A Georgia mother sees a role model for her son in a UF basketball player Zach Hodskins.
Heather Tarver posted to the Florida Gators Men’s Basketball Facebook page Jan. 24, hoping to set up a time for her 2-year-old son, Charlie, to meet Hodskins. Both were born without a hand.
Tarver said her aunt and uncle bought her tickets to attend UF’s basketball game against the University of Georgia on Feb. 16. After getting the tickets, she learned Hodskins has one hand, like her son.
“I started watching clips of him, and it was just amazing to watch him play and to see what somebody without a hand can do,” Tarver said.
Because of Charlie’s age, Tarver said she is trying to have Hodskins meet him before the game, which starts at 9 p.m. She hopes her son can overcome his disability the way Hodskins has.
“Charlie has impressed me just in his short little three years with how he has learned to manipulate things,” she said. “He comes up with his own ways to carry things or open things. He is very independent, and I like seeing other role models who do stuff that defies the norm.”
Michael Robuck, the program assistant for the UF men’s basketball team, contacted Tarver on Jan. 25 after she posted on Facebook.
Tarver said he asked her what times worked best for Charlie to possibly meet Hodskins and suggested bringing him to the team’s warm-up practice.
Tarver said Charlie’s disability shouldn’t keep him from playing sports.
“People don’t see kids born with one hand able to participate in a lot of sports,” Tarver said. “I’ve heard things like, ‘Well, he might be really good at soccer.’ I like the idea of him exploring all different sports. I don’t want him to ever think there is a limitation of what he can do because of his limb difference.”
Hodskins said growing up, he hopes Charlie knows that hard work pays off.
“Things will get pretty hard just in everyday life,” Hodskins said. “Things like sports, school, anything, it’ll be hard, but you’ve got to work hard and persevere. Just be yourself and people will accept you for being the kindhearted person you are going to be.”
