InKredible Kids

Storytime: Sports ⚾🏀

• Tziri Preis

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In this InKredible Kids Storytime episode, real kids share their funniest, craziest, and most surprising sports moments — each packed with lessons about courage, kindness, and keeping your cool. ⚾🏀

It’s an episode full of laughter, surprises, and the kind of heart that makes every story an InKredible one.

💡 We’re now collecting stories for our next Storytime episode!
If your child has an amazing or funny story to share related to our next prompt, head to InKredibleKids.org/future-episodes
to submit theirs today.

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SPEAKER_01:

Hey kids, welcome back to the next episode of Incredible Kids Podcast. My name is Lord Fear, and I will be a host of incredible journey. We are going to meet many incredible kids. We are going to share with our stories. Some of them are super cool and stuff like you've never heard before. Some of these are ordinary. If you have great ideas, email me today at iKidspodcast at email.com. And now it's time for Incredible Day!

SPEAKER_03:

Hi everybody and welcome back to the next story time episode where I asked our listeners to submit a crazy sports story. They went to incrediblekids.org and they selected future episodes and submitted a crazy sports story that they want to share with all of our incredible kids listeners. And I had the opportunity to be entertained, and now it's your turn to hear four entertaining stories today featuring our very own incredible kids from all over the world. Just want to say one thing about sports, and we'll talk about a lot of things throughout the episode. Sports can be for boys and for girls. Sports can be for kids and for adults. Sports can be a healthy outlet, it can be good for your body, your mind, your soul. It could charge you so that you can go and then study and learn Torah and whatever else you have to do throughout your day. Of course, like everything in life, we need to make sure that we're spending good amounts of time on the things that are important. And if you are the kind of kid who's athletic and needs to get out your energy and can use some good, healthy competition and some good old-fashioned fun, find a sport that's right for you. We don't feature that many sports in this episode, but think about how many sports you could list. I mean, come on, there's pickleball and tennis and basketball and soccer and football and kickball and lacrosse and frisbee and swimming. The list goes on and on. So many good life lessons could be learned out of sports, and we get to touch upon some of them today. Enjoy this episode.

SPEAKER_00:

I'm sure you all remember us, the bombs from the east side. Well, now we learn coil, low and pushing fortified. We each have lots of children, and load the bills of pain. No one's into baseball, but we do is title day.

SPEAKER_03:

Welcome to Incredible Kids Podcast. Yeah. Who do we have here with us?

SPEAKER_05:

Lady Flox from Cincinnati, Ohio.

SPEAKER_03:

Formerly of where are you from before that? Denver. How how recently did you move to Cincinnati? A year ago. Well, today you're gonna share with us a sports story. And I don't know anything about your story. I'm excited to hear it. First, I'm wondering if this is a new story from Cincinnati or an old story from Denver or something totally different?

SPEAKER_05:

A new story from Cincinnati.

SPEAKER_03:

Okay. Okay, so hit us with your story, Levy, and describe the setting for us a little bit.

SPEAKER_05:

Okay, it takes place in Cincinnati, Ohio.

SPEAKER_03:

What sport were you playing? Baseball. Okay. Is this part of school or it's like a Sunday program?

SPEAKER_05:

No, it's a team. Like it's a Jewish baseball team.

SPEAKER_03:

A Jewish baseball team? But is it part of a league of all?

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah, it's part of a league.

SPEAKER_03:

So only your team is Jewish? Yeah. Cool. How old are the kids on your team? They're in my class. So they're all people that are your age. What grade are you in? Fourth. And the teams that you're playing against are like who? Fifth and fourth. Like from public schools and stuff? Yeah.

SPEAKER_05:

Well, it's from like the other places in Cincinnati.

SPEAKER_03:

Cincinnati has a really small Jewish community. Yeah. You don't have as many opportunities to play against other Jewish kids. So now you're part of a league of all types. Yeah. Is that a challenge in general?

SPEAKER_05:

Sometimes, sometimes the kids say like mean stuff or talking away. And they just have to realize that I shouldn't talk like them or do anything that they do. Because we're Jews. Yeah, but I know that they're just people and like if they say something bad it they're never I'm never not like people who I see every single day or something.

SPEAKER_03:

Are they respectful of the Jewish team?

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah, they're respectful, but like in the olden days, like 2004, some of the teams were like way meaner and stuff.

SPEAKER_03:

Really? Back in the olden days in 2004?

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah. Well not 2004, like 2000s.

SPEAKER_03:

That was a long time ago. What do you think happened that made that change?

SPEAKER_05:

It's just a new generation.

SPEAKER_03:

You think people are more accepting of people? Different types? I don't know. I mean, like, I think it might be even worse. Does your team have like a team leader? Like, how does that work? Do you have a c a coach?

SPEAKER_05:

I have a coach. He's a very nice guy, but he sometimes is rough on us, but I think it's good. He's not from, but he's Jewish. People do Kirov on him.

