Even though Ethan Etter has Down Syndrome, he does not let that stop him from playing America’s favorite past time. Ethan’s love for sports has helped him travel all over the country, and due to his skills at the plate, this fall he’s playing in the Miracle League All-Star game in Houston.
Cheryl Etter says, “Everyone can play baseball, whether you’re in a wheelchair or a walker. Ethan made some of his best friends at Miracle League. You can go and feel safe and at home, and the person beside you knows exactly what you’re going through every single day.”
Ethan’s got some serious pop in his bat, and according to his family that comes from the drive to be better than his older brother, who’s a hitting instructor at Hale’s Baseball Academy. Ethan’s been playing since he was 5 years old, and when I asked him if baseball was his favorite sport, he said…
Ethan Etter says, “Na. Basketball.”
Samuel Etter says, “He’s definitely a better hitter than I ever was, but I think me being older kind of was like, him being the little on me was like, dude I want to be better than him.”
Every Tuesday, Ethan comes to Hale’s Baseball Academy to get ready for that big all-star game he’s got in November.
Mark Hewitt says, “It’s a joy to be able to do it and work with him, and I see him improving every time he comes. He wants to be good, he wants to get ready for this all-star game. He puts the effort in and he’s going to be ready. There’s no doubt.”
Cheryl Etter says, “We can continue with our love of baseball by having a place where he can go and feel safe and feel included. Sometimes that’s hard to find as a special needs mom, and we have found it here.”
Owner of Hale’s Baseball Academy Tyler Hale says Ethan is an inspiration to everyone at his facility, and he thinks a lot of people can learn from the joy he gets when he steps into the batters box.
Samuel Etter says, “It’s bigger than baseball. When you have special needs playing the game of baseball which so many of us love, it’s just like an added bonus that he gets to enjoy the game a little bit longer than most of us.”
Mark Hewitt says, “God has blessed him abundantly in certain ways to where he can still play the game. So I always teach my kids, God doesn’t love baseball, God loves people who play baseball, and that’s Ethan.”
The Miracle League All-Star Game is in Houston in November.
