INPERSON
A Home Run for the
West Suburbs
New Miracle League field coming thanks to local collaboration.
BY KATHY RUDOLPH
N
ot many kids can say they were the
inspiration for a new baseball field. But
someday Luke Magulick, age 2½, will be
able to.
Luke, the son of Mike and Christina Magulick
of Moon Township, was diagnosed with 5p-
Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that affects only
50 to 60 births a year in the United States.
“When Luke was diagnosed, my wife and I
wanted to do something to help families of children
with special needs,” explains Mike Magulick. “It was
difficult to navigate. Should we write a book, or a
blog? Make videos? What would be the best way?”
The answer came while he was coaching for
The Miracle League of the South Hills in Upper
St. Clair, founded by Sean Casey, a former first
baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The first Miracle League was founded in 2000
in Conyers, Georgia, and has grown to include
more than 240 locations across the country,
including Puerto Rico and Canada. The league
serves children and adults who suffer from physical
or mental disabilities and eliminates barriers that
(L-R) Jack, Luke, Mike and Christina Magulick.
keep them off the baseball field, such as replacing
the natural grass fields used in conventional leagues
with a custom-designed, rubberized turf field that
accommodates wheelchairs and other assistive devices while
Magulicks to provide space for this facility, while maintaining the
helping to prevent injuries.
field space we currently have allotted for other sports programs in
“We saw all of the things that the league was able to do for
Moon. The development of this field will not only benefit Moon
everyone in the community,” says Magulick, who has been a
area children with handicap accessibility needs, but all children
Miracle League coach for five years.
in the surrounding communities. Needless to say, we are beyond
With locations in Cranberry, Upper St. Clair and Murrysville,
excited.”
there was a void in the west suburbs, making Moon Township an
With tentative plans to break ground next fall, the Miracle League
ideal choice for a Miracle League site. A board made up of family
field will be located at Endeavor Field in Moon Park on Ewing Road.
and friends was formed and the group received approval from
In addition to the field, the site will include an adaptive playground
the league’s national organization and from Moon Township.
with a space theme, adaptive restrooms, walking trails, a parking
With that, The Miracle League of Moon Township was born.
lot, pavilions and more. Along with baseball, future plans include
“‘Wow!’ was my first reaction to the possibility of Moon
offering other sports for athletes who have special needs, ages 8 and
Township being home to a Miracle League Field,” says Moon
up, in Moon and other municipalities. The site will also be available
Township Manager Dawn Lane. “Now that the possibility has
for the entire community to use.
turned into reality, we have a lot to do. The Board of Supervisors
“The most important thing we are trying to do is make sure
and staff are anxiously working through all the pieces with the
everyone comes and uses the campus once it’s up and running,” says
12 724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE | Carlynton-Montour