SPEAKER_03:

Oh, they do Kirov on him? Yeah. They're trying to inspire him?

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah. There was a brh mitzvah, and um, he and he came to it because the people that they all do kirov and so and so many different types of yidin came. So it was kind of cool to experience so many types of different juice.

SPEAKER_03:

Wow, that sounds like a really nice Kiddish Hashem. Yeah. So this story happens on the baseball field, you're playing against another team, you're on the Jewish team. How does the game start? What's happening here?

SPEAKER_05:

It starts. They did a coin toss, and we won it. So we were up first. I came up and then he shruck out. Then a few innings later, it was uh grounder to me and he missed it. And then I kind of felt down and people were like, like, uh people were like making me feel down and stuff.

SPEAKER_03:

That's two disappointments. Striking out when you're at bat, and then you're in the field and you miss the grounder. Yeah. What did that feel like for you?

SPEAKER_05:

It felt very disappointing because I tried my hardest, but my father said like you're trying your hardest and that's the only thing you really need to do. Try your hardest.

SPEAKER_03:

Was your father at the game? Yeah. He was watching. Between innings, he would like pump you up a little bit? Yeah. That's a good thing to have because some parents at baseball games got way too into it, you know? Yeah. Do you ever see that?

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah, I don't think any Jewish parents get too into, but like probably non-Jewish fathers could get really like upset and stuff. I saw that before.

SPEAKER_03:

Like they think it's so serious. It's like the most important thing in the world to them.

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah, and then our father just says it's just a game.

SPEAKER_03:

Okay, so you're really disappointed. Twice you let your team down. That's gotta feel horrible.

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah, and then I was up again, and then my friend, I could give a shout out to him at the end. He said, Wavy, you could do it. You could get a hit or do something good. You're so good, Lavy. I heard that and I got really I definitely'm like, yeah, let's go. He said he could do it. And then he hit the ball. It was a really good hit and it was a home run. And they ran to the bases feeling so good.

SPEAKER_03:

No way. It was a home run because you hit it so far out, or just because they were like fumbling and not catching it?

SPEAKER_05:

Because I hit it so far out. And then everybody was giving high fives. To me, I was just so happy. Then I was in the field again, and then everybody was giving fist bumps, and now I'm really feeling better. Like people are being so nice to me. Like yeah, they even be nice to me when then, but it's still like I was really happy then. I was uh I was catching and the ball was away from me. Then I I died, then I caught the ball. And then I'm like, whoa, this is actually working. I need to get this on Incredible Kids Podcast.

SPEAKER_03:

So you heard about this prompt of sports, and you're like, this is a good sports story. And you know what? I agree because I think that sometimes people just say, like, when they hear like, oh, crazy sports stories, it's like, okay, what happened? Did I get hurt? Did I get injured? Like, that's the first thing that comes to their mind when they hear crazy. But you're taking the word crazy and you're using it for the good, right? Like crazy amazing. Like, well, the whole game turned around because of another person cheering you on and having you almost like have this second wind and change an attitude, right?

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah, and we got and because of that, we got the championship. If I lost the championship, I was still fine.

SPEAKER_03:

Whoa. So this was an important game.

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah, very important.

SPEAKER_03:

That is so cool. Levy, wow, thanks for sharing that story. Give us uh the name. Who's this uh superhero friend of yours?

SPEAKER_05:

Shirley Shapanski. Shout out.

SPEAKER_03:

Shout outs, Ruley.

SPEAKER_05:

And there's some other shout-outs.

SPEAKER_03:

Who else got one?

SPEAKER_05:

First of all, I don't know this person, but I know the person has to get a humendous shout-out. Orly in the last episode, I really liked the episode. I listened to every time I go to sleep all the time. I'm a friend to Orly. Yeah. You would all be.

SPEAKER_03:

What did you love about that episode? It was just I know them, yeah. Oh, that's which part of it inspired you guys?

SPEAKER_05:

She laughed. She was just so caring, she wasn't like scared to say anything. She was just like happy and like some people are like scared she was funny, and yeah. And they also have a shout out to Simkla Kugga.

SPEAKER_03:

Why does Simkhaga shout out? Just Sam?

SPEAKER_05:

I mean, he's a nice kid, and yeah, he was on my team and he was nice to me.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, that's awesome. And I love hearing about good sportsmanship. Do you know what the word sportsmanship is?

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah, like, yeah. How would you describe it? The opposite of it is like, is like people might not know this word, but it's called trash talking. Like if people trash talk it's bad. Like you say, like, oh, you're so bad and blah blah blah blah blah. But sportsmanship is was like you sit down and see maybe nice hit or something like that.

SPEAKER_03:

Good sportsmanship is being able to think beyond the game sometimes, right? Like, okay, so it's important to win. I think it's very important to play competitive sports. I believe that sports don't have to be like everything's always a tie, right? Like in life, you win, you lose. It's okay. It's good to be competitive, but it's also important to retain those meados. And sometimes sports is the perfect place to practice that because you have those disappointments, you know? And you don't only fist bump your friend.

