At 2:30 AM, 81-yr-old softball player sent a wholesome message to team—their response was more than he expected
Trying something new might require a lot of self-belief and support from peers. Although an 81-year-old man, Nelson Bradbury, who started playing softball in his late 60s, wasn't expecting to get so much support from his team members. So one night, as he was awake late, he decided to type out a beautiful message for his teammates to thank them for making him feel included. Little did he know that his presence meant much more to his teammates than he thought. One of his teammates' wives, Sam Evanz, who goes by @s.evanz on TikTok, shared the message with the platform.
Sam's husband played in a local softball league and 81-year-old Nelson had sent a message in the 14-person group chat at 2:30 AM. Nelson had gotten up to use the restroom in the middle of the night and had been lying awake for half an hour when he wrote the message. He was thinking about the game that night as well as his wonderful teammates. "I really appreciate the way you guys treat me as an equal and not just an old fart," the message read. The man used to think of songs "Don't Let The Old Man In" and "When Did I Get Old." Nelson liked the first song, but not the second one. His teammates helped him live by the first one.
"If it were not for you guys, I would not be playing ball, no daily walks, no light weights. There would be no reason to do those things. It's all of you who keep me going and give me a reason to get out of bed," Nelson went on. He pointed out that the team should be proud to know that they keep an old man going. "I don't know if I'll get another year in the league or not. I don't even buy green bananas anymore." But the man would remember this year of playing ball with his team. "All because of 14 great people." He concluded, "I will do my best to contribute to the team, but some days are better than others. Now…I got that off my chest, I will try to go to La La Land again."
According to another post, one person responded, "Glad to have ya, you old fart!" Another teammate explained that Nelson's example kept a lot of them going, too. "Your competitiveness and passion are second to none, and seeing that inspires everyone on this team and any other team who is lucky to have you." He added, "That's the reason why Al and I picked you and we wouldn't have it any other way." The team didn't have a photo together at that time, but they hoped to get one soon, according to Sam.
People shared their love for Nelson in the comments section of the post and cheered for the team. @dougdimmadome wrote, "Do they know that they have accumulated a little fan club here on TikTok? Can't wait to see their team photo." @dexeducation commented, "Please don't wait for them to win a tournament to take a team photo. Take one every chance you get." @jetzky_44 remarked, "They are way nicer to each other than my hockey teammates are. Yes, we all care about each other, but we never show that." The woman ended up taking the team photo, where Nelson picked his own spot.
You can follow Sam Evanz (@s.evanz) on TikTok for more lifestyle content.