EMERSON,
Ga. – Many athletes are faced with obstacles throughout their sports
careers, but very few can say that they had to overcome the obstacle
of playing with the absence of a limb. Born with no left arm, the
Excel Blue Sox’s Josh Stevens is one of those proud few.
In
a game like baseball, to play with only one arm is next to impossible
and most people would shy away from the idea of competing in a sport;
but for Stevens, it merely means just having to put in a little more
effort than the next guy to play the game that he loves. Performing
everyday tasks with that kind of disability is a challenge in itself,
but to play baseball at a high level is unfathomable.
Given
his disability, Stevens knew that it would take an extraordinary
amount of hard work to be able to compete at a high level, but his
passion for baseball has driven him to chase his dream no matter what
the circumstance.
Earlier
this morning, the Excel Blue Sox opened up pool play against the Ohio
Force in hopes of starting the 2015 16u PG/East Cobb Invitational off
right. They were not able to pull out the win, however, losing 7-6 in a game that came down to the very last pitch.
If
anything was gained from this first game, it was that the Blue Sox
learned that they are a team that refuses to quit, even when the odds
are against them. That philosophy is something that Stevens and his
teammates pride themselves on. Stevens has been defying the odds his
entire baseball career, and he is looking to this tournament to put
some wins up and impress the many scouts lurking around the LakePoint
complex in Emerson, Ga.
“We
won our first tournament, and came in third in the last one, so we
feel pretty good coming into this tournament,” said Stevens. “This
summer, our main focus is to win and just get better because this
summer and next summer are really important for recruitment.”
Stevens
has aspirations to play on the college level, and has already
received attention from small schools, but his desire is to play
baseball in his home state of Alabama. Although Stevens plays
outfield, he mainly considers himself a pitcher. Both positions have
required tough adjustments in order for him to be efficient on the
ballfield, but to Stevens, these adjustments are just another part of
playing the game.
“I’ve
just had to work getting my glove on and off fast when a ball is hit
to me, but I got that down pretty fast,” said Stevens. “I also
have to hit with one arm, and that was tough at first, but now it
seems to be working pretty well for me.”
Josh’s
mother is very proud of the way that he has continued to grow as a
young man and is happy to see that he is following his passion for
baseball.
“It’s
been pretty amazing to watch him,” said his mother. “God has
gifted him with some amazing abilities and he has used those to
overcome obstacles.”
Stevens
has worked tirelessly to find ways around his disability and the work
seems to be paying off. Although he is only coming off of his
sophomore year of high school, Stevens carries himself in a very
professional way, displaying hustle and focus on and off the field.
Besides those qualities, his determination and will to compete is
something special.
“I’ve
played since I was six,” added Stevens. “Other people play, so I
don’t see why I wouldn’t be able to. Nothing has stopped me yet,
and I’m just going to continue to work every single day and
hopefully play ball at the next level.
“My
advice for anyone with a disability who would like to play sports is
to just work hard. If you work hard enough at it, you can get there
and do everything just as well as everyone else can. Don’t let
anything hold you back.”