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah. Especially if you're playing VS non-J's because you can make a big kiddus yourself. There was a story about a kid on a different team was being so nice. It wasn't on my team, but it was a person named Zebi Sanet, and like something happened to him where he said something nice to a non-jew that he was playing, and the guy wanted to become Jewish because of that.

SPEAKER_03:

Did you watch the Tahilim Army when Zebi came on?

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah, I was on it.

SPEAKER_03:

He's a really good role model for so many boys, especially boys who are athletic. Yeah. And into sports. What it means to be a bentora. It would be cool if you got to meet him one day. He's a really, really good role model for boys.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

Thank you for sharing your incredible sports story. Keep up that good spirit and attitude. Making a Kidish Hashem on the field and wherever you are. This is an opportunity. And I love how you're using your extracurricular activity. Like sports is like for so many things. It's for your health, it's for this, it's for that, it's for fun, it's for competitiveness, it's for just being a regular boy or guy or a girl, even if they like to play. And then you use it to elevate it, right? To work on your meetos, to make a kirish heshem, to feel good about yourself on the inside, all the things that matter so, so much. Yeah. Any last words that you want to say to all of the incredible kids out there? Yeah.

SPEAKER_05:

Um, if you listen to this podcast, you this is the best podcast in the whole entire world. And remember to always have gomitos and make a kiddoshem.

SPEAKER_03:

Love it. Thank you, Levy. You're an incredible kid. I really like you.

SPEAKER_05:

Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_03:

Bye.

SPEAKER_00:

Bye. Short time after Pesa, the note came in the mail. It was from those boys from Brooklyn.

SPEAKER_03:

Now I'm remembering who you guys are. I know you were at the concert, but also you're the ones who sent me that video that your cousins with Michael Sheker. He's your uncle or something. Yeah. Um I only realized that now because your mother just called me from WhatsApp and I like looked back and I was like, wait a second. Now I remember who these people are. They're the Catsmans, right? It's so funny. Okay, so who's sharing the story today? Which story? We did three. Yeah. You did three stories. Okay, so I honestly don't even know which story because I try to like not remember it so it could be exciting for me. Give me one second, I'll tell you which one I like. I'm gonna tell you which one I like. You guys really tried to submit something. I see where you're going with this. I starred it because I have like thousands of emails here.

SPEAKER_06:

Is it like about like a rowing story? A rowing?

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, yeah, like on a boat, right? Yeah, I'll be honest. I was like, honestly, that's like a little bit of a stretch because, like, is that even sports? You know what I mean? But it was it sounded like such a funny story that I was like, I think you just need to share this story. Am I right? Yeah, yeah. Okay, so are you both gonna share the story? Two sisters? Yeah. Okay, so first introduce yourselves. Let's get to know you before we start.

SPEAKER_06:

Okay, hi. My name is Shauna Kitsman, and I'm 12 years old, and I go to Bisaco Elementary. Amazing. And Shauna, who do you have next to you? Hi, my name is Hanaleya Kitsman, and I'm eight years old.

SPEAKER_03:

I mean nine. You're so nervous you said the wrong age. Shana Haneleia, where do you live? Muncie. Is this a story that happened in Muncie or near Muncie or somewhere totally different? Somewhere totally different. Okay, so I'm so excited to find out. Where did this story take place and when?

SPEAKER_06:

I sushell, and it was before I was born. Oh my gosh. So how do you even know this story is real?

SPEAKER_03:

It's my mother's never happened to her. Okay, so allegedly this story happened. Yes. We're hearing it secondhand right now. But okay, I'll give you that. So tell us your crazy sports story or sporty story. Take us back there. What do you know about the story?

SPEAKER_06:

So it was 12 years ago, and my mother and father with their with my father's parents was going to Ezra to visit my uncle who was in Yeshiva. Nice. It was like Shavuis time. Okay. So they were in Ezra with my great-grandmother. They decided like wanna go on like a bunch of trips today. And they decided to go rowing.

SPEAKER_03:

Do they have any children at the time? Your parents? No. No. Because our I'm assuming Shana, you're the oldest? Yeah. Okay, so this is before you were born. They're like a newly married couple going to visit which brother was in Yeshiva? Yuda. Is it your mother or your father's brother? My father's. So they were going to visit him in Yeshiva and they decided they're gonna go. It was time for a teal. It was time for a Chavaya adventure. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06:

They got to the boat place by car service, and they went to the place where you got your boats. I'm laughing that you said car service.

SPEAKER_03:

I feel like that's like a monthly word. I feel like I feel like it's such a monthy thing. Like everyone else has like taxi or like now we say like Uber or Lyft, you know? It's like some monthly thing like hello, breeder's car service, you know?

unknown:

Okay.

