T.J.'s Take: Els' mission deserves support

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A story broke on the PGA TOUR last week that put things in perspective on a number of levels, which rarely happens in sport.

In case you missed it, Ernie Els announced last Friday afternoon at the PODS Championship that his 5-year-old son, Ben, is autistic.

T.J. Auclair

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Autism is defined as, "A pervasive developmental disorder characterized by severe deficits in social interaction and communication, by an extremely limited range of activities and interests, and often by the presence of repetitive, stereotyped behaviors."

So, why bring his son's disorder public now?

"I've got a bit of a profile where it will grab attention," Els told the Associated Press. "That's what this problem needs. And with that, hopefully, more people will get involved and we can start getting to what causes it and what can be done to help it."

Els started to draw some attention with his golf bag, embroidered with the words, "Autism Speaks," a foundation whose mission statement on its Web site, autismspeaks.org reads, in part, "We are dedicated to funding global biomedical research into the causes, prevention, treatments, and cure for autism; to raising public awareness about autism and its effects on individuals, families, and society; and to bringing hope to all who deal with the hardships of this disorder. We are committed to raising the funds necessary to support these goals."

Just about every young boy looks up to his father as an idol. For young Ben, there are millions that consider his father their idol.

It was both interesting and admirable that the announcement came on he heels of Els' win at The Honda Classic -- his first on the PGA TOUR since 2004. The Big Easy has been a Big Target for members of the media over the last few years in regards to his inability to close out tournaments. Whether that was, or wasn't related to the problems going on at home we'll probably never know. And that's what makes for a world-class athlete and a world-class parent -- no excuses. You have a problem? Deal with it head on. Plus, in the grand scheme of things, there's nothing more important than family, up to and including having the nerve to stand up to Tiger Woods down the stretch.

The only issue we ever heard about from Els was the little man on the shoulder who whispers negative thoughts, which I thought he smacked off during his brilliant win at the 2002 British Open at Muirfield. Then there was a water-sport accident after the 2005 British Open and he hadn't been the same. It was a knee injury, but now we know his heart was likely injured, too.

I'm a big believer in the thought that in many instances in life, people that are dealt a bad hand are those who can handle it best. Nobody wishes for their child to have a disorder or disability of any kind, but it doesn't make the child any less perfect and that's why a family's love is unconditional.

With Ernie and his wife, Leizl, sharing such a personal matter with the world, there's no doubt thousands will step up to learn more about autism and how to get involved in helping to find a cure. And let's not forget their 8-year-old daughter, Samantha, who Els told the AP has been, "unbelievable with Ben. She's like a mother figure, not a sister figure. I wanted her to feel comfortable, because obviously, this is going to get attention. We just feel more ready to deal with it now."

Every father wants to leave his children a legacy. Here's to hoping that for the Els children, the awareness Ernie brings to autism will be greater than his tremendous contributions to golf.