Citizen Staff Report
THE BOUNCE

Brandon Smith, an eighth-grader at Old Vail Middle School, was one of nine finalists in Major League Baseball’s “Breaking Barriers” essay contest.

Smith, who suffered a head injury after an accident, wrote that “baseball has taught me about determination.”

“It is so hard to stay focused when you have a head injury. But it seemed like baseball was the one place that it was easy for me to focus. It was a quiet place in my life where everything started to make sense.

Baseball has changed my life. I have actually forgiven the driver that crashed into me. . . . If I met him today, I would have to thank him.”

Nearly 8,000 students in grades 4 through 8 entered the contest.

Smith plays in the Rincon Little League.

Citizen Staff Report

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