SPEAKER_05:

Okay. So they got to this place. And they went on the boat with my grandmother, grandparent, and mother and father. And the great grandmother. Yeah. And they started rowing.

SPEAKER_06:

Pete and repeat. The first boat was my mother and my father and my uncle. Okay. The second boat was my grandfather, my great grandmother, my grandmother.

SPEAKER_03:

Okay, so just to remind everyone what a rowboat looks like, because it's been a long time since like I've been in a rowboat, so I kind of feel like I'm like mixing them up all up in my head. Um the rowboats are like the boats that you they have like benches in them. I think so. And then there's like you have to like there's two oars and you have to like use your muscles. Mm-hmm. Okay. And they started rolling.

SPEAKER_05:

They started drifting to the side.

SPEAKER_06:

My mother's Okay. And there's like a tree, like a thorn bush, and there's like one stick that was like poking out, like poking really fast.

SPEAKER_05:

Oh. Okay. My mother's nude fell on it. Stop. For real? Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06:

Okay. And like my uncle, who was like on the other side of the boat, had to like go upstream to like get the the snood. What does that mean? You had to like get into the water? Yeah. Yeah. My uncle had to like walk through water, I guess, to get the snood.

SPEAKER_03:

Because the robot was like just going downward, whatever direction the water was seeking it, and he had to go back to rescue the snood. Okay, this is like a woman's nightmare, right? Yes, yeah. Yes. And obviously it was traumatizing enough for your mother if you know this story and you think this is the story you want to share because you weren't even born yet. So this sounds like the family tradition, this story. Yes. Pretty much. Did your mother describe to you ever how did she feel like that moment when she realized that it was like hanging on the bridge?

SPEAKER_06:

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_03:

In front of her brother-in-law. It wasn't even her brother, it was her ha her father's brother. Right. Yeah. And what about the people in the other boat? Were they like nearby?

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah. So they they also there was another bush sticking out, like the tree, whatever, bush. A thorne bush. A thorim bus. Maybe the same line, I'm not so sure. And my gr grandmother, my great-great-grandmother's um sheto follow.

SPEAKER_06:

Also. Wait, in the same time? Not in the same time. Not in the same boat and not at the same time.

SPEAKER_03:

No, no, I'm saying the same day. So her Shaytel came off and her snood came off both on different branches. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, what in the world? You know what I'm gonna call this story? This is called the cautionary tale. You know what that means, a cautionary tale?

SPEAKER_06:

No.

SPEAKER_03:

It means like you're like saying the story to warn people about what could happen when you're rowing your boat. Take these measures to make sure that you don't lose your snoot or your sheet doll. Yeah. Aye, that's so, so hilarious. Wait, what happened with your grandmother?

SPEAKER_06:

My uncle was anyways going for my mother's, so I guess he went Oh perfect.

SPEAKER_03:

He went to rescue all the headwear. Yeah. Oh my gosh, that's so funny. I feel the embarrassment. It's like, aye, but we all move on and then we laugh about it, and we talk about it on a podcast. Yeah. Imagine your mother knew that like her kids would one day talk about this on a podcast. It would be more than it would be No, but it would be totally worth it. Then it's like worth happening because then there was like a point. Right. That's true. But what do you think the lesson of the story is?

SPEAKER_05:

Not to um not to go so close to the brushes, whatever.

SPEAKER_03:

Kanaleo, you're very practical. Don't go too close to the brush. Okay, fine. That's one lesson. My mind is going somewhere completely different. I was thinking like maybe people should wear helmets.

SPEAKER_06:

I think my uncle knows your brother-in-law.

SPEAKER_03:

Your uncle? Hold on, I have to think about that for a second. Your uncle knows my brother-in-law. Which brother-in-law and who's your uncle?

SPEAKER_06:

My uncle is Yehuda Katzman.

SPEAKER_03:

And I think he knows Shia Price. Oh, okay. Well Shia Price is my brother-in-law, so he's great. Yes. Shout out to all of them. One of my brothers in sleepaway camp, like both of my brothers made sure before they like, you know, do like sports in the summer and they need like baseball caps and stuff. That they come with um incredible kids baseball caps and they both are like, I need an incredible kids baseball cap. So my brother, Momo, went to camp in the summer with Incredible Kids Baseball Cap. He was a counselor. He had it like hanging on like a nail on the wall. He said, like these like boys would like walk in, they're like, How did you get that? Oh my gosh. How do you know Incredible Kids? And he's like, Oh, you know, Mortier's my sister. And I'm like, tell them they can order one online and support incredible kids. Going to incredible kids.org. Get their own. Small Jewish world. We all know somebody, right? Yeah. Anyways, really fun to schmooze with you guys. You guys are so easy to be in a conversation with. I feel like I I mean, I didn't meet you, but I feel like I've met you before.

SPEAKER_06:

Like we were on like the screen of like the Incredible Kids concert. Like my father sent in a picture. So maybe you know that from there. Yeah, we were on a picture. And we were like from like two weeks into Incredible Hoods.

