Kudos for the Westlake ‘Natural’

Steve Henson’s feature about Westlake High athlete Kevin Howard was terrific. I’ve been fortunate to watch and share some incredibly memorable moments with this very gifted young man and never tire reading of his current endeavors and exploits.

As far as a baseball “natural,” Roy Hobbs couldn’t carry Kevin’s bag. God and health willing, he is undoubtedly destined for a very successful and wealthy pro sports career. But first and foremost, Kevin is just a plain old sweetheart. He despises talking about himself but loves talking about his team, his teammates, or his family.

In a time of snobbish athletes thumbing their noses at the world (even at the youth and high school level), Kevin is a sincere breath of fresh air. He leads by example, works hard at his craft, doesn’t tolerate arrogance, and plays every sport--as Henson said--for the joy of it.

TIM HEYNE

Thousand Oaks