UIndy Athletics

The University of Indianapolis baseball team began a partnership with TeamIMPACT in 2014, welcoming 7-year-old Owen Mahan to their program in January. This page will follow Owen and the team, from their perspective and in their words.

---

 

Entry Eight: Owen's Halloween Game -James and Susan Mahan  |  Owen's Parents

On Halloween night, Coach and the team surprised Owen with a special Halloween Game.  Even though it was extremely cold that day, the team did not seem to notice. This team amazes me with their devotion to Owen.  It touches my heart to see Owens smile when he is interacting with his team mates.  It is very clear that he belongs on the team.  The guys show their love of Owen every time I see them together. 

He has talked about this to everybody he sees.  He loved coaches costume, and tells all about the baby that was there.  Owen was pleased that the president and "his men" could attend.  He is just learning about past, present and current names of presidents.....currently per Owen our president is Barrack O'Bottom....sorry no heart to correct him on pronunciation of that name, than he will rattle on about all the other costumes. 

It was a great day for Owen.  Being such a giving boy, he wants to sponsor a trip for another child to go to GKTW and Disney.  Your Halloween game will put us closer to doing that.  I hope you all know the impact you are having on this little boy and his family.  Someday, I hope to have the words to tell you how thankful we are.  As we celebrate this Thanksgiving...we will be thankful for each and everyone of you, for your amazing courage, kindness, compassion in embarking on this journey with us.  At times, it is a very emotionally painful journey and you guys have embraced it without a thought. 

Thank You!!  James and Susan Mahan

The article in the Indianapolis Star about Owen was such a great, uplifting piece of writing. (See the article here.)I have read it multiple times and I still enjoy reading it every time.  I feel that people of all kinds would benefit from reading it; I just wish everyone had a chance to meet this special guy in person.  He’s a one of a kind kid that is for sure.  For a kid to be so positive and happy after going through what he has is an inspiration to me.  If everyone could be even a little bit more like him, the world would be a better place. 
 Owen is such a great asset to the University of Indianapolis baseball team.  There’s nothing better than having him break it down in the huddle before and after each game.  After our tough loss last week, our team was a little down.  Coach Vaught was addressing the team in the outfield after the loss when Owen made his way out to the huddle with his encouraging words, “C’mon guys, let’s get a win! Go play hard!” With that being said, it got us all fired up and ready to go get the next one. We played a great game against USI and took the game into the 16^th inning where we fell just short of a win. We played some of our best ball that day and I attribute our attitude for that game to Owen.  He’s number 1 for our team and number 1 in our hearts as well.  We’re going to carry that attitude he gave us last weekend into the Conference Tournament this weekend and we’re going to bring home the trophy.  This one’s for you Owen!

Entry Six: Our Family Day at Greyhound Park -Susan Mahan, Owen's Mom

This past Saturday we, as a family attended a game with Owen. This was the first time we had taken all the Owens siblings and two of his foster siblings with us. Owen was so proud, telling the kids all they needed to know before we got to the game. 
 Once again, the team overwhelmed me with the love they have for Owen. He so much enjoys every minute he is able to spend with the team. His spirits had been a little down with all he went through at the hospital for his extensive dental surgery and talks we are having getting him ready for upcoming surgeries at Shriners. They were lifted the minute we pulled into the lot. He was very happy to sit with his best buddies Evan and Jordan. Again, I was very impressed with the way these two are with Owen. However, I was not expecting what I seen with their acceptance of one of our other children. Tyler who is 10 and has Fragile X with autism symptoms, loved Evan. He listened intently to some facts Tyler was telling him and appeared genuinely interested in what Tyler was telling him. Thank you to Evans mom, for raising such a nice young man. 

If you were an outsider and did not know the story or this journey Owen is taking with them, you would have thought the guys were his older brothers. I was also impressed with the way the fans and family treat Owen. As we walk to our seat, all say "Hi Owen", this makes him feel so important.

Owen talks about the team quite frequently. Thanks to a couple of them at the last game we attended, I am being told the stretches I do with him are not as much fun as the guys did with him. He is looking forward to attending some practices soon, and we will also attend some games the first week in May. I also want to thank you for his Easter Basket...he loved it.

The notes that some of the guys wrote have been added to my box we will be taking with us to Shriners.  We will read a couple I have chosen the night before surgery, and will be reading the rest throughout his stay!  These will mean so much to him as he begins this new chapter in his journey.  I wish I had the words to let you know how much I appreciate all you are doing to help Owen.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart, you have made such an impact on his life and ours!!
Entry Five: My First Day at Greyhound Park -Owen Mahan  |  UTL  |  Freshman
I had such a good time at the game!!  I also checked to see how you guys did on the second game.  I am very proud of you!  You really tried your hardest.  My mom always says try your hardest! 

It was so fun dragging the field with coach, I think we did a good job together.  I really liked holding the gun to see how fast my buddy Evan was throwing the ball.  Jordan was so much fun...Jordan and his friend ( I can not remember his name) helped me stretch so I did not have to do that when I got home...that was much more fun than doing stretches with my mom.  I also liked how Jordan got me to tell Evan he throws like a girl..that was really funny. 

