The ‘Unspoken Bond’ between Olson and longtime good friend

ATLANTA — When Reece Blankenship sees his good friend Matt Olson, he’ll maintain his hand for an extended whereas, rubbing his finger alongside the calluses which have fashioned from years of gripping the baseball bat. He’ll stare in marvel at these instruments the Braves’ first baseman has used to turn into one of the vital productive sluggers in MLB.

Matt’s arms have lengthy been a supply of fascination for Reece, ever for the reason that two turned buddies in highschool.

“When I was growing up, I always had some sort of ball in my hand, just kind of flipping it around,” Olson says. “Reece was always amazed by the hand dexterity that I had. … To him, the motor skills are amazing.”

Reece has non-speaking autism, and his lifelong situation leaves him with little authority over his physique actions.

But in recent times, as Matt had a baseball breakthrough to turn into an MVP-caliber participant, Reece had a communication breakthrough that allowed him to pursue the desires as soon as locked inside him.

Now, these friends are each utilizing their arms to make an affect — the 29-year-old Matt with that booming bat vying for the MLB residence run crown, and the 28-year-old Reece with the letterboard he factors to when spelling out his concepts for methods to empower, settle for and advocate for these on the spectrum.

This heartwarming friendship, which is documented in a brand new MLB Network characteristic “Unspoken Bond,” helps to enhance the lives of others.

When Matt was nonetheless with the Oakland A’s, he was an early supporter of ReClif, the enterprise and charity Reece based to assist autistic folks and their households. And due to the commerce that introduced Olson to his hometown group final yr, he has been capable of ramp up that assist by organizing a significant fundraiser for ReClif and offering Braves tickets for autistic people and their households.

This good citizenship earned Olson the Braves’ 2023 Roberto Clemente Award nomination.

“Matt and I have connected on a different plane,” Reece writes. “We each see the deeper being.”

For the primary 19 years and 11 months of his life, Reece couldn’t talk such a strong proclamation of friendship … or anything. He was, as he writes now, “trapped inside a nightmare,” totally able to understanding the world round him, but unable to transmit his ideas.

Reece’s situation will not be unusual. According to the National Autism Association, 1 in 36 kids are affected by autism, and about 40% of these kids don’t converse.

That didn’t cease Matt from befriending Reece, his fellow classmate at Parkview High School in Lilburn, Ga., simply exterior Atlanta.

At the time, Reece was recognized to have the mental capabilities of a 3-year-old. He wanted a number of consideration. With few autism providers obtainable on the time and the price of skilled therapists tough to handle, Reece’s mom, Lou, and father, Jeff would rent native youngsters — typically, athletes — to work with Reece and meet his objective of 36 hours of remedy per week.

The college students have been educated to have interaction in “play therapy,” serving to Reece with studying actions, train (strolling, biking, swimming, capturing baskets, throwing and kicking balls), writing, coloring, and so forth. Matt’s older brother, Zack, initially did the job. When he graduated, Matt, who had grown up with Reece’s older sister, Daron, took over.

“It was an eye-opening experience for me,” Matt says.

Because Reece can’t converse or management his actions, he’ll generally make loud noises or chunk his personal hand when dealing with anxiousness or pleasure. You can think about how these quirks of his situation can be acquired by the typical highschool scholar unaccustomed to them.

From the start, although, Reece’s household famous how naturally comfy Matt was round Reece.

“Watching them interact, especially when a lot of people are around, you would think that Reece isn’t even paying attention to Matt,” Lou says. “Then, you will notice that Reece is standing closer to Matt or grabbing his hand or arm. Or Matt will put his arm around Reece’s shoulder. As a mom, I can just see the non-verbal energy between them.”

The friendship continued after highschool. When Matt was a Minor League participant with the A’s, his season would wrap up simply as Reece’s siblings have been venturing off to varsity within the fall. So Matt would serve a brotherly function for him.

“I would get Snapchats from [Matt] of him and Reece together,” says Daron, Reece’s sister. “It was just very pure, very genuine, and it was so nice to know that, while you’re away, somebody was still there with my brother, being a good person for him.”

