Matt Olson, Reece Blankenship share inspiring friendship
n”,”providerName”:”Twitter”,”providerUrl”:”https://twitter.com”,”thumbnail_url”:null,”sort”:”oembed”,”width”:550,”contentType”:”wealthy”},{“__typename”:”Markdown”,”content material”:”When Reece attended Matt’s Opening Day debut with the Braves in 2022, he needed to depart Truist Park after three innings due to the sensory overload of the loud music, flashing lights, concession smells and the overall electrical energy within the air because the crew celebrated its World Sequence championship.nnRecently, although, Reece achieved a milestone by making it by way of a whole Braves sport. All through the sport, his dad and mom reminded him, “Should you make it to the top, you get to go see Matt!”nnSo when the sport ended, Reece made his manner downstairs to the realm exterior the Braves’ clubhouse. There, as typical, he held his pal’s fingers and studied them for some time.”,”sort”:”textual content”},{“__typename”:”Picture”,”caption”:null,”contextualCaption”:null,”contextualAspectRatio”:null,”credit score”:null,”contentType”:null,”format”:”jpg”,”templateUrl”:”https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/picture/add/{formatInstructions}/mlb/f8tlqakrmeove73jfjdh”,”sort”:”picture”},{“__typename”:”Markdown”,”content material”:”Olson additionally donates 1% of his wage to the Atlanta Braves Basis, and that contribution led to the creation of “The Matt Pack” — a program that invitations households impacted by autism to get pleasure from a complimentary, sensory-friendly sport expertise at Truist Park.nnThe six seats had been personally chosen by Matt and Reece and are situated in a handicap-accessible space that offers attendees room to face up, tempo or soar up and down with out interrupting the expertise of others. The seats are additionally conveniently situated near a quiet area that gives rest room entry away from crowds and a respite from the noise of the ballpark.nnReece’s household is aware of too effectively how troublesome attending a sport may be with out that type of assist.nn“Reece has very extreme sensory sensitivity,” says Lou, “particularly with auditory and visible stimulation.””,”sort”:”textual content”},{“__typename”:”Picture”,”caption”:null,”contextualCaption”:null,”contextualAspectRatio”:null,”credit score”:null,”contentType”:null,”format”:”jpg”,”templateUrl”:”https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/picture/add/{formatInstructions}/mlb/thmrv0otudb8binqpy7i”,”sort”:”picture”},{“__typename”:”Markdown”,”content material”:”Reece has lengthy been amazed at what these fingers can do with a baseball and a bat. However now, with the assistance of his letterboard, his household and his longtime pal Matt, Reece has confirmed his personal fingers are fairly highly effective, too.nn_What follows is the complete written interview we carried out with Reece Blankenship about his particular friendship with Matt Olson. Reece typed his solutions on a wi-fi keyboard that connects to a notes web page on his iPad._nn**How essential is Matt’s friendship in your life?