Meet Sean.

Sean grew up with really bad anxiety, making it difficult for him to meet new people. It wasn’t until his dad took him to a Mets game, where he fell in love with the game, that led his parents to sign him up for Little League, which changed his life. He began making friends with his teammates, which led him to becoming best friends with a fellow Mets fans, who actually did save his life.

Tell me your story.

I definitely would not be who I am without the New York Mets.

I grew up in Queens, New York. I didn’t have a horrible childhood by any means, in fact I would say I had a pretty comfortable one. There was one major issue however, and it was that my parents were REALLY into us getting good grades. I mean beyond obsessive. It left little to no time for me to make any friends or have any fun. So, I grew up a little lonely, no friends or anything. I had really bad anxiety when talking to new people and just thought it’d be better if I didn’t.

One day, my dad came home with tickets for a Mets game vs the Padres and to be honest it did not go great. He was an avid lifetime Mets fan who had seen the Mets win both the 1969 and 1986 World Series. I, on the other hand, was a bored eight-year-old who didn’t want to leave his house.

I remember the burning seats of Shea Stadium and the bees flying around along with the smell of peanuts and hot dogs. I was not happy so we left. However, even with the heat, I remember the sight of one player. Actually, it was one jersey. We sat around the first base line so when one of the players came out I remember just seeing the guy and I thought he was a superhero. That player was David Wright.

From that day on I could not shut up about baseball. Fast-forward to 2012 and I am at home watching the Mets in the midst of a tough six-game losing streak. This is when my mom and dad decided to send me to Little League. They thought it would be a good place for me to also make friends as around this time my social anxiety got really bad.

While my Little League days were pretty uneventful (except that my first hit in Little League was a grand slam and I also had a game-winning, two-run single during a season that I hit .545 – okay I’m actually kind of proud of my 13-year-old Little League play), it’s the fact that I began opening up to teammates that was really significant.

This continued on into high school. I was never depressed, but I always felt a little lonely still until I met my best friend Pascal. I remember walking into freshman biology and being sat next to a kid in a Mets shirt. Taking a risk, I asked him if he was a Mets fan and from there a friendship for the ages was sparked.

Here comes the saving my life part – it was Halloween 2015. Pascal and I were walking the streets as high school sophomores. We were coming back from a game of catch in the park and crossing the intersection right next to my house. All I remember is a red sports car headed right for me. The headlights rapidly approached me and I for sure thought that it was over until I felt Pascal pull me back from the intersection.

As the car rushed by I could hear the guys in the car laughing and I could see the empty beer bottles in the back. That was the closest I have ever come to dying and the only reason I am here today is because of the bond I made with my best friend over the New York Mets.

My dad took me to a random baseball game as a kid which then made me fall in love with the Mets. My parents then sent me to Little League as a way to make friends, which I did. One of those friends then, in turn, saved my life. So in a way, without the New York Mets, I might not be here to tell my story.

Wow thanks for sharing all that! I hope you and Pascal are still close today! Do you attend many Mets games together?

Yes, me and Pascal are close today. We have been to many many Mets games together.

Which game stands out most in your mind?

The one that stands out most in my mind was the game the Mets played vs the Dodgers. It was Julio Urias‘ debut and Curtis Granderson hit a game-winning walk-off homer that day. The game was sold out, but we bought standing room only tickets and walked around the stadium the entire game. We were right on the right field line when Granderson lasered a ball next to the right field foul pole.

In addition to just the Mets, it sounds like baseball itself changed your life by helping with your social anxiety – that without Little League, you wouldn’t be the man you are today. Would you agree?

I absolutely agree.

What advice would you have for others who may be in a similar situation you were in as a child?

I would honestly say to others that it is not easy to break out of your shell. If you are feeling like you have to, then find something you are passionate about and then find others that are also interested in it. You’ll find that people really love talking about their passions.

Do you have a story you want to share about how the Mets helped you through a difficult time? We want to hear it – DM us on Twitter.