For a few years, the “non-verbal energy” was the extent of the friendship.

Then, in 2014, Reece had a quantum leap in communication that caught everybody in his orbit — together with Matt — abruptly.

Reece’s mother and father took him to a “spelling to communicate” workshop the place autism sufferers are taught the motor expertise to level to letters on a board to spell phrases. Reece had finished fairly a little bit of training by way of home-based remedy within the weeks main as much as that second, but what got here out of him in these few days was nothing wanting extraordinary.

The breakthrough got here early within the workshop.

“We’re going to talk about astronomy,” one of many therapists stated to Reece. “Do you know anything about that?”

Reece started pointing to letters on the board, spelling out an entire sentence:

“I know Copernicus advocated that the Earth revolves around the sun.”

Lou and Jeff checked out one another in amazement. Doctors had instructed them their son had the mental equal of a toddler. But in that second, he confirmed he had a lot extra to supply. 

“The joke’s on us,” says Matt, “because Reece is probably the smartest person in the room.”

What has adopted, over the past 9 years, is an inspiring story in regards to the younger man who was lastly capable of convey his desires and the massive leaguer who helped him pursue them.

As Reece started utilizing a letterboard — and, subsequently, a keyboard — to disclose concepts he had for a therapy and health heart for folks on the spectrum and others who want individualized consideration, his mother and father started to attract up a marketing strategy.

The ensuing facility is known as ReClif — for his first and center title, Reece Clifton. Since it opened its doorways in Peachtree Corners in early 2018, ReClif has served lots of of purchasers with remedy choices that embrace customized train courses, therapeutic yoga, spelling-to-communicate teaching, specialised studying seminars and different choices.

To launch the enterprise, Reece had solicited assist on GoFundMe in 2017. The first donation was a $5,000 submission from his good friend Matt, then a rookie with the A’s. Matt, his brother and a few of their buddies additionally helped transfer tools and furnishings into the power when ReClif signed its first lease. 

“It’s a very easy decision,” Olson says, “to give back to somebody that I care greatly about, for a cause that I care greatly about and a family that I trust is here to do the right thing for other people.” 

When Matt was traded to the Braves and signed a long-term extension with them previous to the 2022 season, nobody was happier than Reece. Not solely may he join along with his good friend extra incessantly, however Matt’s platform with the native MLB group has given ReClif further publicity.

ReClif launched a charitable arm, named ReClif Community, that raises funds for sufferers who lose entry to many publicly funded applications after highschool and for households enduring the excessive prices of caring for these with autism. In January, Matt and his spouse, Nicole, held their inaugural Diamond Casino Night at Truist Park and raised greater than $250,000 for ReClif Community, with plans already in place to carry the occasion once more in 2024.

When Reece attended Matt’s Opening Day debut with the Braves in 2022, he needed to go away Truist Park after three innings due to the sensory overload of the loud music, flashing lights, concession smells and the overall electrical energy within the air because the group celebrated its World Series championship.

Recently, although, Reece achieved a milestone by making it by a whole Braves recreation. Throughout the sport, his mother and father reminded him, “If you make it to the end, you get to go see Matt!”

So when the sport ended, Reece made his method downstairs to the realm exterior the Braves’ clubhouse. There, as traditional, he held his good friend’s arms and studied them for some time.

Olson additionally donates 1% of his wage to the Atlanta Braves Foundation, and that contribution led to the creation of “The Matt Pack” — a program that invitations households impacted by autism to get pleasure from a complimentary, sensory-friendly recreation expertise at Truist Park.

The six seats have been personally chosen by Matt and Reece and are situated in a handicap-accessible space that offers attendees room to face up, tempo or soar up and down with out interrupting the expertise of others. The seats are additionally conveniently situated near a quiet house that provides toilet entry away from crowds and a respite from the noise of the ballpark.

Reece’s household is aware of too effectively how tough attending a recreation could be with out that sort of assist.

“Reece has very severe sensory sensitivity,” says Lou, “especially with auditory and visual stimulation.”

