Hi. I am Nolan
Photo credit Andy Scheel. Coach Ryan Felax and son Nolan during pregame home plate meeting.
The weather conditions were ideal in East Lansing that morning. Saturday June 14th saw the Mariners of Marine City head back to a little corner of Michigan State University. McLane baseball stadium started to fill with spectators of both teams. Infield pregame practice was complete and the electricity and buzz in the air rose like the nervousness in both dugouts.
Coach Ryan Felax stood at home plate. He proudly wore a black T-shirt that advertised the teams Back-to-Back-to-Back-to-Back league championships. The black T-shirt was offset by white game pants and a ball cap tucked low on his brow; his coaches game face was in full effect.
Coach Felax did his best to escape the stress of the moment. The biggest game of his life. The Mariners had reached the 2025 state championship game for the 1st time in school history. He proceeded with the traditional handshakes with each umpire and the opposing coach. Out of the corner of his eye and just over his right shoulder, he noticed something that was out of place.
Before Coach Felax could react, a confident young voice announced, “Hi, I am Nolan.” Coach Felax smiled and felt the pressure of the game immediately subside. He introduced his son Nolan to the home plate crew.
Nolan shook hands with each umpire and the St. Francis head coach. Curiosity drove Nolan to home plate as he had never witnessed four umpires at this meeting for any of his dad’s games.
Ryan shared, “I was proud of him. We have worked really hard on eye-to-eye contact, shaking hands with a firm grip, and communicating.”
A 17-year-old warrior that continues to defy the odds in his physical development and his personal intellectual growth. Nolan was born with cerebral palsy and that created one hurdle. A second hurdle sprouted from a slew of brain surgeries. Craniosynostosis and then another to correct Arnold-Chairi Malformation and yet another to correct eye alignment all stacked up.
Ryan stresses, “Nolan’s mom Holly had to be a (stay at home mom) just to get him to the countless doctor and therapy visits. Progress would not have been possible without Holly. Nolan was willing to work his ass off in physical therapy. Many times, to the point of exhaustion.” Throw in a beautiful daughter (Kennedy) with frequent battles in her fight with cystic fibrosis and life’s treadmill seemed unforgiving for these parents.
But then came some small but important victories. First the protective helmet came off, then after years of riding, he broke out of the wheelchair and took his first steps. Finally, his speech started to formulate, and something unexpected followed.
When those first sentences started to form, what became clear was a core of Nolan’s personality. A sneaky sense of humor arose from a child that seemed to be unflappable.
As Nolan started to climb the grades in elementary, Ryan sat down his son for a real conversation. “Right around 4th grade I asked Nolan, do you want to stay in the regular classroom or one that gives you more attention?”
“He was crystal clear with his answer, he wanted to be challenged and he wanted to prove to people that he could accomplish everything his classmates were doing.”
From that challenge rose Nolan’s next piece of character like a germinating seed. His drive to belong and “fit in” created an unsatiable curiosity. This thirst for knowledge was matched with his firmly established work ethic. Introduction to the iPad help feed his hunger and strangely summer vacations added to the table.
In the summer of 2020, a tradition started where Nolan and Ryan would venture out of Marine City and explore. In that first trip a simple starting point was the only thing planned. Coach Felax wanted to see the baseball field in Iowa from the movie, “A Field of Dreams.”
With Nolan’s love of maps and the atlas, spontaneity drove the rest of the trip. In the dim light of the hotel room each night Nolan would decide the next days hit list. Ryan would be the prideful chauffeur.
In 2022 the trip took them to New York city where Nolan researched and planned several days of sightseeing. The trip culminated with a long-awaited surgery from a specialist in New York to help correct Nolan scoliosis. The curvature was severe in some areas. His posture today lifts him literally 6 inches closer to the sky.
Ryan surprised his son last year with a trip to Iceland. With his improved postured came more endurance in a common love of “hiking in nature.” This year Nolan has chosen our neighbor to the north for their summer trip. Nolan shared with me, “I wanted to be able to say I travel to another country with my dad. I love history and there is cultural history in Quebec and Montreal.”
While I had Nolan on the phone I asked him one more question. “What do you think your dad is most proud of about you?”
As he started to answer, he rephrased the question and then started his answer. I was blown away because the last time we spoke a couple years ago I could not understand a word he said. He beautifully spoke, “I think my dad is proud of the fact that I am able to overcome my boundaries and I work hard to continue to improve.”
Nolan had no idea that a lump swelled in my throat and my heart raced with sheer pride as his answer flowed through my ears.
Long time middle school and high school counselor Andy Scheel shares, “Nolan is a deep, sincere, kind and independent thinking kid. Very conscientious student, very mindful, has a sense of humor, I enjoyed every conversation I ever had with him!”
Coach Felax firmly believes that Nolan’s presence in the Mariner dugout has a calming effect on the athletes. “He helps the boys recenter. He asks questions that require some deep thinking. He sees the game and life with a very unique lens. He really cares about each player.”
Most members of the Marine City community also know that Ryan Felax is a grinder. He has coached multiple sports his entire career and is flat out one of the most positive coaches I have ever been around. He truly loves coaching and the relationships he builds with his players. Whether it was learned from Nolan, or Nolan has learned from him, a theme shines brightly. Their shared belief to “Never underestimate a player/person.”
Coach Felax brings the absolute best out of each member of his team, and he does so with the cleanest of positivity. He is a true diamond in the Mariner community.
Nolan’s success story is a perfect example of “it takes a community.” Dedicated parents, grandparents, and friends. Gifted teachers who adapt on the fly and motivate inside and outside the classroom. Finally, a student body who except and encourage without being told to do so.
In our conversation about Nolan, Coach Felax and I agree that there can be no clear prediction of his future. His growth has been exponential so the pathway is not projectable.
I have a sneaky feeling that “Future Nolan” will appear one day down the road in a city like Ann Arbor. In a packed auditorium with eager students ready to hear a much advertised “TED TALK” from a renowned speaker. A tall well-dressed young man without any introduction will appear on the stage and scan the audience from left to right. The crowd will immediately silence and the young speaker will break into a confident smile. The young man will appear to soak in every possible moment he can of the experience and then without further delay…..“Hi, I am Nolan,” will be the first words poetically spoken.