Tampa Catholic Teen Strives So That 'Everyone Can Play'

What should a 17-year-old do while laid up in the hospital after gall bladder surgery? 

Owen Sarwatka had plenty of things to do, like line up sponsors, check on merchandise, make food arrangements, and organize the participants for his second annual Everyone Can Play baseball clinic for special needs youths, this Saturday at . 

“He spent five days in the hospital,” recalled his mother Suzanne Sarwatka, “his gall bladder was out.” 

You have to rest, mom told son. 

“But it's for the kids,” son replied. “I can't let the kids down.”  

Owen's gall bladder removal was just one of five surgeries he's had in the past eight weeks, but hey, he's expecting about 200 people on Saturday. “I hate to let the kids down,” Owen said. “It's more important than anything that they have this event.” 

Owen's dedication is fueled in no small part by his recollections from , which took place at Bloomingdale Little League in Valrico. Owen recruited his fellow TC baseball teammates as personal coaches for each of the 40 special needs participants, and at one point he realized his teammates were all crying.  

“They realized just what they're so gifted for,” said Owen, “and how they can share their gift for baseball with these kids who are so eager to play.” Another fact that made it all worth it: Owen said that after last year's event, every one of the 40 participants subsequently signed up for the Challenger Divisions of their local little leagues, which serve the physically and mentally challenged.  

Owen hatched the idea for Everyone Can Play when he needed to do a project to make Eagle Scout. Needless to say, Owen's efforts got him his Eagle Scout badge last May. 

“The Eagle board said I had the most impressive project that they had ever seen,” said Owen.  

The July 2010 death of New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, perhaps the bay area's leading philanthropist, also inspired Owen to launch Everyone Can Play. 

“He was a big hero of mine,” Owen said of Steinbrenner. “He had done a lot for the community, so I thought, let me do something great for George.”

Owen reached out to the Yankees and ended up scoring commemorative Steinbrenner patches for last year's event T-shirts.  

Owen has more personal inspiration as well. He has an 11-year-old cousin, Julia Lee, with several inoperable brain tumors, a condition that affects her behavior. 

Health problems have also mounted for Owen in recent years. Besides the gall bladder removal, he's undergone four other surgeries in the past eight weeks to treat a defective kidney. Owen says doctors will have to remove it in about a month. The TC junior pitcher also hurt his throwing shoulder last year, and has been on the bench ever since. But he's working out in the gym every day, practice pitching every three days, and expects to be playing again in the spring. He lives in Lutz with his mother and father, Frank, and is considering studying architectural engineering or orthopedic surgery in college.  

At Saturday's event, Owen will once again pair each special needs participant with a baseball player, most of which will come from the Tampa Catholic Crusaders. Owen said volunteers from eight other local high schools will also act as baseball buddies. The clinic will consist of a hitting, throwing, and fielding station. Owen expects 50 to 60 special needs participants this year.  

The day's schedule:

• 8 a.m. registration
• 9 a.m. opening ceremony
• 9:30 a.m. baseball clinic
• 11:30 a.m. lunch and prize raffle
• noon Musical performances including Tampa Catholic cheerleaders and Crusaderettes dance team, and singer Elizabeth Bergeron.
• 1 p.m. closing ceremony

Cuban sandwiches and drinks are free for participants, buddies and volunteers. Extra food will be available for everyone else to purchase, and donations will be accepted at the event to help defray costs.