Refereeing the youth while they play a sport they so desperately love is a joy every official should strive to experience. To watch as they learn this game, watch their love for it grow, its heart warming. However, the issue with youth sports, as many fans may realize, is the disparity in skill level. In baseball, some 9 year old's can pitch with some heat, and really know the zone well. Others, just hope they can get the ball over the plate to hope to appease their overbearing parent. I had this instance early in my career. I was no older than maybe 14 years old at the time, just barely learning how to call balls and strikes. Like a lot of the kids playing kid pitch for their first time, I was nervous back there, scared that at any point the crowd would erupt into a chorale of boos over a missed call I made. Even through my fear, I was able to push past it and call a pretty good game. It being summer ball meant that these kids were just playing to learn and have fun. However, for one of the kids, this couldn't have been further from what was happening. His dad was in the stands, critiquing every breath this kid took. When it was his turn to face the pitcher who seemingly knew what he was doing, he began to cry and refuse to enter the box. As I called time, I saw a little bit of myself in that kid -- A young boy just learning and scared he would mess up. I went up to him and asked him what was wrong and to this day I still remember his response. He said "I'm scared my dad will be mad at me when I strike out." There was not faith. There was no hope. He was scared that his dad would be disappointed in him. In that moment, I did what I felt I could do and told him that he can do this, that he just needs to breath and step into that box. As he composed himself, I gave the pitcher a glance. It was a look of desperation, a look of "please help". When I called time back and we resumed the game, the first pitch was thrown and barely made it to the plate. This young boy on the mound understood what this kid needed. He threw his only balls of the night, and let this kid walk. This showed me the power that sports has on not just kids, but the connection sports officials have with these players. I hope to one day help the youth of tomorrow to get into sports officiating to see these moments of joy. I aspire to become an MLB umpire and actually plan on studying sporting in college to help me reform how umpire equipment works and to hopefully one day open a business similar to officials depot so I can continue to give back to people who are nervous to make these mistakes. Sports officiating has been the greatest decision of my life, and I will continue to do it at the highest possible level I can, all the way till I am physically unable to.