SPEAKER_03:

Right, right. I've seen your faces, but again, I feel like I feel like you're just easy to schmooze with.

SPEAKER_06:

And you thought we lived in Israel. Like a really long time ago. Like we were in our three-season room and you thought like we lived in Israel? Yeah. You were in your what? We were in our three season room. What's a three-season room? It's like a room like that has like only windows. Only windows. And you can see out there.

SPEAKER_03:

Why is it called a three-season room?

SPEAKER_06:

Because it's for three seasons and you can't be in there other any other season.

SPEAKER_03:

Which seasons is it for?

SPEAKER_06:

Um I don't know. Like winter. It's not for winter, it's for like spring, summer, and fall. Why not winter? Winter gets too cold. No, we have a heater. But like without a heater, like it's like And in the summer, how does it not get too hot?

SPEAKER_03:

It's boiling in there. So it's a two seasons room. Yeah. Yeah, whatever.

SPEAKER_06:

It's called a three season room because of it.

SPEAKER_03:

I have a problem with that. I don't appreciate I really don't appreciate that if it's a little bit.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay, guys. Enjoy the rest of your day. Thanks for sharing your story. It made me laugh. Bye.

SPEAKER_00:

There were two outs in the fifth. Boy, were we a shape. Just one more route would make it an official game. Put two strikes on our back. We realized this was dead. When I ready cry out.

SPEAKER_05:

Hi, my name is Yitzgok, and I live in Baltimore. I like playing a lot of sports and I play a lot of sports and I like learning new stuff. Great. That's amazing.

SPEAKER_03:

How old are you? Um nine years old. Is that fourth grade? No, third grade. So you're a new nine-year-old. I heard that little hesitation. We were like, gonna maybe say eight. Like, I'm eight, nine years old. You must have just had a birthday. Happy birthday. Welcome to the nine-year-old club. Um, I mean, I'm not in it, but you know, for those who might be in it. Yitzlock, I'm so excited to hear your sport story, especially since you sound like a sports enthusiast. I can't wait for you to walk us through it. So, Yitzgak, tell us your crazy sport story today.

SPEAKER_05:

It happened on April 1st. It was a few weeks before Pesach. Okay, very specific. We were playing baseball on my neighbor's lawn.

SPEAKER_03:

And you live in Baltimore?

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah. So you're on this neighbor's lawn. Continue. And I was standing a little too close. Um, and then the batter swung, and then the batter hit me, and I said, I'm okay, I'm okay. And then I took my hand off my head.

SPEAKER_03:

With the baseball bat? He hit you with the baseball bat?

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

Oh my gosh, was it still in his hands or he like threw it?

SPEAKER_05:

Um, no, it was still in his hands. Um he was looking for the ball because he thought he hit it. I took my hand off my head, and then my neighbor said, Yes, you're gushing. So um I put my hand on my head and I'm and I realized I was gushing, and I sat down and I started to scream. And then a different neighbor went and called the atzala, but he really called the New York Hatzala, and then he figured out he called New York Hatsala.

SPEAKER_03:

Why? I don't know. He Because he was like panicking, so he like called the Is your neighbor from New York? Nah. So why would he even know the number to New York Hatzala?

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah. He kind of is, yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

So he called Mancy Hatsala.

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah. And he realized and he called um Baltimore Hatsal. And meanwhile, my other neighbor ran across the street to tell my mother, and my mother and father came across the street. My mother came with a white smata. There was a lot of parents there. Then Hat Sal came. They asked me if I could walk, and then I started to walk, and I walked to that salt truck, and my father went with me in that salt truck. So I went inside, my father came with me, and then I went to the hospital.

SPEAKER_03:

At this point, did you feel a bump or anything? It was like a cut. Like what was making the blood come out?

SPEAKER_05:

Really, it looked like a bump fell off. Because it was like a hole inside my head. But it was like a dent. Okay. So I went to the hospital. They said that I should go to the emergency room.

SPEAKER_03:

Which hospital did they send you to? Hopkins?

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah. They said that I should go take a few x-rays, and then after that, my father was updating my mother because she was nervous with my siblings in the house. Of course. So after that they told my father that I might need surgery. It would be better for a surgery. They also told him that I fractured my skull. Ooh.

SPEAKER_03:

Tell everyone what a fracture is.

SPEAKER_05:

A fracture is when there's like a dent inside the bone. It's like broken, just a dent. I went into surgery around like 12 o'clock. My mother came and said Shema with me before I went into surgery.

SPEAKER_03:

There's nothing like a mommy being there.

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah. The surgery was over about like one o'clock in the morning. I woke up and I was exhausted. So I went to my room in the hospital and I slept there. And then when I woke up, um my mother was there ordering breakfast for us on an iPad. We ordered like ice cream, yogurt, and ices, and the ices was always melted. That was breakfast, ice cream and ices.

