Hollister
– The smile that’s perpetually glued to Robbie Splees’ face
could light up a room.
Hollister – The smile that’s perpetually glued to Robbie Splees’ face could light up a room.
The San Benito High School junior is a lot like any other 17-year-old out there. He loves sports and enjoys hanging out with his friends, riding his four-wheeler and working at Tiffany Ford. Sounds a lot like your average San Benito High student, right? Well, he is. But Robbie’s achievements and aspirations might not be apparent at first glance.
You see, Splees isn’t typical. At least, not as far as appearances go.
Robbie has dwarfism and stands under 3 feet tall. But Splees has never let dwarfism stand in his way when it comes to getting what he wants out of life. Whether it’s cruising around in his truck, custom built with extended gas and brake pedals to give him a full driving experience, or zooming around Hollister Hills on a four runner, Splees is having a blast growing up in Hollister.
And for Splees, an avid sports fan who plans to pursue a career as a sports agent, living in Hollister has to include being involved in athletics, right?
No problem.
“It’s really difficult for me. I wish I could be out there, playing on the field with the guys,” Splees said. “But, then again, whatever God gave me, I’ll deal with it and make the best of it. I’m just glad that I was able to find a way to be involved.”
Athletics at San Benito High School isn’t just a spectator sport for Splees, he’s a key member of both the baseball team and the girls’ basketball squad. He’s the man with the info. He’s the man who can tell you how many rebounds SBHS center Jaime Hall had on any given night or how many strikeouts Breyon Canez recorded in last week’s start.
Splees is the man you see on the sidelines keeping track of it all. He’s the team’s official statistician and, next season, there’s a good chance that Splees could take on the role of Sports Information Director at San Benito High. He travels with the team, attends most of their practices and keeps an exhaustive record of the team’s stats. It’s something he’s done for the last two years and he wouldn’t give it up for anything.
But, more than that, he’s the man who keeps the spirits of his teammates up with a word of encouragement from the dugout.
“He really does a lot for us,” said Canez, a left-handed starter for the Haybaler baseball team who has known Splees since preschool. “He’s a really cool guy, always confident. And he helps the team by giving us a lot of motivation. He’s part of the crew.”
Being part of the crew is something Splees takes a lot of pride in. He’d rather be in uniform out on the field, but he knows that his role with the baseball team is an important one. And it’s a role the team wants to make sure he keeps.
When ‘Baler head coach Michael Luna took over the team at the start of this season, one of the first things the players wanted to know was whether Robbie would keep the books for the team like he had the year before.
Luna, of course, was happy to have the services of a competent statistician, but what he wasn’t counting on was the effect Splees would have on his players.
“Everything the players said about Robbie was positive. They really wanted him back,” Luna said. “There’s something about him, something he brings into the dugout that just makes the kids feel good about themselves. He loves the game, he loves being around the players. And the players love having him around.”
Splees does a lot for the team and, in turn, the team does all it can for him. Whenever possible after their daily workouts, the team includes Splees in batting practice, giving him cheers and jeers as he works on his swing. And he can always smack a fair number of pitches into the outfield.
Make no mistake, Splees is an athlete in his own right.
His five years of competition in the Special Olympics when he was younger, where he participated in the 25-yard dash, the 50-yard dash, the softball toss and the long jump, have ignited Robbie’s competitive fire. He is an avid golfer and, before having hip surgery in the seventh grade to alleviate arthritis pain, he was a member of his school’s basketball team.
Splees has been attending the East/West Shrine Game since he was a kid. That gave him the chance to meet some of the biggest names in sports like Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady and Detroit Lions’ QB Joey Harrington.
As a huge fan of the 49ers, Splees had the opportunity to get to know former San Francisco quarterback Jeff Garcia through his connection with the Special Olympics. This presents a bit of a dilemma for Splees. Harrington, who Robbie also counts as a friend, will be competing with Garcia for snaps as a Detroit Lion this year.
Over the course of his upcoming senior year at SBHS, Splees will continue to do what he loves. He’s planning on keeping stats for both baseball and the girls’ basketball team as well as having fun on his four-wheeler and convincing his mom into letting him buy a pocket rocket motorcycle.
After that, it’s off to college, preferably in Arizona. And who knows? Given his passion for sports and for life in general, Splees could one day end up representing the athletes he so admires as a top-notch sports agent.
But please, spare him the “Show me the money!” jokes.
Josh Staloch is the sports editor at the Hollister Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 334 or [email protected]
