SAN ANGELO, TX— A baseball glove can represent many things. For Austin Teel, his teal glove aligns with his last name and is a significant symbol of something bigger than baseball.
“I saw that Wilson was making an autism awareness glove which happened to be blue. I am a psych major, and my dad is a school psychologist, so he’s had a lot of time spent with children that work with mental disabilities and autism specifically. They express themselves differently, but it’s beautiful,” said junior left-handed pitcher Austin Teel.
On the mound, Teel has both aspects of him to help him perform at his best.
“Baseball doesn’t feel so much as a life or death situation. It feels more like a game and a game that you enjoy with the people around you. So whenever I have this glove, it reminds me, ‘Hey, have fun. This is a game this is something that you should enjoy. It’s part of your life and a specific part of your life,” said Teel.
As a psychology major, Teel is working towards helping others and the healing process.
“Be able to work hands-on with people like PTSD, mental health issues in general, or children with autism or people with autism. I love psychiatry because it involves everything you do with psychiatrists, but also being able to apply the medicine with it. I want to be able to help as many people as possible,” said Teel.
His glove has been on quite a journey with him at Angelo State, and no matter what situation or task is thrown at Teel, he has everything he needs on his right hand.
“Knowing that this is my major is important to me. Also, this has been built not only for me but also through my dad. Him showing the importance of mental health and psychology as a whole. I have my family, I have my team, and I have everything with me. It reassures me,” said Teel.