**nnREALISTICALLY FRIENDSHIPS FOR THOSE LIKE ME ARE VERY UNIQUE AND SOMEWHAT DIFFICULT FOR NEUROTYPICALS TO COMPREHEND. MATT AND I FORGED OUR FRIENDSHIP DURING MANY HOURS SHARED TOGETHER WORKING ON THERAPY MOTOR SKILLS, BUT MY FAVORITE TIMES WERE SPENT WALKING FOR MILES IN COMPANIONABLE SILENCE. MATT AND I CANNOT CHAT ON THE PHONE, EASILY TEXT, OR SHARE A BEER IN A LOUD SPORTS BAR LIKE MOST GUYS. BUT MATT AND I HAVE CONNECTED ON A DIFFERENT PLANE AND WE EACH SEE THE DEEPER BEING. I HAVE SAID MANY TIMES BEFORE THAT OUR FRIENDSHIP TRANSCENDS TYPICAL SPEECH. THIS FRIENDSHIP IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT GIVES ME FAITH THAT MY TRUE SELF IS VALUED IN SPITE OF MY UNRULY BODY.nn**What makes Matt pal?**nnFIRST OFF FOR ME, MATT IS A GOOD FRIEND BECAUSE HIS UNWAVERING ABILITY FOR CALMNESS IS THE PERFECT FOIL FOR MY UNPREDICTABLE SELF. HE IS WITTY AND INTELLIGENT. HIS WIFE NICOLE IS OF THE SAME ILK AND THEY MAKE A GREAT DUO.nnMATT IS SELF ASSURED WITHOUT BEING COCKY AND I SO MUCH ADMIRE HIS ATHLETIC PROWESS. WHILE GROWING UP IT NEVER HURT TO HAVE FRIENDS LIKE MATT WHO WERE BIG, STRONG, AND WELL RESPECTED IN OUR SCHOOL. THIS STILL HOLDS TRUE IN THE REAL WORLD TODAY.nn**What has Matt meant to ReClif?**nnMATT BELIEVES IN ME AND HAS CONSISTENTLY SUPPORTED MY VISION FOR BOTH RECLIF AND RECLIF COMMUNITY. MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS ASIDE I THINK HIS LOYALTY TO ME, RECLIF AND RECLIF COMMUNITY CERTAINLY MAKES OTHERS AT LEAST TAKE NOTICE AND POSSIBLY INQUIRE DEEPER THAN THEY MIGHT HAVE. NICOLE HAS ALSO EMBRACED ME AND MY VISION AND HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN ASSISTING MATT IN ADVANCING OUR CAUSE THROUGH DIAMOND CASINO NIGHT. WORKING WITH MATT AND THE BRAVES FOUNDATION ON PROVIDING THE MATT PACK SEATS TO FAMILIES IMPACTED BY AUTISM HAS BEEN REMARKABLE AND SO REWARDING. nn**What have you ever considered Matt’s season?**nnYOU MAY KNOW THAT I HAVE ALWAYS DONE PRESEASON STATS FOR MATT AND FOR MOST YEARS I HAVE BEEN DANG CLOSE. THIS YEAR MATT IS SURPASSING EVEN MY HIGH PREDICTIONS. SINCE HE HAS ALREADY CRUSHED THE 42 HRS I PREDICTED I ALREADY GAVE HIM PERMISSION TO MAKE MY GUESSES LOOK FOOLISH. LIKE I RECENTLY WROTE TO MATT — SOMETIMES CHEMISTRY MAKES STATISTICAL ANALYSIS GO AWRY. SO SWING AWAY WITH HAPPY HEARTS AND ENJOY THE STRONG VIBE THIS TEAM IS CREATING.”,”sort”:”textual content”}],”relativeSiteUrl”:”/information/matt-olson-reece-blankenship-friendship”,”contentType”:”information”,”subHeadline”:null,”abstract”:”This story was initially revealed on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023.”,”tagline({“formatString”:”none”})”:null,”tags”:[{“__typename”:”InternalTag”,”slug”:”storytype-article”,”title”:”Article”,”type”:”article”},{“__typename”:”TeamTag”,”slug”:”teamid-144″,”title”:”Atlanta Braves”,”team”:{“__ref”:”Team:144″},”type”:”team”},{“__typename”:”PersonTag”,”slug”:”playerid-621566″,”title”:”Matt Olson”,”person”:{“__ref”:”Person:621566″},”type”:”player”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”mlb-life”,”title”:”MLB Life”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”apple-news”,”title”:”Apple News”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”ContributorTag”,”slug”:”anthony-castrovince”,”title”:”Anthony 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October eleventh, 2024
This story was initially revealed on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023.
ATLANTA — When Reece Blankenship sees his pal Matt Olson, he’ll maintain his hand for an extended whereas, rubbing his finger alongside the calluses which have fashioned from years of gripping the baseball bat. He’ll stare in surprise at these instruments the Braves’ first baseman has used to change into one of the productive sluggers in MLB.
