The Miracle League mascot welcomes players to Boundless Field in Cherry Hill on opening day of the Miracle League season.
A young girl runs to first base after getting a base hit on opening day. The mission of the Miracle League is to provide opportunities for children and adults with disabilities to play baseball in a custom-built, accessible environment.
Professional baseball in America has been popular with fans for 180 years, since its inception in 1845. Yet for many years, kids with disabilities were unable to play the game.
All of that changed in 1997, when a wheelchair-bound boy just 7 years old wanted to play ball, and he was asked by Coach Eddie Bagwell to join his team in the Rockdale Youth Baseball Association (RYBA) League.
That action by the coach impressed many residents of Conyers, Georgia, and in 1998, the RYBA created the Miracle League for those with disabilities. Since then, local leagues have been formed nationwide and expanded to include both young people and adults.
“It is so important that children and adults with disabilities, who have aged out of the system, get a chance to play ball,” said General Manager Arthur Aston of the Camden County Miracle League, while watching the season opener for the fall on Sept. 6.
The game was played at Boundless Field, in John Adler Memorial Park at Challenge Grove in Cherry Hill. The fall season lasts six weeks and the spring season runs eight, giving players a chance to be outside with their peers.
The mission of the Miracle League is to provide opportunities for children and adults with disabilities to play baseball in a custom-built, accessible environment that promotes community support, sponsorship and the development of special facilities to ensure everyone has a chance to play, regardless of ability, according to Aston.
“It is such a privilege and an honor to be able to bring the joy of baseball to these players,” Camden County Commissioner Deputy Director Ed McDonnell noted during the opening-day ceremony … This league provides individuals with disabilities, regardless of age, the opportunity to participate in America’s favorite pastime, and we cannot wait to get another season started.”
The Miracle League welcomes players of all ages with a medically diagnosed disability, with two divisions tailored to different age groups: minor league for players 5 to 12, and major league for those 13 to adult.
Every player gets to bat each inning, every player scores a run each inning and both teams can win a game. Players are paired with a “buddy” – often a sibling, friend or volunteer – who provides support and encouragement on the field.
Providing snacks and cold water all day long for the players and their buddies were members of the Micah Eta Zeta chapter of Theta Phi Sigma, a national Christian sorority, including Nicole Coleman, Sydell Medley and Pam Williams.
“Volunteering our time for community service is very important to us,” Coleman commented.
Also donating their time were members of the Cherry Hill fire department, who cooked up hot dogs and hamburgers for the some 200 people gathered at the field.
The specially designed Boundless Field is rubberized, making it safe and navigable for players using wheelchairs, walkers or other mobility devices. The national league organization fosters community support and meaningful relationships between players, volunteers and families.
The Camden County Miracle League is organized by the county’s Division of Programming for Individuals with disABILITIES and Special Needs. For information, go to CCNJML.org or email Aston at art@our-view.com.
