“Every Child Deserves a Chance to Play Baseball”
Age Range: 3 to 19
Phase I: Playing the Game
Miracle Leagues® play an adapted form of baseball for children with disabilities. The Miracle League® Association serves children between the ages of 3 and 19 whose physical or intellectual disability causes them to be excluded from conventional youth baseball leagues. In 1998, the Rockdale Youth Baseball Association (RYBA) in Conyers, Georgia formed the Miracle League® with 35 players on four teams to further its mission of providing opportunities for all children to play baseball regardless of their ability. There was no program for the Miracle League® to use as a model, so they created basic rules for playing the modified game:
“Buddies” assist most Miracle League® players. These buddies are community volunteers or other children who play baseball on RYBA teams. As a result, the parents, children and volunteers are all brought together — special needs and mainstream alike — in a program that benefits them all.
Buddies have several aims:
Today, over 10,000 players participate in Miracle Leagues® across the country. For disabled children 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.
Leagues can be structured through local youth sport pro-grams, using similar infrastructure and organizational tools. The official Miracle League® name and logo are reserved for active Miracle League® Association members only.
Membership in the Miracle League® Association can also be a significant asset in organizing your league. Membership costs $500 per year for five years and benefits include:
Phase II: Building the Field
Early Miracle League® teams played on the same grass fields as the RYBA teams, presenting potential safety hazards for players in wheelchairs or walkers. When the Miracle League® organizers learned that there were over 79,000 children in Metro Atlanta who were disabled to a degree that keeps them for participating in team sports, they began plans to build a unique baseball complex for these special children.
With the help of community volunteers and companies, the first Miracle League® complex was completed in April 2000. Miracle League® complexes include a custom-designed field with a cushioned synthetic turf to help prevent injuries, wheelchair accessible dugouts, and a completely flat rubber surface to eliminate any barriers to wheelchair bound or visually impaired players. Wheelchair accessible restrooms and concession areas are also included.
As of December 2005, the Miracle League® had 125 member organizations across the country, 61 with fields under construction and another 29 with groundbreakings scheduled for early 2006. Once its goal of building 500 fields is achieved, the Miracle League® will be able to serve 1.3 million children with disabilities. It should be noted, however, that building an official Miracle League® field requires membership in the Miracle League® Association.
Miracle League® in New Jersey
The first Miracle League® organization in New Jersey was started in Mercer County in the fall of 2005. The construction of a field resulted from a partnership between the Hamilton/Washington Townships Sunrise Rotary and the Hamilton Area YMCA. The Rotary started the development process in 2003, following the blueprint laid out by the national organization. The YMCA provided the land and runs the league out of its Special Kids Organized Recreation program. Most of the necessary funds were raised by the Rotary in a year-long campaign with additional support from in-kind donations from contractors. In its first season, the Miracle League® in Mercer County had 35 players, ages 5 to 21 years, and over 60 volunteers. Seasons run September through October and April through June, taking the summer off to avoid the dangers of playing in the heat.
Other communities have patterned their facilities on the Miracle League® field model. In Middlesex County, The Level Playing Fields, located in Edison’s Roosevelt Park, features a completely barrier-free sports complex designed for flag football, soccer, baseball and basketball. The facility is used by local Buddy Ball teams.
Strengths
Innovative Ideas
Implementation
Phase I
Phase II
Resources
www.miracleleague.com
At this site, you can learn about the national Miracle Leagues program and how to create an official Miracle League in your community, complete with the specialized baseball field
www.miracleleaguemercer.org
Information about the local Mercer county Miracle League chapter and specialized field
www.co.middlesex.nj.us/parksrecreation/roosevelt.asp
Directions to the level playing field in Middlesex County
Contacts
Miracle League® Association
1506 Klondike Road - Suite 105
Conyers, GA 30094
Email: diane@miracleleague.com
Office: (770) 760-1933
Fax: (770) 483-1223
The Miracle League of Mercer County
Hamilton Area YMCA
1315 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road
Hamilton, NJ 08619
Office: (609) 581-9622, ext. 1114
Fax: (609) 581-3837
Middlesex County Parks and Recreation
1030 River Road
Piscataway, NJ 08854
Phone: (732) 745-3900
Fax: (732) 745-7351
References
Little League. (n.d.). Little League Challenger Division. [Brochure]. Retrieved February 21, 2006 from www.littleleague.org/divisions/challenger.asp.
Ohio South Youth Soccer Association. (n.d.). Top Soccer – the Game for All Kids! Retrieved February 21 2006 from www.osysa.com/TopSoccer.html.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2004, May 19). HHS will launch new program supporting physical activity for children and youth with disabilities. [Press Release]. Washington, DC: HHS.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (n.d.). A Report of the Surgeon General: Physical Activity and Health: Persons with Disabilities. [Fact Sheet]. Washington, DC: HHS.
Walsh, D.C. (2003, September 10). For disabled kids, the field of their dreams: Middlesex County’s $5M sports facility earns rave reviews. The Star-Ledger, p. 21. Retrieved February 23, 2006 from Access World News.
