A Different Kind of World Series

This past Saturday was the "World Series" for Drew's adaptive league baseball team. It was a showdown between Drew's team, the Allstars, and the Yankees. Drew was excited to play and to get his season ending trophy. It was a gorgeous day and a great game.

I cannot say enough good things about the organization that sponsors this baseball league. Their philosophy is that every child should be able to play baseball. Each kid is assigned a volunteer helper who reminds them when it is time to run or pushes their wheelchair around the bases. Usually the helpers are some local high school kids who do an amazing job making it fun. There is no score kept and no one really seems to care.

The kids are all so excited to be there and having so much fun. Like Drew's teammate Katherine, a teenager with Down's Syndrome, who every time she is up to bat has to tap her bat on home plate, then on both of her shoes and then she is ready to swing. She does this after every swing. Or Issac, a boy in a wheelchair, who at the last game hit the ball and then his helper ran him at full speed to first base. As they were en route and trying to avoid getting tagged out, they swerved making Isaac's chair go up on two wheels and making this mom gasp a bit worrying he was going to be scared or fall over. After making it safely to first base, his helper turned Issac's chair to face the crowd and this kid had the biggest, explosive smile on his face. Like the whole dangling on two wheels was the most exhilarating thing he had ever experienced! Or Keith, a teenager who can hit like you wouldn't believe and who constantly taunts the pitcher by telling him "you hit like a girl".

To me all of this is the true essence of being a kid. Coming together and just having fun and enjoying being outside and doing something active. It is truly amazing.