Thursday,
May 1, 2014
By Cory K. Doviak
NJS.com Editorial Director
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Kevin Bonkowski has not let Type 1 Diabetes stand between himself and success on the field. The junior righty is now the ace of the Westwood staff. |
WESTWOOD – It is because it is not obvious that it is so inspirational. To watch Westwood junior Kevin Bonkowski go about his business as the ace of the Cardinals' staff, nothing really stands out besides his stuff. He throws three pitches for strikes, he is a commanding presence with his straight-over-the-top delivery and he was the winning pitcher on Monday as Westwood downed River Dell, a finalist in the Bergen County Tournament last year, 5-1.
So why is Bonkowski's story different from the countless other players across North Jersey and across the country for that matter, of like ability and commitment and with the talent and hope of going on to play in college?
Diagnosed at the age of 9 with Type 1 (Juvenile) Diabetes, the path that Bonkowski has taken to get to his current position has been a bit more challenging than that taken by the average high school athlete. His pregame routine includes not only going over the best way to go after hitters, but all checking his blood sugar numerous times and injecting himself with insulin several times a day. And then it is on to thinking about when to drop in a curveball.
“What I do everyday is obviously different than what most people without diabetes do, but when it comes to getting ready for a game I try to keep as close to my routine, as close to what is normal for me, as possible. On game days I want to make sure that everything I have to do in terms of my diabetes is set straight that I do not even have to think about it,” said Bonkowski, home early on Wednesday night after having a game against Mahwah washed away. “I want it so that when the game starts that I can just totally focus on baseball and doing what I have to do on the mound.”
Bonkowski does not want to be known as a diabetic who pitches, but rather a pitcher who has diabetes. It is a slight difference in word order, but in the grand scheme of things it is a whole different mindset and an example for others in a similar position to follow.
“The message is that, yes, diabetes is hard, especially when you are diagnosed as a young kid. Being 9 or 10 years old and not being able to do things at the same speed as your friends because you have to stop and check your blood sugar, it's hard,” said Bonkowski. “But as you grow up and mature with the disease, you deal with it and it is not a factor or something that should hold you back from sports or whatever it is you want to do. Kids with diabetes should have the same dreams the day after they are diagnosed as they did the day before.”
Bonkowski is the personification of that very idea. Not only has he had to overcome the physical effects of his condition, but also the stigma attached to it by those who might not be informed. It was something that John Bonkowski, Kevin's father, had to help his son work through.
“There is a lot of ignorance out there about what kids with Type 1 diabetes can and can not do. The reality is that there is really nothing that they can't do if they take care of themselves. There are professional athletes out there with it and it is a disease that is controllable and it our job as parents to make him aware of that,” said John. “There was a basketball coach when Kevin was a kid who told him he shouldn't play at all or when he did he couldn't go and test his blood sugar. But those things can be overcome with education and hard work and Kevin has done that. He went out and performed and even made the all-star team in that basketball league. The message here is that kids should not let diabetes hold them back from anything.”
Kevin Bonkowski hasn't and on game days he looks just like any other player out there, or at least any other good player out there. Inevitably the interview turned back to what he really enjoys talking about and that is Westwood baseball. Monday's win got the Cardinals back to .500 on the season at 7-7 after starting off at 2-5. The River Dell game also put a quality win on the resume to be submitted for consideration for the Bergen County Tournament.
Although the rain certainly is not helping as Westwood hoped to put some distance between itself and the break-even mark for the season, there are still a couple more chances for the Cardinals build a case for the inclusion in the county tournament. Wins on Friday against Pascack Hills, Saturday against Park Ridge and on Monday at Fort Lee would certainly be a few big steps in that direction.
“After we lost to Ramsey our coach [Chris Izzo] told us that now is the time to really figure out what type of team we want to be. Are we going to goof around for the rest of the season or put our heads up and go into this week and get some wins against good teams?” said Kevin. “Then the coach let and the players were sitting around talking while we were waiting for the bus and we know what the answer to his question is. This team, and especially this junior class because we have been playing together since we were 7 years old, knows that we have not played as well as could have. We've had games like we did against Ramsey where we lost 11-0 and then we beat River Dell 5-1 and 14-4 against Ridgefield Park. We know what we are capable of and now we have to go out and show it.”
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