# July 3, 2011
#-1. Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii
#-2. War Memorial Sports Complex
Youth baseball in Maui is divided into the "Big League" (ages 16–18) and the "Little League" below it. The Little League is further categorized into T-Ball, Rookie, Minor, Major, Junior, and Senior levels.
These stages are strictly divided by age. Because the physical gap between children grows so significantly each year, proper competition is impossible without these age brackets.
Today, a boy stood on the mound for the Central Maui Major Little League team—a division typically composed of 12 and 13-year-olds.
Thomas Bradley, the head coach of Central Maui, wore a meaningful smirk. Across the field, the coach of the opposing Upcountry Maui team saw the boy on the mound and immediately called a timeout, sprinting onto the diamond.
He shouted at the umpire.
"Wait a minute, Jonathan! This is a violation!"
Even in Little League, the rivalry between Maui baseball teams is fierce. Coaches often treat each other like sworn enemies, employing all sorts of tactics to win, sometimes devolving into childish bickering.
Brett Roberts, the Upcountry coach, was certain Thomas Bradley was pulling a fast one.
But then, he heard something unbelievable. Umpire Jonathan McGill confirmed it once more.
"It's true, Brett. The kid is nine years old." "That's impossible..."
"Sigh. Good thing I brought this just in case."
Jonathan reached inside his chest protector, pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper, and handed it to Roberts.
It was an official document that began with these words:
STATE OF HAWAII COUNTY OF MAUI CERTIFICATE OF LIVE BIRTH
The document stated the boy on the mound was Dwayne Moi Stone, born on December 26, 2001, at the Maui Memorial Medical Center.
"Unless this document is a forgery, he is definitely nine years old."
"...."
"Yeah... I had the exact same reaction at first."
Stunned, Brett Roberts looked back and forth between the mound and the opposing dugout with trembling eyes. Thomas Bradley responded with a smug, knowing grin. Roberts, known for his temper, gave him a quick "one-finger salute" and stormed back to his dugout.
Seething, Roberts glared at the field. Nine years old? If he really is nine, they're insulting us by putting a kid three or four years younger than my players on the mound.
He was surprised by the boy's size, but baseball is a difficult sport. No matter how fast a child develops physically, reaching high pitching speeds is impossible without extensive training and years of experience.
"Play ball!!"
The umpire signaled the start. The boy on the mound, who hadn't looked particularly impressive during warm-ups, took a deep breath and went into his wind-up.
A powerful leg kick. And then— POW!!
The moment the ball left the boy's fingertips and slammed into the mitt, Brett Roberts was struck dumb. His eyes were glued to the scoreboard.
81 mph (approx. 130.4 km/h).
Dwayne Moi Stone, a nine-year-old, had just thrown a pitch that matched the average speed of a 15-to-16-year-old high schooler.
# July 27, 2011
#-1. Sacramento, California
#-2. Hughes Stadium
Last year, the 43rd USATF Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships were held with the usual level of interest. The stands were mostly filled with families, along with a few scouts looking for young talent. During the early stages, officials mostly focused on networking and checking results.
However, the 44th Championships this year had a completely different atmosphere. The reason for the buzz had just stepped onto the track. A section of the crowd erupted.
"MO—I!!!"
"Crush them!!!"
"Hey! This is track, not football!!"
"Who cares! MO—I!! Take them all down!!"
Honk— Honnnk—
Despite the rowdy cheering, the boy looked toward them with a bright expression, pounding his fist against his chest in recognition.
His name was Dwayne Moi Stone. Those who had seen him the previous year were shocked by how much he had grown in just twelve months. Those seeing him for the first time couldn't hide their bewilderment.
"So he's... nine years old?"
"No way. Look at him. He's nearly twice as big as the others."
"Did he lie about his age?"
"Impossible... they check that."
"But the difference is too extreme."
"He's from Hawaii, right?"
The average national physical profile for a 9-year-old boy is 131.9 cm (4'4") and 30.8 kg (68 lbs). But the boy they were looking at was easily over 170 cm (5'7") and looked broader than both boys standing in the adjacent lanes combined.
Amidst the constant murmuring, Moi took his stance for the 9-10 boys' 100m preliminary.
"Ready, Set."
Bang—!
With the crack of the starter pistol, lane 4 became a one-man show. With a stride length and speed from a different dimension, Dwayne Moi Stone reached the finish line nearly 20 meters ahead of the other runners.
The time flashed on the scoreboard: 12.93 seconds.
If he hadn't slowed down at the end to glance left and right, he would have easily shattered the record set back in '91. People could tell—he was saving his strength for the finals.
"Holy..."
"It's me, Mark."
"Tell Brian. Right now."
A titan had arrived. Today, the American sports world was shaken to its core.
# August 1, 2011
#-1. Indianapolis, Indiana
#-2. USATF Headquarters
USATF, the governing body for track and field, is the cradle of American athletics. It manages 57 associations, ensuring local meets run smoothly and young prospects receive support. Their biggest struggle, however, was talent retention; many gifted young athletes were lured away by ball sports.
Specifically, football was USATF's biggest headache. They had lost countless talents to the gridiron. And today, they were reviewing a prospect they felt they had to protect at all costs.