Matt’s fingers have lengthy been a supply of fascination for Reece, ever for the reason that two grew to become buddies in highschool.
“Once I was rising up, I all the time had some kind of ball in my hand, simply type of flipping it round,” Olson says. “Reece was all the time amazed by the hand dexterity that I had. … To him, the motor abilities are wonderful.”
Reece has non-speaking autism, and his lifelong situation leaves him with little authority over his physique actions.
However in recent times, as Matt had a baseball breakthrough to change into an MVP-caliber participant, Reece had a communication breakthrough that allowed him to pursue the goals as soon as locked inside him.
Now, these friends are each utilizing their fingers to make an impression — the 29-year-old Matt with that booming bat vying for the MLB residence run crown, and the 28-year-old Reece with the letterboard he factors to when spelling out his concepts for find out how to empower, settle for and advocate for these on the spectrum.
This heartwarming friendship, which is documented in a brand new MLB Community characteristic “Unstated Bond,” helps to enhance the lives of others.
When Matt was nonetheless with the Oakland A’s, he was an early supporter of ReClif, the enterprise and charity Reece based to assist autistic folks and their households. And due to the commerce that introduced Olson to his hometown crew final 12 months, he has been in a position to ramp up that assist by organizing a significant fundraiser for ReClif and offering Braves tickets for autistic people and their households.
This good citizenship earned Olson the Braves’ 2023 Roberto Clemente Award nomination.
“Matt and I’ve related on a special airplane,” Reece writes. “We every see the deeper being.”
For the primary 19 years and 11 months of his life, Reece couldn’t talk such a strong proclamation of friendship … or anything. He was, as he writes now, “trapped inside a nightmare,” totally able to understanding the world round him, but unable to transmit his ideas.
Reece’s situation isn’t unusual. In line with the Nationwide Autism Affiliation, 1 in 36 kids are affected by autism, and about 40% of these kids don’t converse.
That didn’t cease Matt from befriending Reece, his fellow classmate at Parkview Excessive College in Lilburn, Ga., simply exterior Atlanta.
On the time, Reece was identified to have the mental capabilities of a 3-year-old. He wanted a number of consideration. With few autism companies accessible on the time and the price of skilled therapists troublesome to handle, Reece’s mom, Lou, and father, Jeff, would rent native youngsters — typically, athletes — to work with Reece and meet his aim of 36 hours of remedy per week.
The scholars had been educated to have interaction in “play remedy,” serving to Reece with studying actions, train (strolling, biking, swimming, taking pictures baskets, throwing and kicking balls), writing, coloring, and many others. Matt’s older brother, Zack, initially did the job. When he graduated, Matt, who had grown up with Reece’s older sister, Daron, took over.
“It was an eye-opening expertise for me,” Matt says.
As a result of Reece can not converse or management his actions, he’ll generally make loud noises or chew his personal hand when dealing with anxiousness or pleasure. You’ll be able to think about how these quirks of his situation could be obtained by the common highschool scholar unaccustomed to them.
From the start, although, Reece’s household famous how naturally snug Matt was round Reece.
“Watching them work together, particularly when lots of people are round, you’ll suppose that Reece is not even listening to Matt,” Lou says. “Then, you’ll discover that Reece is standing nearer to Matt or grabbing his hand or arm. Or Matt will put his arm round Reece’s shoulder. As a mother, I can simply see the non-verbal power between them.”
The friendship continued after highschool. When Matt was a Minor League participant with the A’s, his season would wrap up simply as Reece’s siblings had been venturing off to school within the fall. So Matt would serve a brotherly function for him.
“I’d get Snapchats from [Matt] of him and Reece collectively,” says Daron, Reece’s sister. “It was simply very pure, very real, and it was so good to know that, whilst you’re away, anyone was nonetheless there with my brother, being particular person for him.”
For a few years, the “non-verbal power” was the extent of the friendship.
Then, in 2014, Reece had a quantum leap in communication that caught everybody in his orbit — together with Matt — abruptly.
