As a parent there isn’t anything more disconcerting or upsetting than watching your child in pain. Even when that pain comes from them doing something silly, or stupid. In this case the something being the assumption that baseball players and Peter Pan are one and the same. Baseball players should not jump over catchers, they do not have the ability to fly. This player landed, twisted his ankle and with an imperceptible snap a High School season has been derailed.
      The pain is as much if not more emotional than physical, and yes it hurts like hell. But to tell my son that he can’t play baseball, the sport for which he lives is akin to cutting that ankle off.
     He will spend a minimum of 2 weeks carting a “lovely” plastic boot around on his foot. To stabilize his fractured ankle bone as well all the tendons and ligaments that have been displaced during the jump and resulting fall.
     There is really not anything sadder than a teenager carting around a baseball bag full of all his gear. Even though he can’t use any of it, a bag full of perfectly clean white baseball pants (who the heck made that decision?  Surely not me.) A brand new bat, a well worn and loved glove, blue and white batting gloves. Cleats that fit the size 10.5 feet that he has, a white #5. FCTS Eagles Baseball Jersey and the blue shirt to go under it, a blue belt to keep those sparkling white pants up. Because although he has incredibly long legs, he is so skinny, not an extra pick of meat on his bones. He works out, runs and lifts weights, making me wonder really whose kid he is?  Because as you well know none of those things are considered fun by me.
     I am sure scattered at the bottom of that bag are sunflower seeds that have fallen out of their plastic bags,  bubble gum and Gatorade, all the necessities of a ball player.
     Even though he is on his High School version of the Injured Reserved list he still carries that bag with him, it is his world, his life. What makes him tick, and if he is lucky in 2 weeks all those things can come out, he can put them on and
PLAY BALL!!!⚾⚾⚾