Mill Valley High School student is partially paralyzed in diving accident

A Mill Valley High School senior has been paralyzed from the waist down after a diving accident, prompting an outpouring of support from the community this weekend.

Nolan Sprague, a pitcher on the Shawnee high school’s baseball team, was hospitalized after a diving accident on Thursday. He went through an hours-long surgery on Friday and is headed for a long road to recovery, said Jeff Strickland, coach of the Mill Valley baseball team.

Strickland said he visited Nolan on Sunday morning. The teenager was alert and talking, but tired and in a lot of pain, he said.

Nolan has been a very good pitcher in high school and was headed for college baseball, Strickland said.

“Great kid,” he said. “A popular kid for all the right reasons. Fun-loving, really good kid.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up for the family to help with medical costs. As of Sunday, the page had raised more than $82,000.

Nolan’s family is well-liked in the community, Strickland said. His father, Kevin Sprague, operates the Strike Zone Baseball academy in Shawnee. He has made the facility available for charitable events on many occasions.

“They’ve raised a great son, and that’s why you’ve seen such an outpouring of help,” Strickland said. “They need help, and people are stepping up.”

This story was originally published August 12, 2018 at 3:20 PM.