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August 2014 | Read this issue and more at www.healthandwellnessmagazine.net |
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The “Toyota
Bluegrass
Miracle League”
is specifically
designed for
children with
disabilities both
physical and
mental disabilities.
Sport Readiness for Children with Disabilities
By Dr. Tom Miller, Staff Writer
Clinicians are often looking
for options in referring children
with special needs for community
based programs able to meet their
needs. The “Toyota Bluegrass
Miracle League” is specifically
designed for children with disabilities both physical and mental
disabilities. The benefits of sports
participation for the disabled are
numerous. Sport activities provide
children with special needs with
valuable social interactions, both
with other disabled individuals, as
well as their nondisabled peers.
The American Academy of
Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on
Sports Medicine and Fitness supports such activity for children
with special needs and provides
specific criteria for their safe sports
participation. (The corresponding specialist should be consulted
before clearance is granted.) There
are more than 180 Miracle Leagues
across the country. The Miracle
League offers opportunities for
children with mental and/or physical challenges to engage in sport
activities that include baseball. The
organization designs and constructs
custom baseball fields that have a
rubberized turf to prevent injuries,
wheelchair-accessible dugouts and
a completely flat surface to eliminate barriers to wheelchair-bound
or visually-impaired children.
Accessible restrooms, a concession
stand, and picnic pavilion were
included in the design. Each player
bats once each inning so that all
batters are safe and can score a
run before the inning is over. Each
team and each player always wins.
Our local umpire describes this as
the only league where no one ever
gets mad at him or her. “Buddies”
assist Miracle League players. The
Miracle League believes that “Every
Child Deserves a Chance to Play
Baseball.”
Family physicians, pediatricians,
child psychologists, educators and
other health care professionals, as
experts in child development, provide help for parents and coaches
in determining readiness of a child
to participate in organized sports.
Readiness is often defined relative
to the demands of the sport. Sport
activity programs for children with
special needs should complement,
not replace, the regular physical
activity that is a part of free play,
child-organized games, recreational
sports, and physical education
programs in the schools. Regular
physical activity should be encouraged for all children regardless
of their level of participation in
organized sports activities. The
Miracle Leagues around the country are making a place for children
with special needs to enjoy sports
among their peers. Contact them
at http://www.bluegrassmiracleleague.org
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