I am so happy to be part of the team...I love all you guys!  I like Evans dog, trying to talk mom and dad into getting me one. I really like my uniform and my game balls.  Thanks guys!!

Entry Four: Owen's NCAA Debut at Greyhound Park -Jordan Tackett  |  P  |  Freshman
 After being the centerpiece of our huddle, Owen took the field and stood behind the mound for the national anthem with senior pitcher, Evan Eyer. Having Owen dressed up in his UIndy uniform brought a special spark and excitement to Greyhound Park. Owen’s energy and enthusiasm spread through the rest of the dugout, and the Hounds rode the energy to two consecutive wins against Lewis. There’s no denying Owen’s important role on this team. His smile and good spirits are something that just can’t be replaced in the dugout. Owen’s baseball duties didn’t stop at just motivating our team – he took on the very important job of holding the radar gun and telling us how fast our pitchers were throwing. From the stands, Owen followed the action intently, continuously asking questions and giving his own input. Owen’s love for the game was pretty apparent, and I’m glad the team was able to earn a couple of wins for him.

I felt as if this game served as some special bonding time between Owen and myself. By the end of that special day, I felt as if I was his big brother, and I really appreciate the time I was able to spend with him. He’s an incredibly strong young man, and I can only hope to be as courageous as him as I go on with my life. I’m looking forward to spending more time with Owen, because I definitely think he’s the “x factor” for our team!

Entry Three: Owen is Officially Signed -Josh Witt  |  P  |  Senior

What an amazing experience that I got to be a part of today, as we signed a new star who will forever be a Greyhound. 
Owen Mahan aka "Big Daddy Jack Rabbit" will wear #1 for the Hounds this year. It may have been a little overwhelming for a boy his age with the many video cameras and a room full of people, but Owen showed his strength and made every aspect of it very enjoyable. When Owen was asked questions he didn't act  timid, but he gave all his answers with authority. The strength that this young boy has demonstrated is going to be the highlight of our season. Every person and every team goes through adversity at some point throughout the year, but this young boy has lived a life full of adversity.

With strength and resilience he has overcome this adversity. Owen has not done this alone, he has had a team at his side throughout his journey. From his parents Jim and Susan, to his nurse Phillip, Owen has an amazing group of people that are always by his side. Today was the day that Owen's team grew greatly. Owen's mother, Susan, said" The acceptance the team had for Owen exceeded my greatest wishes." But our team is more than thankful that the Mahan family has let us embark on this journey. Owen will learn a lot from the guys this year, many good things, and also few mischievous actions. Through it all we will smile, laugh, and win baseball games.  

I had the chance to stick around after the signing and hang out with Owen a little bit. I have never seen a kid smile as much as Owen. The interaction that I witnessed between Owen and his nurse Phillip reminded me of a big brother tickling his little brother. The laughter that Owen showed lit up the room, That was the moment I saw how much all these little things meant to him. After practice that evening we decided that the rest of the season our breakdown would no longer be "Hounds,"  instead we broke down "Owen". He is our inspiration and his strength and perseverance will forever be with our team.

In the words of Big Daddy Jack Rabbit, “We’ll be big winners this season.”

Entry Two: The Mahan Family -Susan Mahan, Owen's Mom
 

Entry One: Welcome Owen! -Scott Mitchell | P | RSo.

Rarely, have I seen the strength, the laughter and the resiliency that I witnessed in my first meeting with Owen and his parents. After a month and a half of Internet contact, I was able to see face-to-face a child who had overcome more than I could imagine, and true to his mother’s word, it was inspiring.
  Strength, I anticipated. Mental strength, emotional strength, these were things his mother highlighted when talking to me about Owen’s many surgeries. Owen can battle with the best of them, which is proven by the very fact that he is alive. But the physical strength was something for which I had not prepared. He was not timid about his body, and why should he be? By the end of our short introductory meeting Owen was playfully fighting with our coach, and landing a few solid punches at the envy of us players. Romping with his dad, carrying his backpack himself, things I’ve seen average children his age whine to their parents about. Owen lived out these tasks with a happy smile because he knows that he can do them and he takes pride in that.

Owen also takes pride in his smile, exhibiting it often. In the beginning he was a little shy in a room with several of us players and a few coaches. But when Coach Vaught asked if he was ready to put on his jersey Owen abandoned his timidity and put out the kind of smile every baseball player knows. There is something special about putting on a jersey, being a part of a club. It’s an ownership that even and especially a 7-year-old can understand. After a short period of time in the jersey Owen began to laugh at jokes and soon he was the one telling the jokes. His smile and his jersey stayed on through the rest of our meeting.

Interacting with a child who has undergone so much and still has so much happiness is truly special. The spirit of the boy was visibly affecting my teammates and me in just the short time he was with us. Owen loved what we gave him, a bat, a glove, a uniform, a stuffed Ace and more. But, even after the first meeting I can tell that the perseverance, the resiliency, the gratitude and the laughter that Owen brings to us will be huge for the 2014 UIndy baseball team in this season and the rest of our lives. Sports provide us with an opportunity to build a variety of relationships. Relationships that we may take for granted, how we could ever take this one for granted? Positively influencing this young boy’s life is my greatest hope for this spring. And hopefully, in the words of Owen, “We’ll be big winners this season.”