Charlie flies with the Eagles

Charlie Osborn hugs Serra Catholic’s Jimmy Moon after Moon scored his 1,000th career point in a recent game. Mike Darnay / For the Mon Valley Independent

By JEREMY SELLEW
jsellew@yourmvi.com
With his twin brother Philip on the Serra Catholic boys basketball team, Charlie Osborn has always been a fan of the Eagles.
Every game, Charlie is up in the stands pounding on the bleachers during opponents’ free throw attempts and making as much noise as he can to distract the Eagles’ opponents and cheer on his team.
As of yesterday, though, Charlie will have prime seating on the Eagles bench after officially being hired by head coach Justin Walther as the team’s manager.
“I was talking to his dad, Mike, and I told him I want him on the bench the rest of the season,” Walther said.
It’s only fitting, though, because Charlie has practically been a member of the team since last year.
Charlie has Down syndrome. And while he may not wear the Eagles’ maroon and gold on the court, he’s been an important part of the team over the past two seasons. Along with Walther at the helm, Charlie is the Eagles’ heartbeat.
“No matter what the result, he always seeks me out to give me that high five after every game,” Walther said. “He’s such a great kid. Philip came into the program last year as a freshman and Charlie’s been around since then. He’s so much fun to be around. The players love having him around. He’s a part of this team.”
The section champion Eagles are primed for a likely Top 2 seed in this year’s WPIAL playoffs and currently hold a 16-3 overall record. They’re playing great basketball, but most importantly, they’re playing together as a team.
“That’s the thing about this year,” Walther said. “We’re playing together. On and off the floor, the guys are always together. I think that’s what hurt us last year.”
And Charlie is a big part of that. When the section championship was clinched, he was in the locker room inciting the locker room celebration.
“At California, all the parents were standing around outside the locker room. All we heard was, ‘Go Charlie, go Charlie!’” his mother, Anne Osborn, said. “The team is so accepting of him. Charlie is very outgoing and he definitely rules every room he’s in. Everyone knows Charlie.”
The Osborns live in the Penn-Trafford area. Through the St. Anthony School Program, Charlie – now a sophomore – attended school at Mary of Nazareth through eighth grade and has since moved on to Serra Catholic.
The program, part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, promotes inclusion for students with intellectual disabilities.
“As a parent, that’s what you want for your child,” Anne Osborn said. “It’s funny because his freshman year, I asked him who he sat with at lunch. He gave me the names and I didn’t know any of them. They were all upperclassmen.”
One of Charlie’s best friends he ate with was Jimmy Moon, the Eagles 6-9 forward.
“I met him last year when he was a freshman,” Moon said of Charlie. “He’s a really good kid. He’s always happy and he loves to crack jokes, talk sports – he’s just a lot of fun to be around.”
It’s a good thing, because the two have formed quite the friendship.
When Moon hit 1,000 points for his career, guess who was in the Moon family photo.
“That was awesome to see,” Walther said of the moment. “Charlie kind of just jumped into the picture and they wanted him there. It was a great moment for Jimmy and his family. And for them to let Charlie be a part of it says a lot.”
Moon and Charlie’s friendship has continued to grow, despite not having the same classes or lunch this year. And while Moon is literally the big man on campus, he continues to treat Charlie the same as all his friends.
“He’s such a good kid. They’d have lunch together and Jimmy’s mom or Jimmy would be sending me the selfies they took together,” Anne Osborn said of Moon. “And it’s all unprompted. This kid has every reason in the world to feel above everyone else, and he’s never showed the slightest sign of that.”
Moon and Charlie have spent a lot of time together outside of school – not just during the basketball season, but even in the summer.
“People always look for the faults in everyone. He’s a real friend, right up there with all my other friends,” Moon said.
Charlie’s parents are eternally grateful for the plethora of friends he’s made over the past few years, especially someone with Moon’s stature.
“He’s taken him to baseball games and to the club with him to hang out. Baseball and basketball are Charlie’s two sports,” Anne Osborn said. “We got Charlie a cell phone last summer and it felt like within five minutes Jimmy was texting him.”
While Charlie and Jimmy have a special relationship, it’s the type that spans the entire student body at Serra Catholic.
“Khalil (Smith) was in his gym class. A lot of football players were. They all took time to talk to him and spend time with Charlie,” Anne Osborn said. “That’s how the entire basketball team is. They never brush Charlie aside and include him in everything. They’re all very kind.”
Like most parents of kids with intellectual disabilities, the Osborns seek inclusion and mainstreaming when it comes to society and education. That’s what they’ve found at Serra Catholic.
“Just the way all the players, teachers and kids are with him. I don’t think it’s relief, but it’s peace. I know he’s in a good environment. Now I’m just Charlie’s mom,” Anne Osborn said.
And there’s nowhere Charlie would rather be, especially when it comes to supporting his team.
“When it’s gameday, he’s locked in and focused,” Moon said. “He always gives 100 percent in the stands. And if we don’t go out and give 100 percent, he lets us know.”
Moon returned the favor to Charlie, spending a Saturday morning attending one of Charlie’s Special Olympics basketball games during a tournament at the University of Pittsburgh.
“There we are early in the morning at Pitt for a tournament and here comes Jimmy and his mom,” Anne Osborn said. “Here’s this star athlete at the high school, coming to watch Charlie’s basketball game. I was floored. It says a lot about him that he was willing to do that.”
“He’s at all of our games. Why not?” Moon said. “It was awesome, too. It was really cool because in one of the games he actually hit a buzzer beater. It was pretty awesome.”
Charlie has participated in St. Anthony’s Inclusive Games, as well. Last season, he teamed with Serra Catholic’s Nate McCullough to win the basketball competition. McCullough is now a student at Slippery Rock.
“Nate was our starting two-guard last season,” Walther said. “It was great to see him, and all the guys, have the relationship with Charlie.”
Walther isn’t surprised at the type of relationship his big man has with Charlie.
“Jimmy is so level-headed. He’s a great kid from a great family. He’s having such a fantastic season and I know he hates all the publicity he gets,” Walther said. “I just tell him to take it all in and move on. He should enjoy what he’s doing; he’s having a fantastic season. Let’s enjoy what we’re doing and where we’re at as a team.”
And that goes for Charlie, too. Undoubtedly a part of the team, he’ll continue to be there for his brother and the rest of the Eagles, cheering them on and giving them the business if they’re not performing well.
But in the end, he’ll be there with a smile, high five or hug.
“It means a lot to us having him there,” Moon said. “Win or lose, he’s there. He’s always proud of us. It helps us seeing the joy he gets of being there with us. He’s a big part of the team.”