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The Miracle League
of Michigan: Hope, Determination, Spirit...and Baseball
Miracle
League of Michigan, June 2004
For more articles like this
visit
https://www.bridges4kids.org.
SOUTHFIELD (MI) — The Miracle League of Michigan, a non-profit
organization in Oakland County, has completed work on the
brand-new field in Southfield and began the baseball season June
12.
The grand opening celebration will take place at 5 p.m. June 28,
at the field located at the Southfield Civic Center.
This is an opportunity for the media to capture the special
needs youth playing baseball on a field designed especially for
them, and for interested players and volunteers to see what the
game is about.
As the only Miracle League field in Michigan, people come from
various areas to experience the boisterous crowd and energetic
kids playing a sport as part of a team they might not be able to
do otherwise.
For more information on games, volunteering, donations,
registering players, or participating in the grand opening
celebration, contact Stephen Peck, Chairman of The Miracle
League of Michigan, at (248) 506-4604, or visit
www.MichiganMiracle.org.
 Our
Past, Present and Future
If I were to
tell you about an organized youth baseball league,
You might call it ordinary.
If I were to tell you the
athletes are physically and mentally challenged,
You might call it touching.
If you were to see them play,
you would call it a Miracle.
What is the
Miracle League? It’s hope, determination and a display of human
spirit that is unequaled. And of course…there’s baseball.
There is
something about playing the game that light up a youngster’s
eyes. But for children facing serious physical and mental
disabilities, that opportunity can often be difficult to
achieve. Baseball diamonds weren’t exactly designed with
wheelchairs and crutches in mind.
The
Miracle League removes the barriers that keep mentally and
physically disabled children off the baseball field and lets
them experience the joy of America’s favorite pastime. Since the
main barriers for these children arise from the natural grass
fields used in conventional youth leagues, Miracle League teams
play on a custom-designed, synthetic turf field that
accommodates wheelchairs and other assistive devices while
helping to prevent injuries.
But
it’s more than playing a game. The Miracle League is about
making new friends, building self-esteem and being treated just
like other kids. To help the athletes, The Miracle League uses
a “buddy” system – pairing each player with an able-bodied
peer. What results is a bond that cannot be described.
The Miracle
League Association serves children between the ages of 3 and 19
who suffer from any physical or mental disabilities which causes
them to be excluded -whether intentionally or not- from
conventional youth baseball leagues. Tens of thousands of
special needs children will be served through the program. The
original Miracle League complex in Conyers, Georgia includes the
synthetic turf field along with 250 special needs children the
opportunity to play baseball.
Our
History and Accomplishments
In the spring
of 1997, a 5-year old t-ball team coach, watched a young boy
from behind the fence, in a wheel chair. The young boy never
missed a game or practice, watching his 5-year-old brother play
t-ball. The coach was touched by this young boy’s love and
devotion for the game, so in the fall of 1997 the coach invited
this young boy in the wheel chair to come on the field and play
baseball. From that great invitation, the Rockdale Youth
Baseball Association (RYBA) of Conyers, Georgia formed the
Miracle League to further its mission of providing opportunities
for all children to play baseball regardless of their ability.
The disabled children in this community expressed the desire to
dress in uniforms, make plays in the field, and round the bases
just like their healthy peers and so the Miracle League began
with 35 players on four teams.
In the spring
of 1999’s season, the Miracle League gained support and became a
source of pride for all involved as participation grew to over
80 players. During that season, the magnitude of the need for
such a program was recognized. In addition, it had become clear
that the league needed a different kind of baseball field since
the regular grass fields presented potential safety hazards for
players in wheelchairs and walkers. That is when the dream of
building a unique baseball complex for these special children
was conceived.
The Rotary
Clubs of Rockdale County and Conyers stepped forward to form the
Rotary Miracle League Fund, Inc., a separate 105 (c) (3)
organization. The new organization had two objectives: (l)
raise the funds necessary to build a special complex a with
facilities that meet the unique needs of the Miracle League
players, and (2) assist in the outreach efforts for the Miracle
League.
With the help
of the community, volunteers, corporations and small companies,
the design and construction of the first Miracle League complex
was underway. The complex would include a custom-designed field
with a cushioned synthetic turf to help prevent injuries,
wheelchair accessible dugouts, and a completely flat surface to
eliminate any barriers to wheelchairs-bound or visually impaired
players. The design also included three grass fields, which
could be converted to the synthetic turf as the league grew. In
addition, accessible restrooms, a concession stand and a picnic
pavilion were included in the design.
The Miracle
League complex was complete in April 2000. On opening day, the
Miracle League rosters had grown to over 100 players. The
players raced around the bases and chatted with their teammates
in the dugouts as they celebrated. Nicholas Slade, a 4-year-old
player, who was born with no eyes and who had been in a coma
just a week before, threw out the first ball.
The player’s
enthusiasm has continued to grow. The parents tell stories of
their children insisting on playing despite bouts with kidney
stones, broken bones and recent hospitalizations. The thrill of
playing, the cheers from the stands, and the friendships they
develop make the Miracle League Field an oasis away from their
everyday battles.
“Buddies”
assist most Miracle League players. These buddies are
mainstream children who play baseball on RYBA teams. As a
result, the parents, children and volunteers are all brought
together – special need and mainstream alike – in a program,
which serves them all through service to children with special
needs.
The
League has received local and national media attention. The
League has been chronicled in the local newspaper and newspapers
around America, televised both locally on NBC and FOX Atlanta
affiliates and nationally on CNN, MSNBC and Fox Sports. In
July 2001, the league was profiled on a segment of HBO’s Real
Sports. Articles profiling the league appeared in both
People and Family Circle magazines.
We are also
very proud to say that in January 2002 two of the men
responsible for helping in such a huge way were awarded the
Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award and on January 24th
PAX TV’s “It’s a Miracle” television program told the story of
Conyers Miracle League Player, Lauren Gunder. The Miracle
League also received the 11 ALIVE Community Service Award in
April of 2002. The Miracle League Association has now taken
this wonderful opportunity to another level, we are proud to
announce that we have of 55 fields under construction
The Miracle
League is no longer about 200 special needs children finding the
opportunity to play baseball, but providing tens of thousands of
special needs children with the opportunity to expand their
boundaries by playing this great game. The dreams of
these special children and their parent’s are coming true and
they are doing what they never dreamed possible.
Our players may
not be able to run the bases or hit the ball as well as their
healthy peers, but they have an incredible amount of
determination to play. We believe “Every Child Deserves a
Chance to Play Baseball.”
Your help and
involvement through Donations, Fundraisers and being a volunteer
would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for being an “Angel In Our Outfield”,
Stephen Peck
Chairman, The Miracle League of Michigan
Steve@michiganmiracle.org
(248) 506-4604
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