Reece has lengthy been amazed at what these arms can do with a baseball and a bat. But now, with the assistance of his letterboard, his household and his longtime good friend Matt, Reece has confirmed his personal arms are fairly highly effective, too.

What follows is the complete written interview we performed with Reece Blankenship about his particular friendship with Matt Olson. Reece typed his solutions on a wi-fi keyboard that connects to a notes web page on his iPad.

How essential is Matt’s friendship in your life?

REALISTICALLY FRIENDSHIPS FOR THOSE LIKE ME ARE VERY UNIQUE AND SOMEWHAT DIFFICULT FOR NEUROTYPICALS TO COMPREHEND. MATT AND I FORGED OUR FRIENDSHIP DURING MANY HOURS SHARED TOGETHER WORKING ON THERAPY MOTOR SKILLS, BUT MY FAVORITE TIMES WERE SPENT WALKING FOR MILES IN COMPANIONABLE SILENCE. MATT AND I CANNOT CHAT ON THE PHONE, EASILY TEXT, OR SHARE A BEER IN A LOUD SPORTS BAR LIKE MOST GUYS. BUT MATT AND I HAVE CONNECTED ON A DIFFERENT PLANE AND WE EACH SEE THE DEEPER BEING. I HAVE SAID MANY TIMES BEFORE THAT OUR FRIENDSHIP TRANSCENDS TYPICAL SPEECH. THIS FRIENDSHIP IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT GIVES ME FAITH THAT MY TRUE SELF IS VALUED IN SPITE OF MY UNRULY BODY.

What makes Matt good friend?

FIRST OFF FOR ME, MATT IS A GOOD FRIEND BECAUSE HIS UNWAVERING ABILITY FOR CALMNESS IS THE PERFECT FOIL FOR MY UNPREDICTABLE SELF. HE IS WITTY AND INTELLIGENT. HIS WIFE NICOLE IS OF THE SAME ILK AND THEY MAKE A GREAT DUO.

MATT IS SELF ASSURED WITHOUT BEING COCKY AND I SO MUCH ADMIRE HIS ATHLETIC PROWESS. WHILE GROWING UP IT NEVER HURT TO HAVE FRIENDS LIKE MATT WHO WERE BIG, STRONG, AND WELL RESPECTED IN OUR SCHOOL. THIS STILL HOLDS TRUE IN THE REAL WORLD TODAY.

What has Matt meant to ReClif?

MATT BELIEVES IN ME AND HAS CONSISTENTLY SUPPORTED MY VISION FOR BOTH RECLIF AND RECLIF COMMUNITY. MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS ASIDE I THINK HIS LOYALTY TO ME, RECLIF AND RECLIF COMMUNITY CERTAINLY MAKES OTHERS AT LEAST TAKE NOTICE AND POSSIBLY INQUIRE DEEPER THAN THEY MIGHT HAVE. NICOLE HAS ALSO EMBRACED ME AND MY VISION AND HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN ASSISTING MATT IN ADVANCING OUR CAUSE THROUGH DIAMOND CASINO NIGHT. WORKING WITH MATT AND THE BRAVES FOUNDATION ON PROVIDING THE MATT PACK SEATS TO FAMILIES IMPACTED BY AUTISM HAS BEEN REMARKABLE AND SO REWARDING.  

What have you ever considered Matt’s season?

YOU MAY KNOW THAT I HAVE ALWAYS DONE PRESEASON STATS FOR MATT AND FOR MOST YEARS I HAVE BEEN DANG CLOSE. THIS YEAR MATT IS SURPASSING EVEN MY HIGH PREDICTIONS. SINCE HE HAS ALREADY CRUSHED THE 42 HRS I PREDICTED I ALREADY GAVE HIM PERMISSION TO MAKE MY GUESSES LOOK FOOLISH. LIKE I RECENTLY WROTE TO MATT — SOMETIMES CHEMISTRY MAKES STATISTICAL ANALYSIS GO AWRY. SO SWING AWAY WITH HAPPY HEARTS AND ENJOY THE STRONG VIBE THIS TEAM IS CREATING.