These two pictures, to an innocent bystander, look innocuous. Summertime. Sunshine. Sunnyvale, CA. Two kids. Two bats. A baseball diamond. An at-bat during a Junior Giants baseball game.

But what these pictures don't tell are the joy and smiles behind those surgeon’s masks. A coach who advocated for them and made sure they felt like they were part of a team.

That's Nathan Lau with the neon yellow bat. And his twin brother, Gabriel Lau, with the green bat. Two boys who were diagnosed to be on the autism spectrum at 19 months old. Two parents who were told that their boys' lives had essentially stopped before they even started living: speech delays, learning disabilities, physical & social challenges, probably no friends, etc.

But along the way, something amazing happened. Nathan and Gabriel started talking. They started reading. They started learning. They became avid sports fans. 49ers. Sharks. Warriors. And, of course, the Giants.

Still, challenges remained. They struggled socially, and because of that, their opportunities to play sports and BE a part of a team were limited. The one team game that they desperately wanted to be a part of, baseball, seemed far-fetched. They loved and still love baseball.

Enter Junior Giants...and a program that actually practiced what they preached about inclusion. Enter Coach Chris Ochoa, who didn't treat them any differently from other kids who wanted to learn the game and made sure they had ample opportunities to have fun.

The boys, whose parents were told 12+ years ago to expect the worst, were living out their dreams of just being on a baseball team. Living out their dreams of playing in a baseball game. Living out their dreams of taking a fastball down and away and slapping it through the gap between 1st and 2nd for a base hit. Living out their dreams of picking up a grounder at 3rd base and throwing a rope to rob the batter of a base hit.

Yes, those two pictures look plain, boring, and normal. But to the boys and to their parents, on that day, plain, boring, and normal meant miraculous.

What a year we have had folks!

During such uncertain times, my family found solace in the fact that our little one could not only spend time with a great group of kids, but he could also do it outdoors in a safe environment and that he was able to see firsthand that not all is lost and that the community can get together, stay safe, be active and still make friends. He truly enjoyed the opportunity.

After coaching the T-ball Rockies in Richmond California, I realized that I was able to experience the Junior Giants in the same way my son did. I made friends and got to get out to help the community without fear. That alone was a huge reward in itself! Honored to be a part of their experience and having watched their confidence and growth. Very proud of my group for starting and completing the objective of baseball- Having Fun!

Bonding with my son Evan, well that was priceless.

Thank you Junior Giants! See you next year.

We are an immigrant family from Mexico and El Salvador and we wanted our children to love the culture of this country. One of the things we wanted is for them to like baseball - and it was a success! My hija loved being in the Junior Giants, sharing and playing with more children. My 3-year-old son, by seeing my daughter, began to show interest in the game, too! I am very grateful that this program included us and they did not discriminate against us. Thank you, also, because we never went to a game at the stadium and you gave us the opportunity to watch a game we really enjoyed with my children. Thank you very much for this opportunity.

Dear Junior Giants:

My name is David Crouse. I'm so proud & humbled that I was voted the 2021 Willie Mac Award Winner for my San Mateo Junior. Giants League.

I had the most amazing day of my life at the Giants game on Sunday, August, 15, 2021!

I've been a lifelong Giants fan…even though I'm only 15 years old!

See, I'm what society "labels me" as having "Special Needs' '. I have a rare condition called Congenital Hypotonia along with I'm "somewhere" on the Autism spectrum. I've never played "regular" sports yet I'm the biggest Bay Area sports fan you'll ever meet! My big brother (Parker) played 3 sports (football, soccer and baseball) at Hillsdale High School so I was able to attend his sporting events almost every day for many years to cheer him on…it was so much fun! I'm his biggest fan and I love him dearly!

What does "Special Needs" mean to me? It means that for most of my life people treat me "differently" since I have mental and physical delays.

Many times adults in society will just look away from me or ignore me… many kids will just stare at me as they try to figure out "what is wrong" with me. I'm guessing that I "look" normal until I open my mouth…my words aren't as clear as others and sometimes I'm just "a little louder" than I should be… but life is exciting and I like to share that excitement whenever I can….

I talk with anyone who will listen to a ''hello” or, "hi, my name is David, what is your name?". I learned to look people in the eyes, shake their hand with a firm hand grip from a friend of my family- Jerry Berkson. Whenever he would see me, it was a "teachable" moment as I would always ask him for a piece of gum (I love Gum especially at baseball games). Jerry wouldn't give me a piece of gum until I shook his hand with a firm shake and looked him in the eyes as we talked. An early life lesson that I've used everyday of my life….

