It is not every day that good sportsmanship is put on display. While sports bring people together from all walks of life, great sportsmanship transcends the games that sports fans enjoy and love.
On Tuesday, teams from Pearland (East Texas) and Tulsa (Oklahoma) were battling in the Southwest Region championship game with the winner of the game qualifying for the Little League World Series. A scary moment resulted in an unusual display of sportsmanship.
In the first inning, East Texas pitcher Kaiden Shelton threw a ball that hit Oklahoma’s Isaiah Jarvis on the side of the head. Jarvis fell to the ground. Sometimes, for example, when MLB players are hit by a pitch, it is followed up with a heavy dose of confrontation. Or, worse-case scenario, the players exchange physical jabs, potentially leading to an outright brawl between both teams.
On Tuesday, rather than get angry, Jarvis noticed that Shelton was visibly shaken up on the mound. After taking first base, he walked to the mound to hug Shelton and let him know that everything was okay and that he was good, as Shelton’s teammates surrounded him. Take a look.
Jarvis told Shelton, “Hey, you’re doing just great.”
There are a lot of highlights and sports moments each day. But, this act of sportsmanship might be the best thing that happened on Tuesday. It is also a reminder that sports go beyond the competitive nature and create a space for people to come together to embrace life.