"Wow."
"This is insane."
"He's nine?"
"My God..."
"Are we absolutely sure he's nine?"
The 44th USATF Junior Olympics had just concluded. Normally, attention is focused on the 17-18 age group, the level closest to adulthood. But this year, the nine-year-old boy from Hawaii had stolen the spotlight.
Dwayne Moi Stone. After breaking the 8-and-under records for the 100m and 200m last year, he had set new records in five different events this year, including the 9-10 level 100m, which had stood for 18 years. It was a first in the history of American track and field.
"Is the birth certificate verified?"
"Yes. Other parents were flooding us with complaints. We had to do an on-site investigation. It's legitimate. We even saw a video of the birth."
Danny Lewis, Vice President of USATF, stared at the report in disbelief.
※ Dwayne Moi Stone's Records:
100m: 11.99s (Previous: 12.73s)
200m: 23.86s (Previous: 25.83s)
400m: 57.17s (Previous: 58.74s)
High Jump: 1.60m (Previous: 1.54m)
Long Jump: 5.13m (Previous: 4.97m)
It's common for a 100m runner to do well in the 200m, but for a sprinter to hold the top record in the 400m defied logic. To top it off, he won the high jump and long jump—events requiring entirely different training methods.
Rumor had it that the brothers originally slated to compete for Hawaii got food poisoning, and the state coach chose Dwayne as a replacement rather than finding a new specialist. He set records in events he likely hadn't even trained for.
USATF felt they needed to fly out with a suitcase of money to convince the boy's parents. They were willing. But there was a major obstacle.
"According to the files... he wants to play football?"
"Unfortunately, yes."
"...."
Throughout the competition, various sports officials approached the boy and his parents. They offered elite training on the mainland, but were flatly rejected. The boy and his parents had eyes for nothing but football.
"Damn it, football again."
"We don't know for sure yet."
"Right. We still have time."
Though disappointed, USATF tried to remain optimistic. Meanwhile, the boy from Hawaii was becoming the talk of the entire American sports industry.
# December 26, 2011
#-1. Paia, Maui, Hawaii
"Surprise!!"
"Happy Birthday!!!"
Honk! Pop!
Today was my 10th birthday. I had expected the surprise party, but I made sure to act shocked and moved for the sake of everyone who prepared it. Truly, I was grateful.
"Hey, Moi."
Swerve! Splat!
At the sound of my neighbor Jamie's voice, I quickly ducked. The cake intended for me slammed into Joseph's face behind me. I patted a stunned Jamie on the shoulder and told him he'd likely be punished for making Joseph angry.
"J-Joseph? Look, it was an accident—" "You're dead!"
Thud!
Jamie went down under a perfect tackle from Joseph. It was a textbook hit. My teaching was paying off.
While Jamie was receiving his "punishment," I sat down in front of a real cake.
"Make a wish."
"We already know what it is."
"Still. Moi?"
"Okay, done."
"Great! Everyone, let's sing!!"
At first, being celebrated like this felt foreign. It was a memory I never had in my past life. I had been congratulated by coworkers as an adult or by my players once I became a coach, but having people who truly cherished me celebrate my birth was a first for this life. I never grew tired of these parties.
Foooo—!
I blew out all the candles in one go. As I laughed with my family, I felt something approaching from behind again. I leaned over as if I had dropped something on the floor.
Splat!
Bingo. I knew it. Jamie, not one to give up after one failure, had tried to sneak up with another glob of whipped cream. Instead, it hit Joseph in the face again.
"Jamie! You!!"
"Dammit! How did you know?!"
How did I know? It's been years, Jamie. You never change your patterns. While Joseph tackled Jamie again, I opened my gifts one by one. T-shirts, board wax, earphones, slippers. None were expensive, but they were all chosen with care.
And then—
"Who is this from?"
"Me. It is from me."
"Oh! Thank you, Uncle Iwai!"
"Moi. You will like it very much."
I opened the rectangular box to find an oval sphere with a sharp logo. On the side were the words The Duke and Wilson. It was an official NFL game ball.
"Moi. You will be... Quarterback."
"Wow, Uncle. Your pronunciation was perfect just now."
"Quarterback."
"Haha. Thank you, Uncle Iwai."
"I am happy too."
After the party, I helped clean up and went up to my room. I placed the gifts carefully on the floor. Before going to wash up, I checked my desk to review my progress.
I had completed stage 3 of the plan.
[Goal: Become the Greatest Quarterback!]
1. Start Track at age 7! (Complete)
2. Start Baseball at age 10! (Ongoing)
3. Win Track Championships! (Complete)
To be a great football player, getting into a competitive high school and college is vital. America is vast, and if you don't market yourself early, you can easily waste years at the wrong school.
I chose track for these practical reasons. I don't want to waste a single moment. My first life was full of regrets; I won't let this one be the same. Sometimes I feel like I've forgotten something important, but I figure it's just like forgetting a minor detail in a book I finished long ago.
Now, Stage 4: Academics and Training.
4. Straight A's and Hard Training!
For the next five years, I intend to push myself every single day.