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NEW: Deaf girl enjoys playing on Little League team - themorningsun.com
When Little League coach Jim Elliott pitched the ball to Rachael Pedjac at a recent practice before a game, the little girl took a big swing and got a thumbs-up.
While Elliott gave Rachael the sign for doing a good job, her mother, Shelley Pejdac, stood by, waving her hands in the air.
That sign is what Rachael takes for cheers and applause, since she can’t hear spectators rooting for her.
Rachael, 6, is the only girl on the Denver Township Dawgs Little League team, and she gets plenty of support from her big brother, Jordan, 8; her teammates; her parents and others who love to watch her play the game.
Rachael’s father, Denver Township Supervisor John Pedjac, said she is following in Jordan’s footsteps.
Jordan has been playing Little League for a few years, and when he was signing up to play this season, John and Shelley asked their daughter if she wanted to give it a try.
Rachael, who loves to play catch, answered with a “yes.”
Rachael has a cochlear implant and can hear some sound, but does not wear it when she is playing ball.
While other players rely on auditory stimulus when playing, Rachael instead uses her vision.
During batting practice, when Rachael solidly hit the ball, Shelley responded with sign language while Elliott used the universal thumb sign to show his support.
“She loves to bat,” John said. “She gets up there and growls at him.”
Although a bit afraid of the ball, Rachael is more at ease playing because the league allows Shelley to be on the field when she is playing.
John is one of the team’s coaches, so he, too, is on the field during play.
Although the communication barrier can be tough at times, Rachael is learning American Sign Language and “is better than her parents,” John said.
Rachael has gone through three semesters of ASL at Central Michigan University and is a kindergarten student at Carrie Knause Elementary School in St. Louis.
She is enrolled in the deaf and hard of hearing program at the Isabella-Gratiot Regional Education District, which is offered at Carrie Knause.
She is in a regular kindergarten class during some of the school day, and also takes speech and sign language classes.
John, who coaches first base, said other teams have been supportive and that other coaches root for Rachael.
Like any other 6-year-old, Rachael sometimes doesn’t take the game too seriously.
“There’re times when she’s picking the grass, playing in the dirt just like any other kid,” he said.
Also like any other child, Rachael can dig her heels in the sand when she doesn’t want to do something.
“She has fun when she forgets she has to do it,” Shelley said.
She had a bit of fun earlier this week during practice, when she was at bat and hit the ball into Elliott’s stomach.
Elliott’s funny reaction caused Rachael to giggle in amusement.
Elliott said Rachael’s teammates love having her around.
“It amazes me how the older kids want to know signs so they can tell her, ‘good job,’” he said. “It’s been fun.
“She smiles all the time.”
When Little League coach Jim Elliott pitched the ball to Rachael Pedjac at a recent practice before a game, the little girl took a big swing and got a thumbs-up.
While Elliott gave Rachael the sign for doing a good job, her mother, Shelley Pejdac, stood by, waving her hands in the air.
That sign is what Rachael takes for cheers and applause, since she can’t hear spectators rooting for her.
Rachael, 6, is the only girl on the Denver Township Dawgs Little League team, and she gets plenty of support from her big brother, Jordan, 8; her teammates; her parents and others who love to watch her play the game.
Rachael’s father, Denver Township Supervisor John Pedjac, said she is following in Jordan’s footsteps.
Jordan has been playing Little League for a few years, and when he was signing up to play this season, John and Shelley asked their daughter if she wanted to give it a try.
Rachael, who loves to play catch, answered with a “yes.”
Rachael has a cochlear implant and can hear some sound, but does not wear it when she is playing ball.
While other players rely on auditory stimulus when playing, Rachael instead uses her vision.
During batting practice, when Rachael solidly hit the ball, Shelley responded with sign language while Elliott used the universal thumb sign to show his support.
“She loves to bat,” John said. “She gets up there and growls at him.”
Although a bit afraid of the ball, Rachael is more at ease playing because the league allows Shelley to be on the field when she is playing.
John is one of the team’s coaches, so he, too, is on the field during play.
Although the communication barrier can be tough at times, Rachael is learning American Sign Language and “is better than her parents,” John said.
Rachael has gone through three semesters of ASL at Central Michigan University and is a kindergarten student at Carrie Knause Elementary School in St. Louis.
She is enrolled in the deaf and hard of hearing program at the Isabella-Gratiot Regional Education District, which is offered at Carrie Knause.
She is in a regular kindergarten class during some of the school day, and also takes speech and sign language classes.
John, who coaches first base, said other teams have been supportive and that other coaches root for Rachael.
Like any other 6-year-old, Rachael sometimes doesn’t take the game too seriously.
“There’re times when she’s picking the grass, playing in the dirt just like any other kid,” he said.
Also like any other child, Rachael can dig her heels in the sand when she doesn’t want to do something.
“She has fun when she forgets she has to do it,” Shelley said.
She had a bit of fun earlier this week during practice, when she was at bat and hit the ball into Elliott’s stomach.
Elliott’s funny reaction caused Rachael to giggle in amusement.
Elliott said Rachael’s teammates love having her around.
“It amazes me how the older kids want to know signs so they can tell her, ‘good job,’” he said. “It’s been fun.
“She smiles all the time.”
