‘The heart of our team’ | The Tomball Memorial HS baseball team rally around the 15-year-old manager
Freshman Rylen Robbins tried out for the varsity team and didn’t make the cut. But what happened after her changed her life and the spirit of the team.
TOMBALL, Texas – For Rylen Robbins, baseball is life.
“He always had a ball and a bat in his hand,” said his mother, Kimberly Robbins.
Ryeln has autism, but at 15, he’s pretty good at the game he loves.
“I like to play: win or lose,” Rylen said.
He did not make the varsity team at Tomball Memorial High School, but the coach hired him as team manager.
“It brought tears to my eyes on a weekly basis,” Kimberly said.
All season long, Kimberly has been watching her son from the stands.
“He was just taken by the game, the enthusiasm that he had, and the guys were right there with him,” Kimberly said. “Seeing everything he touched me and he made me feel like he had a place.”
It has found more than its place. She has found a family, a group of brothers.
“He’s the heart of our team. Everyone shows up to play for him,” said teammate Colin.
“He was our hype man from the beginning,” teammate Cade said.
Rylen has become a fixture on and off the ballpark.
“He’s the first manager who made an impact on Wildcat baseball,” said teammate Ashton. “I played for four years and I haven’t had a coach like him.”
And his growth over the season was impossible to ignore.
“From the beginning, he’s opened up so much that you can see his true character,” said teammate Kate. “It’s just a blessing to have him around.”
The season is now over, but the bond is unbroken. And for a mom who loves her son, that means everything.
“She’s always struggled with having good friends or having people she can rely on,” Kimberly said. “These guys were there for him in all those ways.”
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