Reece’s dad and mom took him to a “spelling to speak” workshop the place autism sufferers are taught the motor abilities to level to letters on a board to spell phrases. Reece had carried out fairly a little bit of practising through home-based remedy within the weeks main as much as that second, but what got here out of him in these few days was nothing in need of extraordinary.
The breakthrough got here early within the workshop.
“We’re going to speak about astronomy,” one of many therapists mentioned to Reece. “Have you learnt something about that?”
Reece started pointing to letters on the board, spelling out an entire sentence:
“I do know Copernicus advocated that the Earth revolves across the solar.”
Lou and Jeff checked out one another in amazement. Docs had instructed them their son had the mental equal of a toddler. However in that second, he confirmed he had a lot extra to supply.
“The joke’s on us,” says Matt, “as a result of Reece might be the neatest particular person within the room.”
What has adopted, over the past 9 years, is an inspiring story in regards to the younger man who was lastly in a position to convey his goals and the large leaguer who helped him pursue them.
As Reece started utilizing a letterboard — and, subsequently, a keyboard — to disclose concepts he had for a therapy and health heart for folks on the spectrum and others who want individualized consideration, his dad and mom started to attract up a marketing strategy.
The ensuing facility is called ReClif — for his first and center identify, Reece Clifton. Because it opened its doorways in Peachtree Corners in early 2018, ReClif has served a whole lot of purchasers with remedy choices that embody customized train courses, therapeutic yoga, spelling-to-communicate teaching, specialised studying seminars and different choices.
To launch the enterprise, Reece had solicited assist on GoFundMe in 2017. The primary donation was a $5,000 submission from his pal Matt, then a rookie with the A’s. Matt, his brother and a few of their mates additionally helped transfer tools and furnishings into the ability when ReClif signed its first lease.
“It’s an easy determination,” Olson says, “to provide again to anyone that I care tremendously about, for a trigger that I care tremendously about and a household that I belief is right here to do the precise factor for different folks.”
When Matt was traded to the Braves and signed a long-term extension with them previous to the 2022 season, nobody was happier than Reece. Not solely might he join along with his pal extra continuously, however Matt’s platform with the native MLB crew has given ReClif further publicity.
ReClif launched a charitable arm, named ReClif Neighborhood, that raises funds for sufferers who lose entry to many publicly funded applications after highschool and for households enduring the excessive prices of caring for these with autism. In January, Matt and his spouse, Nicole, held their inaugural Diamond On line casino Night time at Truist Park and raised greater than $250,000 for ReClif Neighborhood.
When Reece attended Matt’s Opening Day debut with the Braves in 2022, he needed to depart Truist Park after three innings due to the sensory overload of the loud music, flashing lights, concession smells and the overall electrical energy within the air because the crew celebrated its World Sequence championship.
Just lately, although, Reece achieved a milestone by making it by way of a whole Braves sport. All through the sport, his dad and mom reminded him, “Should you make it to the top, you get to go see Matt!”
So when the sport ended, Reece made his manner downstairs to the realm exterior the Braves’ clubhouse. There, as typical, he held his pal’s fingers and studied them for some time.
Olson additionally donates 1% of his wage to the Atlanta Braves Basis, and that contribution led to the creation of “The Matt Pack” — a program that invitations households impacted by autism to get pleasure from a complimentary, sensory-friendly sport expertise at Truist Park.
The six seats had been personally chosen by Matt and Reece and are situated in a handicap-accessible space that offers attendees room to face up, tempo or soar up and down with out interrupting the expertise of others. The seats are additionally conveniently situated near a quiet area that gives rest room entry away from crowds and a respite from the noise of the ballpark.
Reece’s household is aware of too effectively how troublesome attending a sport may be with out that type of assist.
“Reece has very extreme sensory sensitivity,” says Lou, “particularly with auditory and visible stimulation.”
Reece has lengthy been amazed at what these fingers can do with a baseball and a bat. However now, with the assistance of his letterboard, his household and his longtime pal Matt, Reece has confirmed his personal fingers are fairly highly effective, too.