SPEAKER_03:

No, you can like order stuff, but like I wanted yogurt and stuff like that. So is it because you only had to have like mushy stuff or like you could eat?

SPEAKER_05:

No, like they they had pancakes, but I just wasn't in the mood. Okay, okay. So I went to sleep that night and two hours in the night, four o'clock in the morning, six o'clock, the nurses came in because they have to check every two hours on me to see my IV. Yeah. So they would wake me up and the nurses looked exhausted. And they checked it, and the next day I went into another x-ray. I went into this machine. I had a pillow underneath my head so it wouldn't hurt. And if I was nauseous, I would tell the nurses.

SPEAKER_03:

Mm-hmm. Was that like an MRI?

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

Okay. That could be very scary if you're doing that for the first time, even though it doesn't hurt. It's just like a very weird experience going inside this machine. Yes, were you scared?

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah. But I said I'm okay, I'm okay because I knew that maybe Hashem wanted this. I knew that Hashem would make it okay. My father came for a little so my mother could rest in the house. My mother stayed for two nights and two days. And then I left the hospital on Thursday. I missed a few days of school because I needed uh my recovery. And the doctor said that I shouldn't play sports for three months.

SPEAKER_02:

Um That's hard for a kid who loves sports.

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah. That's the worst. So after that, my parents bought me a helmet so that I could do something in the game. So I was ump. Your friends gave me a job as ump.

SPEAKER_03:

You're involved in the sports, but like you're not hard playing and you have a helmet, you don't want to re-injure the spot. That's healing.

SPEAKER_05:

Um, and all my neighbors got helmets also, so I wouldn't be embarrassed. Aww. So sensitive of them. And I had a lot of doctors' appointments to check on my head. Worst part of all was by recess I couldn't play sports in the gym. So one of my principals gave me like top trumps or chess to play with one of my friends. And also on Friday, a few of my principals came and got me a few treats. And my Rebbe came and gave me cards that my class wrote for me. Then I got a lot of treats from from my family.

SPEAKER_03:

Everybody was just doing whatever they could to make you feel comfortable. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

It's like I have a question about the boy who swung the bat. Like, did he feel so bad?

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah, he had a 3D printer. Okay. So he gave me a few 3D printed stuff. Oh really? When? Like the day that I came home, my friends came to visit me. So like one his brother gave it to him. Gave it to me. In the hospital, their brothers called to check, like, do I have a bedtime or something like that? And I really was nervous for that kid. His par um um I thought maybe his parents would like put him in time out or something. But I but when they called, my mother asked the mother. So she asked the mother what. Um if he if he got anything bad, because I really didn't want to get anything because it was kind of my fault.

SPEAKER_03:

I mean, you talk that's so sensitive of you because I'm sure it was painful and scary, and a lot of people naturally would want to like blame somebody, even if partially it was your fault. Like a lot of people right away go to blaming somebody, like, ugh, if only that didn't happen, if he didn't. Do that, but like you're the opposite and you're like feeling bad for him. I hope he doesn't get in trouble. That's a very special Mida.

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah. Um, and also that Maty Shabbas, I went to play with one of my friends. We like going rollerblading in the house. My mother said that I can't really do that, and it was really annoying. Like we only could play the Lego, dress up, but we had a good time anyways.

SPEAKER_03:

You made it through. And this was, I'm assuming you said it was April. It was this past April. So we're talking like this happened less than a year ago. And Bar al Hashem, you're okay now?

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

Wow, okay.

SPEAKER_05:

I still have a scar from it.

SPEAKER_03:

I see it? Or like your hair grew over it. Okay, so for the listener, Yethok has like his hair is like blocking the scar, so you really don't even see anything.

SPEAKER_05:

Um they couldn't fix the phone, so I got a metal plate instead in my head. But the metal detectors won't go off. Why? Because it's a titanium plate.

SPEAKER_03:

Also, so if you're in an airport, you're not gonna beep. Right. Got it. But I didn't go on an airplane since last circus. So you're probably excited to find out what happens the next time you fly. Yeah. I feel like you would want to tell them, like, oh, I have metal in my head. Well, you don't you you seem the type like you want it to happen almost.

SPEAKER_05:

A few weeks later, I was going to a baseball game with my father, and there's metal detectors.

SPEAKER_03:

So Yeah, they have metal detectors there too, yeah. Nothing happened. You taught me something new. I didn't know that titanium um doesn't beep in the metal. I never tried bringing titanium through a metal detector. Well, yitzak, that is such an amazing story that I mean, it's not an amazing story. Yitzhak, that's such a horrible story. It hurts me to think about so many of the things you went through, but it's so beautiful to hear a story like that and being able to talk to you about it, and you have this like big smile on your face, and you find the hashka in it, like you have such pure belief that like when you went into the MRI, like I learned a lot from you today. So I really enjoyed hearing the story directly from you. What message do you want to say to all the incredible kids out there who are listening?

SPEAKER_05:

Well, I think it was amazing that every week you would do um to Helen and all those kids that did it. I think it was very amazing.

