Posted July 14, 2005

By Kevin Devlin

     He plays soccer in the South Boston Youth Soccer League.

He played third base in the South Boston Rookie League.

     Last year was his introduction to the world of football as he participated in the South Boston Pop Warner Program. He was used at the safety position and is anxious to begin another season this upcoming August.

     He will always remember scoring seven goals for his Southie Mite “A” team, capturing the 2005 playoff championship for the South Shore Kings, and participating in the Boston Junior Bruins Summer League Tournament.

     He idolizes Bobby Orr and was incredibly happy when Ray Bourque signed his game jersey. And someday he would like to be a professional hockey player.

     His name is John Barry.

     John Barry, 8, attends the Richard Murphy Elementary School in Dorchester. His favorite subject is gym class. John has already been the recipient of two math achievement awards, a reading achievement award and was selected as the most athletic person in his class.

     John loves watching ESPN on the tube and enjoys eating chicken fingers and French Fries when doing so. He loves to collect sports cards and other sports memorabilia.

     “John is a great son and brother,” said his dad John. “He loves to be outdoors and playing a variety of games and sports. John will play any sport and will try his best at it. He always gives one hundred percent at everything he does. And, that includes all of his schoolwork and the sports programs he involved with. We are quite proud of him.”

     But mom and dad, Denise and John, as well as their younger daughter Mari, aren’t the only ones that feel lucky to have John as part of their young and energetic family. Little John knows how truly fortunate, how unbelievably lucky he is.

     “I just want to thank mom and dad for letting me have a great life,” John said with a smile.