We all face battles in life that go beyond the softball field.
 
For disabled veterans, their battle was life threatening while heroically defending our country. For child amputees, their battle is merely trying to be a kid.

In June, the game of softball brought these two sides together at the Wounded Warriors amputee softball team's camp at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA, which gave 9-, 10-, and 11-year-old kids who have lost an arm or a leg a chance to learn the sport.

"There isn't staring at me," 11-year-old Kane Van Slyke told WUSA 9 in Virginia. Kane no longer has a left leg, replaced by a prosthetic leg. "When I'm out, everyone's like: 'What happened to you? Why do you have that?' Here, they understand."

 

At Its Heart, Softball Has Heart

 
So, why did the Wounded Warriors select softball as their means of connecting with each other first and then kids who have a similar disability?
 
The answer can be found on softball fields across the country. Softball is a game that brings people together and promotes teamwork, whether at the highest level of the Olympics or professional softball, the NCAA softball level, touring leagues, little league, or adult softball leagues.
 
Camaraderie and acceptance are built into the game of softball. That's why when you watch college softball -- even a highly intense Women's College World Series matchup -- you'll see smiles throughout the game. Where else would you rather be than playing softball on a big national TV stage?
 
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"It feels like I'm normal," said 9-year-old Annie Kate Myers, who does not have use of her right hand. "Everybody here has disabilities like me. It feels like I'm in a pack."
 
The Wounded Warriors softball team travels in a pack, playing softball together about twice a month to continue its bond over military service. Softball serves as the means for keeping some of these military heroes going through difficulties in life.
 
"Every other weekend I get to hang out with these guys," said former U.S. military serviceman Saul Bosquez, who lost his leg. "And if I've gone though something, more than likely someone else has gone through the same thing."

Why Is This Program So Important?

 
For the Wounded Warriors, this is a chance for military service men and women to give back in a different way.
 
After serving their country overseas to keep America safe, they now get to inspire and encourage kids at the local level.
 
And, the kids get to see military heroes in a different light, humanized as being just like them: trying to tie their shoes, put on socks, and even throw a softball without the use of two arms and two legs.
 
On the softball field, everyone is part of the same team. It's why this program is so important: It gives kids a fresh perspective on their disability to not feel isolated or "different" but instead united and "normal," which is a lesson they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.

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