Just a Little Leaguer at heart Ohio youngster overcoming limb differences

DU QUOIN - The temperature at the Du Quoin High School athletic field at 2 p.m. last Friday was 96 degrees Fahrenheit, but 4-year-old baseball enthusiast Walter Senney was undeterred.

"Where is my bat?" he asked, repeatedly, as he marched toward the diamond.

Equipment manager and supportive father, Trey Senney, appeared to be as enthused as his son, and explained that the two had traveled from Lakewood, Ohio to take part in what Walter quite simply refers to as "sports camp."

Walter was one of about a dozen campers receiving instruction about baseball from several volunteer coaches at the annual NubAbility summer sports camp in Du Quoin - a camp orchestrated for limb-different children. Instructional sessions were offered Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and competitions and games were woven into the schedule of events.

Healthy and energetic, Walter makes a strong impression. The fact that his left arm ends at the elbow is less noteworthy than his obvious natural ability.

The birth anomaly means that the little boy must often find his own way of doing things, and that is exactly what his dad hopes will become a strategy for life.

It is vital that Walter meet and master everyday obstacles, as it is for any child. The challenge, as Senney sees it, is for parents to avoid being overly protective.

Senney recalled that he was "aggressive" in his online search for information, after an ultrasound scan revealed that a blood clot had stopped the growth of Walter's arm about five months into the pregnancy.

As a former college athlete, Senney dealt with the situation by tackling it head on, determined even before Walter's birth, that the child not be relegated to the sideline.

Senney researched organizations that could offer helpful advice and activities, and ultimately found Sam Kuhnert and Jenna Powell on Facebook.

He has nothing but praise for NubAbility Athletics and their mission, and views the camp as nothing less than inspirational.

"This is the first year Walter was old enough to come," he said, adding that it is not something either one of them would have missed.

"He's been ecstatic. It's just special to him. He gets to see a lot of kids going through the same things he's going through every day."

The preschooler already has a year of T-ball experience under his belt, and is a Cardinals fan.

Walter's "focus sport" at camp was actually basketball, though he participated in a few different training sessions, including football.

Both dad and son handled the road trip with ease, and enjoyed the comfort of a local hotel.

Senney indicated that traveling to Southern Illinois is going to be a regular part of their summer routine in the future.

He said he tries to resist the temptation to show his son how to do things the way he does them, both on and off the field.

"Walter has found his own way of glove-switching, and can do it 10 times better. He leads the way, and is capable."