Unfortunately, many people are taken back as I introduce myself as I ask them their name but I'm just being friendly and genuinely want to meet new people. Recently, I was at Krispy Kreme in Daly City with Parker. I introduced myself to a gentleman standing behind me in line. I was telling him all about the "amazing donuts" I wanted to try, suggesting some donuts that he might want to try as I was mesmerized by the hot donuts rolling off of the conveyor belt. When we went to pay, the gentleman threw down a $50 bill and told the cashier "please buy anything that David wants as he's the most amazing kid!". Wow- what an awesome guy! Not for the money, but for making me feel so special at that particular moment… I was beaming and gave him a big hug as a "thank you" for being so kind to me. In my mind there is no such thing as a "stranger" as there are only people I haven't met yet!

So, when my family signed me up for Junior Giants this summer, I was thrilled. What did this mean to me? It meant that Coaches, players and parents treated me "the same" as the rest of my amazing San Mateo Junior Giants Team. A big "thank you" to my Coaches as they were always upbeat, supportive and positive while my team thrived on learning the game. We had childhood fun playing the greatest game ever created! I was so thrilled to actually be on a team with "regular" kids and I cherished every moment….for a few hours each week I would put on my Junior Giants hat, jersey, and fill up my Giants water bottle. At that point each week on Tuesdays and Saturdays I was simply known as "Dave the Baseball Player"… like everyone else I was trying to hit "dingers" as I would imagine John Miller saying with emphasis "Adios Pelota"!!!! When my practices were over, we would all cheerfully say "goodbye"… I would then have to go back to my ever present label in society of being labeled as "Special Needs Dave"….

Then miraculously my life changed… I received the notification that I had won the "2021 Willie Mac Award" for my league. Wow! It has changed my life! A "Special Needs" player wins an award based on the highest honor that the SF Giants bestow among their players. Everyone I talk to knows about the "Willie Mac Award" and how special it is being named after one of the greatest SF Giants ever!

Somehow, it even gets better! The Giants Community Fund invited me to cheer behind the "Summer Sunday" show… this can't be real! I watch that show every Sunday….

In the last 24 hours, I think my parents told everyone they've ever met that "Dave will be on TV on Sunday… you need to tune in! Dave's a 2021 Willie Mac Award Winner"!

My family and I cried tears of joy recently as we are so thankful to the SF Giants and the Jr. Giants Organization.

With that in mind, I decided to sign my own baseballs and hand them out to the people that I admire the most within the SF Giants Organization as a small memento and token of my appreciation to simply say "thank you" for being a huge part of my life on radio & TV as I cheer on my favorite team every game…

While there seems to be so much negativity in the world, I want to share some hope, joy and gratitude to the SF Giants that mean so much to me on a daily basis during the baseball season…. I'm often "confused and lost" during the season when there is an "off day" as I miss everyone that has to do with "'My Team"… the current best team in MLB and 1st Place in the West…. The SF Giants!

Thank you to everyone for their support of Junior Giants as it really has created a life changing activity for many Bay Area kids (including myself).

Like winning an Academy Award, I will forever introduce myself as the "2021 Willie Mac Award Winner for the Jr. Giants- David Crouse!!!!!"

Go Giants!

David Crouse

To you this photo right here might look like just a couple of kids ready to play ball. But to me as their mother, it means so much more than that. Being a part of the Junior Giants this year gave my family and I hope, pure happiness, and the strength to keep going even after having pretty bad days. You see, my oldest Lukas has always been an athletic boy. He loved the game of baseball even before he could walk. He's played with a few little league teams and with the Junior Giants in the past. My son Mattias was born with a gift. He's truly an amazing smart boy. He loves anything in space, playing and studying instruments, and puzzles. He never seemed interested in any type of sport. As for my daughter Katy, I remember just a little over a year ago, we were trying to figure out her likes and what she wanted to learn more of.

The pandemic has been hard on us all, in many different ways. On June 23rd of 2020, Katy was diagnosed with cancer (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia). Our life seemed like it was broken into a million pieces. It was hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. We went through very tough times as a family, trying to give Katy happy days was all we focused on. We didn't know what the future would hold for Katy, Lukas, Oli, and baby sister Kamila. We didn't want to think of the future. My family started watching the Giants play on TV and that's what we did as a family. We noticed Brandon Crawford wearing a gold band around his arm during games which is his way of supporting Childhood Cancer. Katy and the family grew a bigger connection to the Crawfords.

