Young player improves interpersonal skills and batting average

Cole Siteman, a 13-year-old Dartmouth lad living with autism, used to be something of a flight risk in his younger days, according to his mom. But today, you’re less likely to see him run off, and much more likely to see him hit a home run, thanks in part to Dartmouth Minor Baseball.

“The community in our area, which is Woodside, in Dartmouth, has always been very supportive of him from the day I brought him home,” says Christine Siteman, Cole’s mom, who says that the local baseball league is no different in that regard. “In our area, that’s what the kids do, is play baseball, so all of his friends were doing it. Since all the kids did that, they wanted him in the same [league] with all the other kids.”

Cole would be eligible to play in a special needs baseball division called Challenger Baseball, but his mom has always wanted to expose Cole to the same things any other kid in the community would be exposed to, and to be part of them, rather than separate.

“I’ve never really put him in supported sort of things before — I want him in with all the regular kids,” says Siteman. “And they all accept him like he is.”

It would be difficult to pick Cole, the right fielder, out from the rest of his teammates on the Eastern Passage Sharks if he weren’t slightly taller than his peers. This is because he’s not treated like the odd-one-out by anyone on the team.

“It’s really nice to see kids that age appreciate the uniqueness of what Cole brings to the game, but to also see them embrace it and make him feel part of the team,” says Pat McGuire, the assistant coach for the Eastern Passage Sharks.

Cole’s skills at the game have improved since he started playing at the tender age of four, to the point where he’s now able to hit the ball on his own when he’s at the plate. And while his plays don’t technically count towards the outcome of the game, he brings something a little less tangible to not just his own team, but to the game as a whole.

“If I were to say he brings one thing to the team, he definitely does embody team spirit,” says Lloyd Hartling, a long-time neighbour to the Siteman family, and Cole’s helper on the field. “No matter what’s happening, if they’re winning or losing, he’s always high-fiving everybody.”

Cole just loves being able to play the game, and doesn’t really concern himself with whether his team is victorious or defeated, so long as everyone is having fun. That kind of infectious enthusiasm for the sport has an effect on his teammates, who are spurred on to play harder in times of doubt because of it.

“Whenever we’re losing by a couple runs, he’s always cheering,” says Cailyn Asprey, 12, who has played baseball with Cole for a few years. “It makes us [play better].”

The Cole Effect extends beyond his team’s dugout, too – it makes an impact on the opposing team, who he high-fives alongside his own team, and even swings past the fences and into the hearts of the spectators.

“You see so many things on TV about parents that act so terribly at these games. Cole won’t tolerate that kind of behaviour,” says Siteman, who says her son’s positive attitude leaks into the bleachers as well. “I think it makes them behave better than maybe they might.”

“When he goes out there, and he tries his best, it brings a lot out in people,” says McGuire.

That spirit even came out in the high-pressure atmosphere of the championship tournament. Cole’s team came in second to the Halifax Rays, who were awarded a valuable Mizuno fielder’s glove for their triumphant season. But the Rays recognized how hard Cole played, and how much his positivity influenced the entire tournament, and decided there was no one more deserving of that mitt than him.

“Their kids got together and unanimously voted to present it to Cole,” says McGuire. “They wanted Cole to have it.”

“They never laid eyes on him before, and they just accepted him with open arms,” adds Siteman.

“I was completely moved by the selfless acts of the Halifax players that decided to give him that gift,” says Peter Campbell, president of Dartmouth Minor Baseball, who sees little league baseball as a learning opportunity for children from various backgrounds to come together and learn how to be united with one another. “What those children really demonstrated was exceptional maturity and kindness.”

Of course, Cole gets a lot out of being part of this team, too. His mother says that his interpersonal skills have vastly improved since joining the Sharks, alongside his batting average.

“He’s learned so much…I see every year that he’s improving,” says Siteman, who expects Cole to be playing the game for many years to come. “I’m happy that he’s on here.”

Cole himself didn’t have too much to say about his experience — he was too busy cheering on his teammates — but when asked if he thought he played better on a team and why, he responded with an emphatic: “Well, I can!”