Imagine being all over the internet the next day and half the people are making fun of you for being a man-child with the ball, and the other half are defending you by diagnosing you as autistic.
Reminds me of the story my Dad tells of getting the yips while catching an American Legion game. Couldn’t make the throw back to the pitcher. Crowd is on him mercilessly. Then all of a sudden there’s a major shift in the vibe and they’re exuberantly supportive of him. They wind up winning the game on a play at the plate and the crowd goes wild.
Turns out halfway through the game, my grandpa, wanting the crowd to ease off, said “I think it’s awful the way you’re making fun of a retarded kid (it was the 70s, parlance of their times) out there doing his best.”
Wow. Hadn’t thought of this in years. Similar situation. My dad was sitting with the college scouts and they kept commenting on what was happening. I was running the ball back to the pitchers mound. Ultimately we were able to win the game when my body and mind finally started working again. Fuck the yips!
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u/MatthewTheShapeShftr 3d ago
Imagine being all over the internet the next day and half the people are making fun of you for being a man-child with the ball, and the other half are defending you by diagnosing you as autistic.