It started with one disabled child in Rockdale, Georgia … Back in 1997, a disabled child was invited to play in the Rockdale Youth Baseball Association (RYBA). The next year, after more children with disabilities wanted to play, the Miracle League was formed by the RYBA, “to further its mission of providing opportunities for all children to play baseball regardless of their ability.” There were four teams and 35 players. Since this was the first of its kind, the league came up with its own rules, including “every player bats once each inning,” “every player scores a run before the inning is over (last one up gets a home run)” and “each team and every player wins every game.” In addition, children in the community and volunteers served as “buddies,” helping each player as needed.
… built up steam with a complex devoted to Miracle League players … As the league became more popular, there was also a concern regarding the playing surface, since there are safety hazards for those using walkers or wheelchairs on a regular baseball field. So, in April of 2000, a new Miracle League complex opened. The field was flat and made with a rubberized surface (for injury prevention), and the dugouts were accessible for wheelchairs. The league continued to grow and started to get national media attention, and began to spread past Georgia. A few years ago, it was even inshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
… and now more than 80,000 children and young adults with disabilities play. Now, there are about 200 Miracle League organizations spread across the United States, including Puerto Rico. The league has a goal of more than 500 Miracle League fields (including internationally) and to serve about 1.3 million children. For those parents who have children with disabilities, this sounds like a great opportunity, especially for those who love baseball and haven’t been able to play. If you want to find out where the nearest league is — or even start your own — you can contact the National Miracle League office here.
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Photo by ratsinis via Flickr.