Screaming at kids to get away from the TV or their computer has become almost an American pastime. But if the kid had only one leg, we'd probably cut him some slack, right?
Inactivity isn't a problem
Matt Roach has with his son,
Sam. Even though Sam is missing his right leg, Matt doesn't have to "baby" him, either. So what does a sports team do with Sam? A lot would reason that Sam would make a good team manager, and perhaps give him a chance to play in the final game of the season as some sort of a "feel good" story.
Forget that idea! The 11-year old from Golden, who attends Free Horizon Montessori School, is quarterback of his football team in the i9 Sports flag football league, and he pitches for his Golden Bad Boys Little League team. But his favorite sport is street hockey, where he plays center, just like his favorite player,
Joe Sakic, although Sam says he'd like to be a goalie someday.
"I like to throw the football," said Sam. His i9 Sports team, the Wolverines, agreed, and they voted that Sam should be their full-time quarterback. That shows that his teammates are pretty smart: Sam, a lefty, can accurately heave a spiral 30 yards downfield.
Sam is also missing two fingers and a thumb on his right hand. When he plays baseball, he uses a right-hander's glove, which he tucks under his arm while he pitches with his left hand. In one smooth motion, Sam slides the glove onto his left hand after releasing the baseball so he's ready for any ball hit to him.
"Sam loves to be a baserunner," Matt said. "Sometimes his artificial leg gets hit by a pitch, and you a hear a 'dink,' and he just runs to first."
One of the basic principles of i9 Sports' programs is inclusivity, and having Sam play in its flag football league enhances not only his life, but those of other young players who get to see that Sam's condition doesn't limit his opportunities.
"We've always tried not to give him any special attention," Matt said. "He's not real big (4'9"), so he's playing flag football, but he's a tough little guy."
From the time of his birth, Sam had one or two bones that didn't develop properly in his leg, so the choice was to either have young Sam attempt rehab, or to amputate the leg.
"We opted for amputation," said Matt, "and he's thrived ever since. For a while, he was a 'professional faller,' but he would just pop back up."
Matt said that Sam's artificial leg is designed to withstand 300 pounds of pressure, but with his activity level, he still occasionally breaks it.
"He's tough on them," Matt said. "He never sits still, he's like a hummingbird. Sometimes he overdoes it and he gets a heat rash that hurts him mostly at bedtime."
Despite the loss of his leg, Sam is always playing sports, and lucky for him, his parents let him throw a ball around inside their house.
"He always has a hockey stick in his hand," Matt said. Mom and Dad play goalie for him to shoot at, and when the ball gets worn out before Sam, they simply wrap duct tape around the ball and keep going.
Starting on Sept. 9, Sam will again lead his i9 Sports flag football team onto the field.
"I like being quarterback, and I like to be in command." The Wolverines lost a one-point decision in the semi-finals of Sam's last season, so he's hoping to improve upon that this season. Just to round things out, Sam also enjoys attending Broncos games with his family.
i9 Sports has flag football leagues for boys and girls ages 6 to 14 in Lakewood, Golden/Arvada, Broomfield and Conifer. For more information, call 303-462-1520 or go to
www.i9sports.com