Coach Jared was one of the reasons Campbell County’s baseball team enjoyed a special season

By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter

After the Campbell County baseball team won the 10th Region championship game last week, fans whipped out their smart phones and began taking photos of the players celebrating their success.

When it came time for the trophy presentation, the players formed a circle around a teammate seated in a wheelchair and let him receive it. With the gold-plated trophy in his lap, the players all flashed the No. 1 sign with their index fingers and smiled as the cameras clicked away.

With the 10th Region championship trophy in his lap, Jared Napier, center, poses for photos with his brothers Josh, left, and Jacob. (Photo provided by the family)

Scott and Lisa Napier were in tears watching all that take place. They have three sons on the Campbell County team, including the one holding the trophy who hasn’t walked a day in his life.

“That really was an emotional moment for mom and dad because you don’t think when a child has special needs that he would be embraced like that,” Lisa said.

Jared Napier was born with Periventricular Leukomalacia, a type of brain injury found in babies who are born premature. It results in developmental delays and learning disorders.

Jared in now 16 years old and attends special education classes at Campbell County. He got involved with the Camels baseball team as his older brother, Josh, and his twin brother, Jacob, came up through the program.

Their mother said the twins were born nine weeks premature, but Jared is the only one with a developmental disorder. He has also gone through multiple surgeries to correct physical maladies.

As he grew up, Jared developed a love for baseball watching his brothers play the game. When they got to high school, Campbell County head coach Scott Schweitzer asked Jared to become a member of the team.

“When they were younger, (Jared) was at every game, every event, and he always had his Camels gear on,” Schweitzer said. “His big thing was he always wanted to be a coach. I thought to myself, what a great opportunity. He comes with his brothers every game anyway, so let’s include him and make him a coach.”

Campbell County coach Scott Schweitzer

The coach gave Jared a uniform, put his name on the varsity roster with his two brothers and found a space in the dugout for his wheelchair. It was a move that benefitted everyone on the team, according to Jared’s mom.

“All the high school players and coaches just welcomed him and let him be in the dugout,” she said. “They play for themselves because they love the game, but they have that extra umph because of Jared and how much Jared loves the game.”

One of Jared’s responsibilities during the playoffs was giving a pre-game pep talk to the team. The players responded by winning the 10th Region championship, and they upset a higher-ranked opponent in all three games.

“It was a tough stretch, but we all came together,” Josh said. “Jared gave a little speech before very game and that got us moving. He would just say keep your heads high and play hard, and that’s what we did.”

In the championship game, Josh had two hits and drove in three runs to earn all-tournament honors. But seeing his younger brother receive the championship trophy as a member of the Campbell County team was his biggest thrill.

“It means everything to me,” Josh said. “When we were little he could barely talk and didn’t really do anything. After the surgeries, it just opened up everything for him. And seeing him get that trophy, it was just heart warming.”

Josh was also touched by the way his teammates accepted Jared. It didn’t take long for them to find out he knows a lot about the game. 

“I didn’t have to be the one with him all the time,” Josh said. “Every game there was always someone standing by his side and talking with him. They’re always including him in everything we do. It’s a great feeling.”

When Campbell County lost in the first round of the state playoffs, Josh had already graduated. He’ll be going to Campbellsville University to continue his baseball career and study economics.

His two younger brothers have one more year left at Campbell County. They’ll be on the varsity baseball roster once again next spring when the Camels defend their 10th Region title.

“At the beginning, I think this was not meant to be a feel good story,” coach Schweitzer said. “It was just an opportunity to have a kid who was born less fortunate than others to still love the game and give him an opportunity to be around it.”