VIRGINIA BEACH (WTKR) — Henry Scolnick and his younger brother, Oliver, share a common bond.
“We both like very similar things like basketball and baseball,” he said. “We're so close in age that a lot of things we do overlap.”
One thing Henry has always been passionate about is making sure to include Oliver, who was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at the age of three.
“I raised money for my bar mitzvah to help my brother, Oliver, and anyone who everybody who has special needs play sports,” Henry said. “I also made a basketball version of this where kids can buddy other players and they can play basketball together.”
The two getting that chance during Sunday’s PONY baseball Champions League Championship game between Kempsville and Great Neck.
“Let the good times roll,” Oliver exclaimed. “I’m glad you are watching.”
That's the beauty of the Champions League, seeing families bonded with inclusion of their loved ones.
Christine Ross is the head coach for Great Neck. She watched with pride as her son Aidan helped his younger brother Ethan throughout the game. Ethan has also been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
“It's fun. Every time he goes on the field, it's exciting,” Aidan said. “very time he comes up to hit, it's just fun to watch him.”
“He teaches you how to hit a long way, long home runs,” Ethan said.
“It is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” Christine said.
Kempsville's Smiejan family also got the chance soak in the celebration. Their daughter Gianna rounding the bases quickly throughout the day. She wants to become the first deaf woman to be elected president of the United States.
“It's amazing to see everybody come out and watch all the kids show off their spectacular sportsmanship,” said Sarah Smiejan, Gianna’s mother. “My husband also coaches here and helps out and it's just a great family sports event.”
At the end of the game, the two teams leaving the field with a simple chant: “Champions!”
They’ll get the chance to exclaim that for years to come, while the families continue to fight for more opportunities for the players.
“When I was younger, I always saw him not being able to hang out with people because they wouldn't know how to help him, Henry said. “Now that he's with a bunch of people just like him and they can all hang out together, it's awesome to see him having a great time.”
