This article and included video clip below has nothing to do with softball… yet, it has everything to do with softball!

Why?

Because it shows a wonderful example of sportsmanship and how players on either side can demonstrate sportsmanship, kindness and empathy that… well, let’s just say… it may cause your allergies to act up (so have a Kleenex on hand just in case).

Watch it and, afterwards, we’ll talk…

Here’s the backstory of this sequence:

It was the Summer of 2022—Aug. 9, to be precise—in the Little League World Series Southwest championship held in Waco, Texas, featuring a team from Texas—Texas East—versus a squad from Oklahoma.

It was in the first inning when the Texas East pitcher, Kaiden Shelton from Pearland, Texas, let loose a pitch that sailed up and inside to hitter Isaiah Jarvis from Tulsa, Oklahoma, striking him on the edge of his batting helmet below the left ear.

Jarvis went down immediately in a horrifying collapse that looked like there could be serious to the young player’s head.

After a few nervous moments, the batter in the light blue jersey found his feet and went down to first base to load the bases.

If fact, the ESPN-broadcast scene has been posted on YouTube and numerous social media sites and has gathered close to 9 million video views!

Understandably, Shelton walked around the mound before becoming visibly upset from the beaning and became emotional, staring at the field as tears filled his eyes.

Jarvis then did something that surprised everyone: he dropped his helmet by the first base bag and walked slowly to the pitcher’s circle where he hugged the shaken pitcher and offered words of consolation: “Hey, you’re doing great… let’s go!”

Shelton, still shaken, left the game after the play but, eventually, the Pearland team would go on to win the game 9-4 to advance to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa, but was all but an afterthought after what happened to the batter and his subsequent reaction of empathy of sportsmanship and encouragement he offered to the traumatized pitcher who inadvertently hit him with a pitch.

Beautifully, as a ESPN-produced video showed a year later, the young athletes became friends and the outpouring of respect for both led to their being revered by millions across the country.

*****

What are YOUR thoughts about this scene on the field? How did it impact or affect you?

The clip is titled “Best Act of Sportsmanship in LLWS History” and no one can dispute it was a beautiful demonstration by Jarvis to assure his opponent that he was OK.

Have YOU ever seen or been part of something so powerful on the field? Where one player showed compassion, concern and/or sportsmanship like this?

We’d LOVE to read your story and perhaps share it with our softball audience in an upcoming article! Write me at Brentt.Eads@LineDriveMedia.com and describe what happened… send a photo, if you have one—of the main person or any of those who were involved.

— Brentt Eads/Line Drive Softball

Email: Brentt.Eads@LineDriveMedia.com