I was an extremely proud parent after watching a junior varsity baseball game last week at Manchester Memorial High School. It wasn’t only the efforts of the players on the field, but what happened before the game started.

One night last week we got a call from my mother-in-law with bad news. My young niece, Michaela had just been Life Flighted from Park Rapids, Minn., to a hospital for children in Minneapolis. She had been sick for a few days, and was now having trouble breathing. I told my son, Brandon about his cousin the following morning, and asked him to remember her in his prayers. But I never thought he would share the news with his high school teammates.

He went to his head baseball coach, Peter Colcord and asked if he could bring the players together for a prayer, and the coach agreed. One of Brandon’s teammates stepped up and said the prayer as the Crusaders gathered in a circle by the field. I didn’t even know it had happened until Brandon told me after the game, as they routinely huddle after each inning for a pep talk and coaches’ instructions.

After spending the week in an intensive care unit, Michaela beat the virus and bacteria infection in her throat, that had plugged her breathing passage. She went home Sunday, thanks to excellent medical treatment, and the prayers of many people!

Memories of base hits and plays in the field will fade soon, but the compassion and leadership shown by a baseball team to a little girl they didn’t even know, will be remembered for a long time. Good luck in the rest of your season Crusaders!

-Bob Hammerstrom

Tags: Baseball, blog, bob hammerstrom, Brandon, Crusaders, Hammerstrom, High School, junior varsity, JV, leadership, life flight, manchester, Memorial, michaela, Minneapolis, Minnesota, new hampshire, players, pray, prayers, praying, season, sports, team