Then came the Junior Giants Spring Training program, and all my kids wanted me to sign them up! So, then we practiced at home, focused on the basics, and we saw improvement in their baseball skills. Lukas was ecstatic to practice of course and took the role as a leader right away. It was so much fun watching my son Mattias play ball. He would focus more on the details of baseball; his stance had to be perfect, the way he held the baseball had to be exactly the same every time, and he would keep practicing his swing until he got it right. Seeing Katy running the bases (even if it was the wrong way the first time), brought me to tears. There were times where she couldn't walk from all her treatments, and she's running the bases now!

A year after Katy's diagnosis, she started her maintenance phase and things seemed to be turning around. Our children were happier and seeing them all play together brought us so much joy. Then summer came and my kids had the opportunity to be a part of the Junior Giants on the field. Lukas was beyond ready; he was crushing the balls during practice and at the games. His goal was to try to focus on his stance and hit the ball further every time. Mattias was so focused on the fundamentals and wanted to perfect every aspect of it. It was amazing seeing him play a sport and be good at it! He was so proud of himself when he had a great hit, and when he would make "double plays". Katy loved the game, she loved playing with other kids, and talking to her coach about her day. I noticed that Katy would enjoy every moment and had fun during practice and games. Seeing her smile and waving at little sister, my husband, and I made me so emotional. She had gone through so much that she deserved that moment. To be a part of a team and play the game that makes her absolutely happy.

So, you see, Junior Giants brought our family together again. We got to spend our time together, doing something that we love and some of us grew to love. Junior Giants helped us forget about our pain, sadness, and tough times. It saved our family, in a way. We looked forward to practices and games as a family. It made us all utterly happy. Thank you for giving my family these happy memories, and looking forward to our future.

My journey with Junior Giants began 15 years ago with my 2 oldest who are now 30 and 28. All four of my kids (ages 30, 28, 24 and 20) played Junior Giants.

Someone my daughter played against over 15 years ago called my daughter to get me to help coach her son and my two granddaughters.

So, here is a picture of me and my two granddaughters, ages 8 & 9, with me starting all over again with Junior Giants

First and foremost on behalf of me and my family I would like to thank the Junior Giants program for the opportunity to work with my own kids as well as coach others from my community.

Last year was tough on all of us and it was great getting back into some safe outdoor activities.

From the time I found out I was having a daughter, I began thinking about how I would teach her the game of baseball. One of the first words out of her mouth was, "Giants!" and by the age of two, she was doing the "Let's go Giants," *clap* *clap* *clap* chant.

As she gets older, it's always a fine balance between sharing my interests with her and staying involved in what interests her. I have definitely sung my fair share of TikTok and Disney songs! When I saw a Junior Giants post, I saw a great opportunity to blend one of my interests and one of my daughter's; recording TikToks in Junior Giants uniform - let's give this a go!!

I was excited to see her reaction to the fun she had this summer on the field with others and look forward to her growing interests in Junior Giants baseball. -Jeremiah G.

The Junior Giants is an amazing program meant to inspire youth to create change in their community. That is exactly what the Junior Giants has done for me.

I began playing with the Junior Giants at a young age. I stuck with the program due to its core values. I loved the idea of being able to play sports without worrying about the politics that often comes with youth sports. Junior Giants gave me a place where my friends and I could focus on having fun and improving as a team. Soon, the opportunity to apply for the Harmon and Sue Burns scholarship came about. I applied and after I was awarded, stayed with the program to go on to coach multiple teams throughout high school.

From this opportunity, I received an email informing me of the available Ambassador position in my hometown. I jumped at the idea to continue my involvement in the program and was lucky enough to have been offered the position. Being on the admin side of my league opened my eyes to a world of opportunity. I strive every day to make the program as enjoyable as it was for me when I was a player. I am so thankful to have been able to grow up in the Junior Giants program. I loved each step of the journey and look forward to the next phase.

My husband and I are both Active Duty Air Force and have been on back to back deployments over the past year. Coaching the Tornadoes and having our kids on our team this season was the first thing we got to do together, and we witnessed a diverse team of kids grow and come together in five short weeks. Our kids on this team are so enthusiastic and have grown so much because of Junior Giants. The Junior Giants allowed our entire family to come together, and allowed us to gain an extended family with the children that we coach.

This was my daughter's first year participating in the Junior Giants. Although it was a little different this year because of COVID, she still had a good time learning about baseball while being able to socialize with other Junior Giants. This picture was taken at the San Francisco Giants game against the New York Mets, tickets we got from the Junior Giants, and it was her first game! As a mother fighting cancer, it was definitely something on my bucket list to bring my kids to a Giants game as I've always been a Giants fan. Thank you Junior Giants and SF Giants!