Every once in a while, fairytales come true.
Sometimes the slipper fits, the porridge is just right, or a kid gets a two-out hit to win his baseball championship. Sometimes, just sometimes, it happens.
This is the story of 9-year-old Dylan Stepp, a player who missed most of baseball season with a broken collarbone. I had the privilege of being Dylan’s junior league coach this year on team Southern Standard so I’m well aware of his circumstances.
Dylan’s season started typically enough. He made some plays in the field, got some hits from the plate, and was doing his part to help our team.
Then, disaster struck. While frolicking around the school playground, Dylan suffered a broken collarbone. The initial prognosis was grim. Dylan wouldn’t be able to play baseball again for six weeks. He would miss the rest of the season.
The news hit me like a tire iron to the ribs. But as bad as I felt, little Dylan felt worse.
His mother asked: Can he still come to the games and sit in the dugout? Absolutely, I said.
So Dylan came and sat in the dugout with a sling on his arm, his face filled with frown. He wanted nothing more than to snatch a bat, trot to the plate, and take a swing.
As the season neared its close, I heard promising news. Dylan’s collarbone had healed faster than ever imagined and the doctor might clear him for the tournament. A glimmer of hope twinkled.
When the tournament championship arrived, there was Dylan with his uniform on, his cleats laced up, and a beaming smile on his face. He was ready to play.
The championship was a grueling marathon between team Standard and Hoover & Son. The teams were so evenly matched, the game took two extra innings to decide. When the bottom of the eighth finally rolled around, Dylan found himself in the batter’s box with two outs and the winning run on second.
He could have crumbled under the pressure and no one would have given it a second thought. After all, he missed most of the season with a broken collarbone. But instead of wilting, Dylan responded with determination and blasted a game-winning hit to centerfield as team Standard erupted in cheers.
Youth sports so often seem like a magnet for controversy with parents complaining about umpiring, playing time, or league decision making. But every once in a while, there’s reason to pause and remember what youth baseball is all about.
Summertime on the ballfield is a place where kids can be carried off as heroes. It’s a place where kids are allowed to dream big and childhood memories are forever carved. Last Friday night at the Civic Center, I know there’s one hit Dylan Stepp will remember for a lifetime.