Here are the highlights of the video that likely brought a few tears to the eyes of the millions who watched it.
Oklahoma Little Leaguer Isiah Jarvis walked from first base and hugged opposing East Texas pitcher Kaidon Shelton after Shelton hit him in the head with a pitch and was visibly shaken by his mistake. rice field.
For Toms River’s Mike Mendes, the gesture came as no surprise.
Mendes is the manager of the Toms River East Little League, which will be in the regional semifinals in Connecticut on Wednesday night.
That embrace, he said, is the kind of sportsmanship, empathy and camaraderie you see all the time in a 12-year-old coach at the highest level of competition.
“We were playing in Connecticut tonight and they were in the room right next to us and just this morning the boys were playing playstations with each other.” We’re talking while making friends, so when they’re out on the field, they’re new friends, not enemies, and they care about each other.”
A win on Wednesday and another Friday will qualify Toms River East to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
But a bigger chance for his player might be the chance to do what Isaiah Jarvis did. To show the world it’s the kids who run the clinic for us when they just sit back and watch when dumb parents in youth sports often get so much attention It often happens.
Editor’s Update: Tom’s River East won Wednesday night and advanced to the regional finals.