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Joba takes day to brighten child's life
Yankees righty visits Disney with student from Nebraska hometown
TAMPA, Fla. -- The adrenaline surge of a 13-story elevator drop isn't exactly the same as pitching in a Major League game, but they share this common trait: Joba Chamberlain is in a position to report on both.
Chamberlain spent part of his Sunday at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., where he rode the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror with 11-year-old Jazmine Meyer King, a guest from Chamberlain's hometown of Lincoln, Neb.
For the second successive year, Chamberlain selected a hard-working student from a family of modest means to be his guest at Disney World for ESPN The Weekend.
This year's winner was selected with help from Jerome Ulrich, Chamberlain's former Little League coach, and Matt Altman, a teacher at Clinton Elementary.
"There's a lot of families that don't have the extra money, but they pay their bills and they work hard, and they do everything they can to provide for their family," Chamberlain said. "As someone that never took a family vacation, that's special for me to be able to provide for these people."
Traveling to Florida with her parents and brother, Jazmine received hotel accommodations, Disney theme park passes, a Disney VIP tour and meals, all arranged by Chamberlain. He said he enjoyed his time with the fifth-grader.
"She was kind of shy," Chamberlain said. "She wanted to bring her math book. Her parents had to say, 'You know what? This is a vacation.' It was great. She had fun, and her little brother had a great time, too. It's fun to look into kids' eyes when they go to Disney World."
Chamberlain said that his efforts to give back have been well-received at home.
"I pick a student that represents what I stand for and where I come from," Chamberlain said. "Jazmine had worked really hard, and she deserved it. Talking to her parents, I guess a lot of kids started working harder in school because of the rewards that come along with it."
While in Orlando, Chamberlain appeared on the Baseball Tonight studio set and introduced Jazmine and her family to CC Sabathia, who was also present for the ESPN events.
"It's cool to be able to cherish that with your teammate and someone that cherishes their time with their family as much as I do," Chamberlain said.
Chamberlain said he walked around the theme park with Jazmine and her family during just his second time at Disney World. He plans to bring his 3-year-old son, Karter, for the first time this year.
"You can do everything you want in baseball, but seeing the joy they have and how thankful they are for everything that you've done, that's what makes it worth it," Chamberlain said.
"That's why you work so hard, that's why you put in the time and effort. You have to understand, I wouldn't be where I am without the people that helped me get here. Her mom was tearing up, and that's a special feeling, because that's what it's about."
Yankees righty visits Disney with student from Nebraska hometown
TAMPA, Fla. -- The adrenaline surge of a 13-story elevator drop isn't exactly the same as pitching in a Major League game, but they share this common trait: Joba Chamberlain is in a position to report on both.
Chamberlain spent part of his Sunday at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., where he rode the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror with 11-year-old Jazmine Meyer King, a guest from Chamberlain's hometown of Lincoln, Neb.
For the second successive year, Chamberlain selected a hard-working student from a family of modest means to be his guest at Disney World for ESPN The Weekend.
This year's winner was selected with help from Jerome Ulrich, Chamberlain's former Little League coach, and Matt Altman, a teacher at Clinton Elementary.
"There's a lot of families that don't have the extra money, but they pay their bills and they work hard, and they do everything they can to provide for their family," Chamberlain said. "As someone that never took a family vacation, that's special for me to be able to provide for these people."
Traveling to Florida with her parents and brother, Jazmine received hotel accommodations, Disney theme park passes, a Disney VIP tour and meals, all arranged by Chamberlain. He said he enjoyed his time with the fifth-grader.
"She was kind of shy," Chamberlain said. "She wanted to bring her math book. Her parents had to say, 'You know what? This is a vacation.' It was great. She had fun, and her little brother had a great time, too. It's fun to look into kids' eyes when they go to Disney World."
Chamberlain said that his efforts to give back have been well-received at home.
"I pick a student that represents what I stand for and where I come from," Chamberlain said. "Jazmine had worked really hard, and she deserved it. Talking to her parents, I guess a lot of kids started working harder in school because of the rewards that come along with it."
While in Orlando, Chamberlain appeared on the Baseball Tonight studio set and introduced Jazmine and her family to CC Sabathia, who was also present for the ESPN events.
"It's cool to be able to cherish that with your teammate and someone that cherishes their time with their family as much as I do," Chamberlain said.
Chamberlain said he walked around the theme park with Jazmine and her family during just his second time at Disney World. He plans to bring his 3-year-old son, Karter, for the first time this year.
"You can do everything you want in baseball, but seeing the joy they have and how thankful they are for everything that you've done, that's what makes it worth it," Chamberlain said.
"That's why you work so hard, that's why you put in the time and effort. You have to understand, I wouldn't be where I am without the people that helped me get here. Her mom was tearing up, and that's a special feeling, because that's what it's about."
