I wanted to congratulate one of our member's son for signing a college scholarship. I won't give his name nor his son but did want to tell their story. I coached a young man that came to us with all of this promise. I believe that it would have been hard for anyone to live up to that hype. Hype, by the way, that never came from his parents. They are salt of the earth people that simply support their child. This young man was called up to the varsity his freshman year and given a chance to earn a starting spot which he did. However, things were not right. He never complained, worked hard, but the results were diminishing. So, he worked harder. It seemed as if lifting was making him very sore. It seemed as if running was making him very sore. It seemed as if anything was making him very sore. We kept believing in him, giving him chances and he worked so very hard. The soreness turned to pain. That's when it was apparent that this might be something worse. His parents were in contact constantly with me and scratching their heads as well. Still, the smile on the face, the yes sir attitude, the hustle were all still there. It was discovered that this young man had juvenile arthritis. It is bad. I think back to the day I took him over to the side to try to teach him to throw again. It was so bad he just couldn't throw. Then, he developed a plan. He'd learn how to throw with his other arm. He's busted his butt. He threw every morning. He endured the pain. He endured ... (insert everything here). What an inspiration to watch him. Through it all, his stick has always been there. He can flat out rake! Now, he has taught himself to throw with that other arm and is really good at it. Now, with the medicine, he can play. You might all know that the arthritis is never going to go away. He is one of my heroes to be sure. If his dad reads this, your son is THE BEST! Congratulations to your son for signing. Congratulations to you and your family for being such a great support for him. The parents asked me if I would write a letter of recommendation for this young man. It was an honor to do so!
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