Polson student plans wooden bat tournament
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POLSON — Baseball is a passion for sixth-grader Zach Plant. His favorite major league team is the St. Louis Cardinals.
Zach’s teacher Tamara Fisher, the Polson district’s gifted and talented teacher, said he’s a very big baseball fan.
“He loves the sport. Obviously he’s kicking around a lot of careers, but one he’s looking at is a baseball team statistician,” she said.
“Zach’s amazing,” Fisher said. “He’s sharp, hardworking and has incredibly high standards for himself. He’s always looking for what his next challenge will be … he’s amazingly perceptive.”
Mostly Zach likes to play baseball, but there was a time when Zach couldn’t play.
“When I was 7 years old, I got really sick,” Zach said. “It was a heart defect.”
Make-A-Wish Montana heard about Zach and offered him a wish. He chose a trip to the Holy Land Experience in Orlando, Florida, because he wanted to be baptized there.
It’s a remake of Bethlehem, Israel, where Jesus was born, Zach explained.
“There were statues of what happened in the Bible,” he said, adding that from what he can remember, it was big.
He had heart surgery for his condition, called tetralogy of fallot and is doing well now, but his cardiologist said no to most sports — except baseball.
“Basketball was something I really wanted to do, but it’s too much for my heart,” Zach said, explaining that he can only run short distances.
He’s played baseball through his grade school years, although he missed the t-ball experience. Zach plays right field, left field, second base and sometimes pitcher. He prefers second base.
“Grounders are my best,” Zach said. “I don’t feel I can catch fly balls.”
Zach used his love for baseball as a mini-project for the Gifted and Talented class and would also earn money to give back to Make-A-Wish Montana. After he talked it over with his dad, Pete Plant, who’s also his baseball coach, they decided on a wooden bat tournament.
“I was interested in a wooden bat tournament because it’s something different,” Zach said, since metal bats are normally used in league play for kids.
In 2014 the first Heart of a Champion tournament was held and raised $1,500. Since it was successful, Zach decided to hold another one this year in May.
“We used ‘heart’ (in the name) because of my heart,” Zach said, touching his chest.
