An inspiring story came out of a small Georgia town this last week when the Adairsville JV Softball Team showcased a moment of incredible sportsmanship. Lily Roberts, an 8th grader in Adairsville, Georgia, stepped up to the mound to help the opposing team when their player felt sick and could no longer participate in the game.
Coach Kelly Abernathy did not seem at all surprised when Roberts made the helpful decision, for he recalled all the girls across the league being willing to help each other out. He described them as great kids and also noted that a lot of them have been playing together for years.
However, the young softball player said it felt like the right thing to do so the other did wasn’t forced to forfeit; joining the game would have given them a better opportunity for a fair win.
“They were struggling and I knew if I didn’t step up, the game would have to end and they would have to forfeit. So I just thought, I would love to step up,” she shared, according to a news outlet. Coach Abernathy also noted that it wasn’t a matter of winning or losing because either way, the team’s main goal should be having fun. He said, “If we win, that’s great. If we lose, we’ll learn from it.”
He additionally recognized the softball player’s personality and that she is the type of kid to want to help out. “That’s just Lily’s personality if you know her, she said, ‘hey, I’ve got it covered,'” Abernathy shared.
Lily Roberts pithched as if she was in a ‘champioship’ softball game!
Amazingly, the 8th grader did not step up to the mound just to let her team win; she gave them a challenge that they had to work to overcome. “She would smile at them and throw them a strike,” Coach Abernathy commented happily, referring to his player’s actions during the exciting game. He included, “She was pitching like she was pitching in a championship game.”
This also did not stop her teammates from cheering her on and supporting her pitches. Players from both teams were encouraging the softball player to give the game everything she had. She expressed, “I think the other team was really supportive of me coming to pitch for them. I did hear them cheering for me when I was pitching, and it made me feel good.”
Although at the end of the day the teams lost track of the score, the most important part of the game was that the girls had fun. This event will likely be remembered for many many years as it is an amazing showcase of kindness and teamwork.