SPEAKER_03:

And hopefully they're all continuing to do that, right? Yeah. See Tahelem for all of the different things that we need to dive in for. Yeah. Thank you for that shout out, Yatzlak. That's great. Well, you're an incredible kid, and it was such a pleasure meeting you. And can we also give us a shout-out to your sister Bachava, who's like such a big incredible kids fan? Can I say hi to you, Bachava? Don't don't hide. Hi. You're like the best big sister, right, Yetk? Yeah, she does all the technology for me. Yeah, yeah. You make up the email addresses, you do all the stuff. I feel like you're the ruach behind your family. Yeah. Am I wrong? Um, I I don't you're also humble. Well, have a great day, guys. Thanks for sharing your crazy sports story and stay safe. And uh, everybody out there, when you're playing baseball, if you're the batter swinging, look out around you before you move the bat around, especially those like aluminum heavy ones. And if you're one of the people standing around home plate area, be careful and watch out because usually these things don't happen, but they could be dangerous. Yeah, and it was very, very scary. I'm sure for you as a sis, right? Yeah. Yeah, because you care about your brother. It's terrifying. But barakasham, I'm happy to hear you're okay. Bye. Bye, bye.

SPEAKER_00:

What could our dear Rebbe do? One of us was wondering. When suddenly the sky got darker like 100.

SPEAKER_03:

We got a Welcome to Incredible Kids. I'm so happy to have you here. Who do we have with us? Introduce yourself.

SPEAKER_06:

My name is Bracha Blumenthal, and I'm from Clifton, New Jersey, and I go to YBH. How old are you? Um, I'm gonna be 14 soon. I'm in eighth grade.

SPEAKER_03:

Oh, okay, amazing. So we have a teenage incredible person over here, incredible teen with us. Uh Bracha, first of all, I just have to say, you look so beautiful. I'm so happy that I'm interviewing you on a Sunday so that like we're not in uniforms. You mean I'm sure you're beautiful in your uniform also, but it's nice to see everyone's um in their finest. Racha, you have a crazy sports story for us. I'm wondering if this story is a Clifton story or is this a story from somewhere else? So I want you to take us to where the story happened and when the story happened.

SPEAKER_06:

Okay, so this story happened this past summer, first month. I went to sleep with camp for the first time. I went to Mahonino. It was really, really fun. No way! Yeah. It's a really, really good camp. It's been really, really fun. Okay, amazing. So where is that camp? It's like in the Pocono somewhere, it's like nowhere near anything. It's like in the middle of nowhere.

SPEAKER_03:

Pennsylvania, basically.

SPEAKER_06:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

Okay, cool. So this is a sleepaway camp story, so totally not in Clifton.

SPEAKER_06:

So we were playing Machanaim on the basketball court and there's like a dam like right behind it, and the balls like always got into the dam because there's no nest, so it just people just threw too far and it just like went in there. And I never, never never it's like it's like a little like it's very muddy and it has like grass. Like if you step in like the muddy, like water comes, it's just like oh gross, it's very gross.

SPEAKER_03:

So it's like a swamp, essentially.

SPEAKER_06:

Yeah, it's a swamp. That's a good word. It's a swamp.

SPEAKER_03:

Okay, so it's just gross, and that happens to be right near the courts.

SPEAKER_06:

Yeah, it's right behind the courts.

SPEAKER_03:

So is it like a normal thing that like the balls from your games like go into that area?

SPEAKER_06:

It's very, it's very normal, but it was also like high grass, so like people were scared to get like ticks, and yeah. Anyway, so the whole summer I was not going into that dam to get the ball. I told everybody like you get it, I'm not getting it, I'm not going in there. It's too gross.

SPEAKER_03:

Are you like a big sports person in general or you just go along with whatever the camp does anyways?

SPEAKER_06:

No, I really like sports.

SPEAKER_03:

Which sports particularly are you like into the most?

SPEAKER_06:

I like makanayam and I like basketball. But basketball can get very intense.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah. Is that a good thing for you or not a good thing? Um, I like it, but uh people are always like on top of you.

SPEAKER_06:

I don't like it.

SPEAKER_03:

Then I guess too much. You don't like the contact. I hear that. Machanayam, by the way, is a trademark girls' sport. So I am happy that we are including a Machanayam story in this podcast because hello, like if you're a from girl and you don't know about Machanaam, then like you gotta learn, right? You gotta know. Okay, so you're playing Machanayam, the ball goes into the dam.

SPEAKER_06:

As I said, like I never went into the dam, and the first time I decided I would go into the dam. I was like going and I was like a little bit sinking. I got a little bit scared. And I was like going in and going in, and then I finally got the ball. But right before I got the ball, all of a sudden a frog jumped up at me, and I got so scared. I like jumped, I started screaming. It was like I was because I've been scared. It was like towards the end of camp, and I I think I had just said that day, like, wow, Bar Husham, I haven't seen any like frogs or any animals. That was the day when I went to go get the ball. A frog just came jumping up at me. Oh my gosh. So you didn't get the ball.

