his players even one more little edge as they try to work their way through the Little League World Series, which starts Thursday afternoon.
The only time Solomon even trimmed his dreadlocks, which are half as old as his players, was as a reward for this group. He took a few inches off when many of the same players were on a team that won the state title for 10-year-olds.
“If we win it all, I’m going to leave Williamsport with a lot less hair than I came with,” Solomon said.
There had been some talk, including on the ESPN broadcast of the Southwest Regional championship game, of a complete head shaving in such a case. Solomon is stopping short of that commitment at the moment.
The use of the hair as motivation for this year’s team could be visible Thursday when the team
takes the field for its 2 p.m. opener against Wilshire-Riverside, the Northwest Regional champion from Oregon.
Solomon had agreed with players that they could dye each of the long bands of hair a different color for the Little League World Series. Methods of coloring were still being tested when he discussed game strategy, as well as dugout antics, at Lamade Field in anticipation of the opener.
Players had different ideas for colors. His son Alex was thinking maybe two colors together — blue and yellow — because Solomon is a fan of the University of Michigan.
“We’re struggling a little bit with it, but we may have a surprise,” said Solomon, a law professor at the South Texas College of Law in Houston, who ultimately opted to match his hair to his team’s purple color. ‘If that’s what it takes’
The hair has served many purposes and might create a fun diversion during potentially nervewracking times for 12-yearolds playing in front of tens of thousands of fans and a national television audience. The thought of a head shaving — or at least a major haircut — is one more reason to win.
“If that’s what it takes to get the job done,” Solomon said.
While other stories will develop as the 16-team competition gets underway, Solomon’s hair has received plenty of attention.
Friends from back east see Solomon, who is from Long Island, N.Y., and went to law school at Boston University, on TV and wonder what happened to his old short-haired look.
Opposing coaches were quick to call him over to take selfies with “the dreadlocks guy.”
Fans can track many statistics at the baseball tournament. A new set can be added to home runs, RBIs and batting average.
As teams took part in the Grand Slam Parade on Wednesday night, the Twitter account @andrewdreads was up to 58 tweets, 194 followers and 17 favorites.
Solomon said he was not behind the account, which was created Friday and by Saturday was passing along comments like “lack of humidity is taking our frizz away,” but he had an inkling who might be responsible.
“We’re getting recognized, hopefully more so because of the way the kids have played,” Solomon said. “But the hair has sort of taken on a life of its own.” ‘Anything I can do’
If Pearland West can continue its winning ways, he will lose some of that hair.
Said Solomon: “I’ve told people anything I can do to help them and motivate them, anything my coaches can do, anything the parents can do, I think anyone that’s affiliated with them would do it for them.”