How a Group of Young Boys Helped Change the Meaning of Team
Before inclusion had a name, a group of boys in Green Bay simply lived it.
In the 1960s, individuals with intellectual disabilities were often unseen and unheard. But in one Little League dugout in Green Bay, something extraordinary happened — a quiet act of compassion that would impact a community for decades.
At the heart of this story is Dennis Rasmussen, a man with an intellectual disability who, through the power of sports and human connection, helped redefine what it means to belong. His story is captured in a new book, Somebody Should Tell the Story by Tom Anderson.
Dennis was born in 1942, a time when few opportunities existed for people with intellectual disabilities. By the time he reached adulthood, it was still rare to see someone like Dennis included in community life and especially in sports.
But Dennis didn’t wait for an invitation. He asked a nine-year-old boy if he could become the batboy for their Little League team. That boy was Tom Anderson.
Anderson told Dennis he would ask their coach, a man who had contracted polio in the 1950s and utilized a wheelchair. The coach welcomed Dennis without hesitation.
The young baseball players embraced Dennis fully — not as someone different, but as one of their own. His presence became a constant source of joy, encouragement and team spirit. Without fanfare, programs or policies, those boys showed the true meaning of inclusion.
They didn’t see Dennis as someone with a disability but rather as a teammate. As a friend. As someone who belonged.
“The team is bigger than you as an individual,” Anderson said. “Everybody can contribute in their own unique way.”
That mindset, rare for the time, grew naturally from the example set by their coach and the kindness of the players themselves.
The team went on to have a remarkable season, nearly earning a trip to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. And Dennis was there for every moment of the ride.
That early experience shaped the rest of Dennis’s life. He would go on to become a beloved figure in Green Bay, participating in Special Olympics Wisconsin events for decades and later working in the mailroom for the Green Bay Packers. Whether he was earning medals or cheering others on, Dennis lived the Special Olympics oath: “Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”
More than his athletic accomplishments, it was Dennis’s unwavering spirit and the way he connected with people that left a legacy. From Little League fields to Special Olympics competitions, he reminded everyone what inclusion looks like when it’s lived to the fullest.
When Dennis passed away in 2010, Anderson attended Dennis’ visitation expecting a quiet goodbye. Instead, he walked into a full room — packed with people whose lives Dennis had touched. Former Packers coach Mike Holmgren even sent flowers.
“I walked in and was overwhelmed,” Anderson said. “It wasn’t just a few people who knew Dennis. It was an entire community. And I realized — this man had a story that needed to be told.”
That realization led Anderson to write Somebody Should Tell the Story: The Dennis Rasmussen Story & Community Connections, a biography that honors Dennis’s life and the broader impact of early inclusion. The book shares stories from coaches, athletes and friends — all part of a larger narrative showing what happens when someone is welcomed without condition.
This book isn’t just about Dennis Rasmussen. It’s about the power of inclusion in its purest form: a group of kids who didn’t wait to be told to include someone. They just did it. And it changed lives.
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“Somebody Should Tell the Story: The Dennis Rasmussen Story & Community Connections” is available through A Calling Publishing LLC.