eflecting on the past 10 years, Mike Sherry and his
wife, Chris, had no idea that their simple endeavor
of creating a baseball field for hundreds of kids and
adults with special needs to enjoy would inspire
others to build similar fields around Pittsburgh and
beyond.
For Sherry, of Cranberry Township, it was all about divine
intervention. “I tell people I ended up working in Birmingham,
Alabama, for no other reason than to find that Miracle League
field,” says the co-founder and president of the Miracle League of
Southwestern PA (MLSWPA).
The league in Birmingham is part of 240 Miracle Leagues
across the country, including Puerto Rico, and in Canada. First
founded in 2000 in Conyers, Georgia, the league serves children
and adults who suffer from physical or mental disabilities, and
eliminates barriers that keep them off the baseball field. Natural
grass fields used in conventional leagues are replaced with a
custom-designed, rubberized turf field that accommodates
wheelchairs and other assistive devices while helping to prevent
injuries.
In the early to mid-2000s, the couple and their son, Tanner, had
been living in Birmingham when they attended the opening of a
Miracle League field. After the birth of their daughter, Jordan, the
family moved back to Pittsburgh due to her developmental issues.
After Jordan’s autism diagnosis in 2007, the couple was inspired
to give back. “It all started because of my daughter,” explains
Sherry. “Around that time, I read about a teenager with special
needs who played baseball for the Cranberry Athletic Association.
His mother asked if there could be an exception to the rule—to
continue hitting the baseball off the tee instead of the coach
pitching the ball to him. I wondered how many kids were out there
who couldn’t play baseball because of the ‘exception to the rule.’”
Sherry’s revelation, in addition to the wonderful memory of
the league in Birmingham, motivated the family to create the
first Miracle League in the area. “The timing was great because
Cranberry Township was building Graham Park,” he notes.
“We just got in at the tail end of it. They understood the value of
inclusion—from Cranberry Township Manager Jerry Andree
to the township supervisors. They embraced it and, more
importantly, the community embraced it.”
“The success of the Miracle League program is a testament
to our community’s culture of collaboration and service,” says
Andree. “It demonstrates that great things can happen when good
people come together and focus on the greater good. Cranberry
Township is ho nored to be the home of the MLSWPA.”
Other contributors to the Pirates Charities Miracle League Field
at Graham Park, which opened in 2009, included the community
and local businesses. Together, the Pittsburgh Pirates Charities
and former Pirate second baseman Freddy Sanchez also donated
$200,000 to the field. “Landing the Pirates was huge and just
fantastic. It started the ball rolling for other Miracle Leagues in
Murrysville, Upper St. Clair and Moon to start popping up,” says
Sherry.
There were challenges along the way. “In the beginning there
were detractors who thought the real estate was too valuable for
a Miracle League field to be built,” explains Sherry. “We just kept
the faith and took it one day at a time. We are surrounded by so
many fantastic, dedicated, passionate people who want to help
continue our mission of giving children and adults a chance to
play baseball.”
R
Since its opening, many “miracles” have taken place on the
field. Jack Roberts, 15, has been a player since 2010. His dad, and
MLSWPA board member, Fred Roberts says, “Our son is thrilled
by his team’s cheering and proud when he hits the ball into right
field and runs the bases. Along the way, he has learned the game
and can relate, especially when watching the Pittsburgh Pirates,
because he is a baseball player too.”
But you don’t have to be a baseball star to belong. A new
adapted playground donated by the Cranberry Community
Chest in 2016 is one of the field’s other attractions. “We invite
all children and adults with all types of abilities to come out and
enjoy the game of baseball and be part of it,” adds Sherry.
Not only do the players flourish, but also the high school kids
who volunteer to mentor the players through the league’s Buddy
Program. “More than 80 percent of our buddies are high school
kids and they are fantastic,” says Sherry. “We’ve had parents tell
us that because of their kid’s involvement, they want to go into
special education, which is very rewarding to hear.”
An event to celebrate the Miracle League’s 10th anniversary
is being planned for July 26-29, 2018. “We’re excited to host
our first-ever All-Star Baseball Game that will include all of the
Miracle Leagues that Pirates Charities support—about seven of
them from western PA, West Virginia and Bradenton, Florida.
Although she doesn’t play baseball, Jordan, now 13, has a lot of
fun running around and being social at the league’s games. “The
positive ripple effect of a little girl being diagnosed with autism
suddenly has created a wave of new life for a lot of people,” says
Sherry. “Hopefully someday she will realize what was done in
her name.” ■
MIRACLE LEAGUE OF SOUTHWESTERN PA TO HOST
FIRST ALL-STAR BASEBALL GAME
The Miracle League of Southwestern PA, along with Butler County Tourism and
Cranberry Township, will be hosting the first All-Star baseball game at Graham
Park in Cranberry Township, July 26-29, 2018. The game is open to the public
and will take place at the Pirates Charities Miracle League Field. Exhibition games
will occur during the day, leading up to the evening All-Star Game. Various
activities will be taking place over the course of the weekend to enhance the
overall experience for the kids.
Several Miracle League teams throughout the region and from Bradenton,
Florida (the home of Pittsburgh Pirates spring training), will travel with their
families to Butler County to take part in a fun-filled weekend—all expenses paid.
The Miracle League is a national organization focused on building ballfields
accommodating to children and adults with special needs. The fields are uniquely
and specially designed with an all-weather rubberized surface that is handicap
accessible and equipped with covered dugouts. There are also no raised surfaces
to interfere with crutches, walkers or wheelchairs.
Teams will consist of players from each of the following seven Miracle Leagues:
Cranberry Township, Murrysville, Altoona, Indiana, South Hills, Wheeling, WV,
and Manasota, FL (a suburb of Bradenton). Each player is assigned a “buddy,”
who will assist the player in batting, running the bases and playing the field. The
Miracle League builds confidence and provides kids the opportunity to experience
the joy that comes from playing America’s favorite pastime.
“The county is very proud to offer a place where children can play baseball
regardless of their abilities. We are excited to be a part of the All-Star game and
look forward to raising awareness about the Miracle League of Southwestern PA,”
says Jack Cohen, President of the Butler County Tourism & Convention Bureau.
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