Selma’s 14-year-old All-Star baseball team finished just short of bringing home a state baseball championship to Selma.

The team fell to Enterprise in the Dixie Boys Championship on Wednesday in Dothan. Had the team won, it would have been Selma’s first state title since 1981.

The team had already beaten Enterprise once in the tournament but couldn’t win one of two games played yesterday.

While a loss is certainly disappointing for the team, they have much to be proud of and should know that. Their run through the tournament should be celebrated and shows how competitive Selma’s programs are.

These programs are important for young people and bring players from all walks of life together and teaches them about hard work, dedication, teamwork and other skills they can take with them for the rest of their lives.

The city should also be recognized. The parks and recreation department supports the All-Stars. Teams have said they couldn’t compete in tournaments without financial help from the city.

The team’s head coach Ricky Waters played on the city’s last championship team and must have a unique perspective leading this group to the title game.

“All 12 kids have got to play in the field and at-bat and I’m super proud of them and happy for them,” Waters said before Wednesday’s game.

We echo those sentiments.