The father of a Tulsa Little Leaguer said the world could learn a lot from his son's display of sportsmanship during a qualifier game for the Little League World Series.
Tulsa's Isaiah Jarvis is being recognized for comforting the opposing team's pitcher who was noticeably upset after accidentally hitting him in the head with a baseball during the game's first inning. Luckily, Isaiah's helmet took the brunt of the hit.
After making his way back onto the field and to first base, Isaiah said he noticed that the pitcher was still visibly shaken up.
Then, something amazing happened.
Isaiah dropped his helmet, stepped off first base, and walked over to the mound where he wrapped his arms around the emotional pitcher.
"I wanted to make sure that he was okay and that he knew that I was going to be okay moving forward," Isaiah said.
Isaiah's dad, Austin Jarvis, has coached baseball for a majority of his career. But at this game, he was just another dad in the stands.
In some ways, sportsmanship can be lost on competitors, especially during such a high-stake game. But even in the midst of a heated competition, Jarvis said compassion can take over.
"When Kaiden saw Isaiah hurt, he had compassion, and that's why he was emotional on the mound," Jarvis said. "For Isaiah then to see him emotional and then wanting to comfort him and let him know that 'hey, I am okay' and 'you don't need to worry about me,' — I think the world could learn a lot from that."
Jarvis said he's always taught his son and his players that who they are and how they treat others will determine their future more than baseball or any other sport can.