SPEAKER_03:

You ran out.

SPEAKER_06:

So I didn't get the ball. Someone else got the ball who was brave. And it was very, it was very funny. It's very scary at the time, but now that I look back at it, it's very funny.

SPEAKER_03:

Well, how big was this frog? Are we talking like a little BBC?

SPEAKER_06:

It was like it was like the size let's think. It was like the size of like a plastic cup. Like, you know, a circle, like where you drank from. So it's like that size. Yeah. Can't really think of something else. Um, that's pretty b that's pretty large. That's pretty large. Oh like you know, the size of like a pickle ball or a tennis ball? Yeah. It's like that size.

SPEAKER_03:

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_06:

So it wasn't that big, but it wasn't tiny.

SPEAKER_03:

Wow. Was there anyone in your bunk who was like a frog enthusiast that was like, oh my gosh, like I'm I'm going to catch that?

SPEAKER_06:

No, but earlier that day I saw a staff kid who took a frog from the lake actually, and he was just laying with it and enjoying it.

SPEAKER_03:

Well, yeah, you said a he, and I that sounds like a very boyish.

SPEAKER_06:

He was like five years old and his mother was like getting really grossed down.

SPEAKER_03:

Right. Now you're a regular Mahaninu camper. Yeah. Oh my gosh, gross. Listen, you gotta respect the frog lovers. It's the surprise. I'm surprised when you're seeing the story. Like I was like, ah, I can imagine it was you. You're like stealthily going through the thing. I'm like, I'm almost there, almost here, and then boom. It must have been extremely shocking. Were your friends like watching and laughing?

SPEAKER_06:

Yeah, well, they didn't see it at first because they were all like getting water, and I started shrieking. Like, I never like scream like I just don't. They thought like a bad guy was like coming out of the swamp, like Yeah, unlikely. Yeah, very unlikely, but they thought something really bad happened. Right. Like, think of like what are the top three reasons why a girl would shriek? Um, they're scared of like sometimes if you get a bad grade on a test, like just all very shocked.

SPEAKER_03:

Like when you're in shock, when you're grossed out. Grossed out. And when girls get excited because they see their best friend that they didn't see since yesterday.

SPEAKER_06:

When they shriek, when they get very excited.

unknown:

Exactly.

SPEAKER_03:

Um Are you going back to that camp this summer?

SPEAKER_06:

Yeah, I'm very touching.

SPEAKER_03:

Okay, the frog is not stopping you.

SPEAKER_06:

Nope.

SPEAKER_03:

I hope they give you a free pass that you don't have to go back into the swamp.

SPEAKER_06:

So too.

SPEAKER_03:

Unless you want to. It's up to you. Like if you feel like you're facing your fears, exposure to whatever, and need more frogs. I feel like if I was in your bunk, I would after camp order on Amazon like a pack of frogs and like send it to you in the mail. No, never do that. That wasn't my type. No, of course it was. That's exactly what I would have done. So good. Do you know you could order live animals on Amazon? Really? Yeah, you could order like ladybugs and like, hmm, I don't know if you can order frogs. I I have to look it up. Oh, my neighbor, not like my neighbor neighbor, but like someone in my neighborhood, this woman in the summer. I was schmoozing with her. She saw that my kids had mosquito bites. They were scratching, whatever. She's like, you have to do what I have. I'm like, what do you have? She said she has bats. She ordered them online. I was like, say what? Bats? And she said, Yeah, I have a bat house in my backyard. I ordered bats, and the bats eat the mosquitoes, and now I don't have mosquitoes. I'm like, Yeah, but you have bats! Ew. And she's like, people don't realize bats are harmless. I'm like, okay, it's not for everyone. Anyways. She's like, no, that's a myth. I'm like, I don't know. I don't want to test it out, you know? Gas of anyways, Braha, thanks for sharing your story. Keep up playing the sports because it's so healthy to have those good, healthy sport outlets. Hopefully during the school year you've got time for sports as well.

SPEAKER_06:

Yeah, every Friday during lunch, the middle school goes into the gym and we play like one big game of machanayam. Everybody looks forward to that one. Nice. Friday lunch.

SPEAKER_03:

Amazing. Is there any message that you want to say to all the incredible kid listeners out there?

SPEAKER_06:

Um, even when your fear actually comes to you, you should still be like really strong and like you're gonna face it. And then after you'll be like, this happened to me, and look at me now. I'm okay. Nothing happened to me. Um I'm okay.

SPEAKER_03:

Right. It doesn't mean that you want it to happen again. It just means that you survived something that you thought you would react much worse to. Thanks, Bracha. Thanks for sharing with us.

SPEAKER_04:

Bye.com.

SPEAKER_01:

Thanks for listening, and remember, you are all incredible.

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Morah Tziri

Host