6 year-old Chance Smith's mother calls him her "blue baby" because as an infant he would scream himself blue and pass out. "Born intense" as Coach Mike says. Baseball, he assures her, will help with that. Baseball helps with everything. With Coach Mike's unique guidance, Chance learns to quiet his anxiety and discover his natural gifts. Dominant both at bat and on the pitcher's mound, 12 year-old Chance is the heart of the Flash, Coach Mike's select baseball team. Chance's newfound sense of focus and balance sees him through trouble with schoolwork and the thrill of his first love, as well as wins and losses during the baseball season. But when a new player captures Coach Mike's attention, Chance's anxiety rises again. He begins acting out at home and disobeying Coach Mike on the diamond. He leads the Flash to victory, but the looming end of the baseball season casts a shadow over even that. By the age of 16, Chance is a star player and a beloved class clown. But his anxiety remains, and it darkens everything around him.
—John Crye