On Tuesday, August 9, 2022, an incredible act of sportsmanship was on display. What made it even more powerful was that Little Leaguers were at the center of it all. It happened when a batter comforted the opposing team’s pitcher after being struck by his wild pitch.
Pitcher Kaiden Shelton playing for Texas East accidentally hit opposing team Oklahoma’s batter Isaiah Jarvis with an erratic pitch. This pitch struck Isaiah in the head, hitting his helmet and causing it to fly off. The force of the impact swept Isaiah off his feet.
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Coaches ran in to assess the situation, but Isaiah was able to get up and make his way to first base. That’s when he noticed pitcher Kaiden was visibly upset.
In a beautiful moment of sportsmanship, Isaiah walked off first base to comfort Kaiden. He appeared to say, “Hey, you’re doing just great.” This sweet act not only showed Kaiden that Isaiah was not hurt but allowed him a moment to breathe and process the situation before returning to the game.
Kaiden told News on 6, “He had his glove kind of on his face and I could tell that he was pretty emotional, he was scared for me and was crying. So as soon as I saw that, I tossed my helmet to the side and I walked over there and I told him it was okay."
Kaiden’s dad, Austin Jarvis, was incredibly proud of his son. "I started welling up with tears and that was the most emotional part of the whole weekend," Austin said. "There wasn't a moment I was more proud of him than that moment right there."
Kaiden’s coach, Sean Kouplen, agrees, "These boys have this amazing ability to put people ahead of the game. It was just one of those moments where you're just sitting there going, 'Man this is much, much bigger than baseball.'" The crowd present at the game in Waco, Texas, was also moved, giving the boys a much-deserved standing ovation.
