Six-year-old Rolling Meadows T-ball player to meet President Bush

In a few weeks 6-year-old Kelsey Brauer will have a story for her grandkids. The main characters will be George W. Bush and her pink baseball mitt.

At the ripe age of 5 years old and without the help of her parents, Kelsey penned a two-page letter to the president a few months ago with a simple request -- she wanted to be on the national T-ball team that would play on the South Lawn of the White House.

It worked.

The Rolling Meadows resident recently was chosen to represent Illinois. She will join 50 other T-ball players -- one from each state and Washington, D.C., on July 16. After a background check was done on the whole family, the Brauers were notified about Kelsey's honor last week.

"For her age, Kelsey is scary smart," said her dad, Marc Brauer. "Plus she has pretty good penmanship, which I think helped."

The T-ball players will be divided into four teams with each player given one at-bat. After the game, they'll enjoy a picnic for players and their families. Kelsey will leave the White House with a baseball autographed by the president.

Bush played Little League Baseball at Central Little League in Midland, Texas, in the mid-1950s. He was a catcher on that league's Cubs team.

"I love to play sports," Kelsey wrote the president. "I do a lot of sports throughout the year. This year I have done tee ball, gymnastics and swimming. I look forward to playing baseball and softball like my brother and sister when I get older."

Kelsey was chosen from hundreds of other T-ball players, according to a Little League International spokesman. Four other players from Kelsey's Palatine North Little League applied to play in the game, league president Roy Ori said.

Kelsey stood out because she wrote her own letter and because she's a pretty good T-ball player, Ori said.

"She's excited and she knows where first base is," Ori said. "T-ball is for kids just learning the game. There's few rules and we don't keep score."

Kelsey said she's excited about playing in front of the president and not the least bit nervous.

"Nope, it will be fun" she said before a quick cartwheel in her family's living room.

That's probably because she'll be prepared.

In her short T-ball career, Kelsey has had lots of coaches. Her older brother, Colin, 11, plays baseball and her older sister, Morgan, 13, plays softball.

Kelsey's dad, Marc, taught all three the sport.

Last summer, he taught Kelsey to run through first base and to make sure her mitt was all the way on the ground before snagging ground balls.

With her pink mitt and pink bat in tow, Kelsey dragged her T-ball stand out to her backyard for a little practice recently.

"Swing through the ball," said her dad and brother at the same time after her first swing -- which, of course, was a hit.

"I know, I know," said Kelsey rolling her eyes and smiling at the same time.

Fundraiser for Kelsey

Palatine North Little League fundraiser for Kelsey Brauer; 15 percent of sales will help send her to Washington, D.C.

When: 1:30-6 p.m. Sunday.

Where: Wendy's, 265 N. Northwest Hwy., Palatine.