Photos provided.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Henry Spaeth, 10, is overtly in love with America’s favorite pastime – baseball, and though he plays sports quite a bit at home, this is his first year playing on an organized team. He plays with the Saratoga Springs Little League (SSLL) Challenger Division, a nationally recognized program for players of varying ages who have physical and intellectual challenges.
Spaeth has a processing disorder that makes understanding sequencing, noticing spatial awareness and processing the information received by his senses difficult. Spaeth also has an executive functions delay which affects his ability to self-regulate with working memory, organize materials, initiate, or self-monitor his progress. Physically speaking, Spaeth has chronic benign childhood neutropenia which makes it difficult for him to fight infection. He also has multiple severe food and environmental allergies, asthma, and growth delays.
The SSLL introduced the Challenge Division to their league four years ago. As a result, Henry’s parents had a place where he could play baseball and have his needs accommodated.
“I didn’t ask (to join a team), my parents just signed me up,” said Spaeth. “And they told me, and I was hopping around for the rest of the day!”
When Spaeth began the season, he struggled with using a bat and pitching a ball. But with time and practice, he’s grown fond of those positions.
“My favorite thing about baseball is really having fun and being confident, really getting with the sport and not competing and just having fun,” said Spaeth.
As an athlete, Spaeth is aware that preparation for his games occurs outside of his scheduled practices. He prepares by “eating healthy and practicing at home - that’s just about it,” said Spaeth.
Throughout the season, Spaeth has a strong support team including friends, siblings, parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles.
“They cheer me on, and they really try and get me to do things that challenge me,” said Spaeth. “They usually say ‘run faster, do this, you got this Henry, you got this!' Yeah, usually that’s what they do.”
Spaeth encourages his teammates on and off the field, the same way his coaches and teammates encourage him.
“My teammates encourage me by hugging me, and really trying to cheer me up when I’m down and don’t do well,” said Spaeth.
Spaeth hopes to be the next “Great Bambino” (Babe Ruth) who he admires for his, “Home Runs. And all of his really good muscle workouts. But the thing I don’t like about him is his eating, drinking, nastiness, and smoking.”
The Challenger Division commenced their season with their championship games last week. Until next season, Spaeth will be enjoying his time dancing and practicing his athleticism at home.