What follows is the complete written interview we carried out with Reece Blankenship about his particular friendship with Matt Olson. Reece typed his solutions on a wi-fi keyboard that connects to a notes web page on his iPad.
How essential is Matt’s friendship in your life?
REALISTICALLY FRIENDSHIPS FOR THOSE LIKE ME ARE VERY UNIQUE AND SOMEWHAT DIFFICULT FOR NEUROTYPICALS TO COMPREHEND. MATT AND I FORGED OUR FRIENDSHIP DURING MANY HOURS SHARED TOGETHER WORKING ON THERAPY MOTOR SKILLS, BUT MY FAVORITE TIMES WERE SPENT WALKING FOR MILES IN COMPANIONABLE SILENCE. MATT AND I CANNOT CHAT ON THE PHONE, EASILY TEXT, OR SHARE A BEER IN A LOUD SPORTS BAR LIKE MOST GUYS. BUT MATT AND I HAVE CONNECTED ON A DIFFERENT PLANE AND WE EACH SEE THE DEEPER BEING. I HAVE SAID MANY TIMES BEFORE THAT OUR FRIENDSHIP TRANSCENDS TYPICAL SPEECH. THIS FRIENDSHIP IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT GIVES ME FAITH THAT MY TRUE SELF IS VALUED IN SPITE OF MY UNRULY BODY.
What makes Matt pal?
FIRST OFF FOR ME, MATT IS A GOOD FRIEND BECAUSE HIS UNWAVERING ABILITY FOR CALMNESS IS THE PERFECT FOIL FOR MY UNPREDICTABLE SELF. HE IS WITTY AND INTELLIGENT. HIS WIFE NICOLE IS OF THE SAME ILK AND THEY MAKE A GREAT DUO.
MATT IS SELF ASSURED WITHOUT BEING COCKY AND I SO MUCH ADMIRE HIS ATHLETIC PROWESS. WHILE GROWING UP IT NEVER HURT TO HAVE FRIENDS LIKE MATT WHO WERE BIG, STRONG, AND WELL RESPECTED IN OUR SCHOOL. THIS STILL HOLDS TRUE IN THE REAL WORLD TODAY.
What has Matt meant to ReClif?
MATT BELIEVES IN ME AND HAS CONSISTENTLY SUPPORTED MY VISION FOR BOTH RECLIF AND RECLIF COMMUNITY. MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS ASIDE I THINK HIS LOYALTY TO ME, RECLIF AND RECLIF COMMUNITY CERTAINLY MAKES OTHERS AT LEAST TAKE NOTICE AND POSSIBLY INQUIRE DEEPER THAN THEY MIGHT HAVE. NICOLE HAS ALSO EMBRACED ME AND MY VISION AND HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN ASSISTING MATT IN ADVANCING OUR CAUSE THROUGH DIAMOND CASINO NIGHT. WORKING WITH MATT AND THE BRAVES FOUNDATION ON PROVIDING THE MATT PACK SEATS TO FAMILIES IMPACTED BY AUTISM HAS BEEN REMARKABLE AND SO REWARDING.
What have you ever considered Matt’s season?
YOU MAY KNOW THAT I HAVE ALWAYS DONE PRESEASON STATS FOR MATT AND FOR MOST YEARS I HAVE BEEN DANG CLOSE. THIS YEAR MATT IS SURPASSING EVEN MY HIGH PREDICTIONS. SINCE HE HAS ALREADY CRUSHED THE 42 HRS I PREDICTED I ALREADY GAVE HIM PERMISSION TO MAKE MY GUESSES LOOK FOOLISH. LIKE I RECENTLY WROTE TO MATT — SOMETIMES CHEMISTRY MAKES STATISTICAL ANALYSIS GO AWRY. SO SWING AWAY WITH HAPPY HEARTS AND ENJOY THE STRONG VIBE THIS TEAM IS CREATING.