07/25/2026
Iâve thought about last nightâs game all morning.
Congratulations to this incredible team on bringing home a State Championship. The hard work, dedication and heart you poured into this season was evident from the first pitch to the final out. You earned every bit of it.
As I watched the excitement unfold, I was unexpectedly transported back to 2008, when my own son played baseball for the first time. That season with Indianola Little League introduced him to the boy who would become his lifelong best friend, brother and teammate.
Watching this yearâs catcher celebrate reminded me so much of Noah. His energy, his enthusiasm and the joy he had for the game brought back so many memories. I loved Noah from the time he was four years old. He wasnât my son, but when you watch a child grow up alongside your own, they become part of your heart.
Itâs been almost a year since we lost him.
Watching those boys celebrate together made me smile through tears because I couldnât help but picture Noah right there with them. Then I thought about the 2022 team, including my own son, and how proud they all would have been to watch this group bring home a State Championship.
Sometimes a game is more than a game. Itâs a reminder of the friendships that shape us, the communities that raise us and the people we carry with us long after theyâre gone.
Congratulations again to this team. Thank you for giving your community something to celebrate and for reminding me that the friendships built on these fields last far beyond the game itself.
