Sports are, by nature, confrontational. There is a winner and a loser. But sometimes, between the lines, special moments happen. Sportsmanship wins out. That's what happened at the Little League World Series qualifier between Oklahoma and Texas East on Tuesday. Texas East right-hander Kaidan Shelton accidentally let a pitch get away from him, which hit Oklahoma batter Isaiah Jarvis in the head.
It was a scary moment, as Jarvis fell to the ground. Shelton was clearly bothered by what he had done. Upon being awarded first base after the hit by pitch, the Oklahoma little league baseball player did something that spoke volumes. Watch the heartwarming moment of sportsmanship between Jarvis and Shelton, courtesy of ESPN.
After getting hit in the head with a pitch, this little leaguer showed a true act of sportsmanship by comforting the pitcher š„² pic.twitter.com/AbzXaLL5uz
ā ESPN (@espn) August 9, 2022
Oklahoma's Jarvis went up to Texas East's Shelton and consoled him on the mound, telling him āHey, you're doing just great.ā Shelton's teammates and coach also joined him on the mound. It was a truly special moment at the Little League World Series qualifier.
Jarvis and Shelton are opponents, yes. They surely want to beat each other. But, for a brief moment, they were brothers, bound together by a game they both love.
Sometimes, there are moments that are bigger than the game. Bigger than baseball. This was one such moment. Moments like these that remind us why we love sports in the first place.
These little league baseball players undoubtedly burn with a competitive fire to win. It's what got them to the point where they're at.
But on Tuesday afternoon, one little league baseball player from Oklahoma extended a consoling arm out to his counterpart from Texas East.
It was a teachable moment.
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