The Carolina Miracle League
“Every Child Deserves the Chance to Play Baseball”
If I were to tell you about an organized youth baseball league, You might call it ordinary.
If I were to tell you the athletes are physically and mentally challenged, You might call it touching.
If you were to see them play you would call it a Miracle!
The Carolina Miracle League provides organized recreational opportunities for children with disabilities through the sport of baseball. The CML serves children in Spartanburg, Cherokee and Union Counties in South Carolina and Polk and Rutherford Counties in North Carolina.
“The Miracle League” is a charitable organization that provides children with mental and/or physical challenges an opportunity to play baseball as a team member in an organized league. There is something about playing the game of baseball that lights up youngsters’ eyes, but for children facing mental and physical challenges, that opportunity can often be a difficult first step. The Miracle League gives these children the opportunity to get out in the sunshine and enjoy playing the game of baseball in its purest form.
Dylan can’t walk but that doesn’t stop him from rounding second base. Jennifer has Downs Syndrome, but the Miracle League has given her more self-esteem than her parents ever dreamed possible. Kaliegh can’t hear, but the cheers of his teammates have never been louder. The Miracle League gives hundreds of disabled children something few dreamed possible, the chance to play baseball. Yet in all their joy and triumph, there’s still one thing missing – the ability to play the sport like everyone else.
These kids needed a place to play, so a specially equipped field called the “Field of Dreams” was built in Atlanta, Georgia. This custom-designed venue incorporates a cushioned synthetic turf that accommodates wheelchairs and other walking assistance devices, while helping prevent injuries. In other words, it provides a level-playing field where physically and mentally challenged children can hit, run, and catch – just like the best of them.
During each Miracle League game, every child is given an opportunity to hit the ball and score a run. Miracle League team members are assigned “buddies” who assist them in hitting the ball and “running” the bases. Buddies can be fellow schoolmates, parents, college students, business leaders or anyone who wishes to volunteer his time to give a child the gift of baseball.
The Carolina Miracle League is a non-profit organization founded in 2001 to build a baseball diamond tailored to the special needs of children with disabilities. Miracle Park, located inside the Spartanburg County Parks and Recreation Department’s North Spartanburg Sports Complex on Old Furnace Road in Boiling Springs, features a ProTraxx playing surface that accommodates wheelchairs and walkers. Miracle Park serves children with disabilities in Spartanburg, Union and Cherokee Counties in South Carolina and Rutherford and Polk Counties in North Carolina. This project was funded in part by Spartanburg County Community and Economic Development Department through the use of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Community Development Block Grant Funds.
To become involved with the Carolina Miracle League and to learn more about the history of the CML, visit our website at www.carolinamiracleleague.com or call 864-579-1805. Donations may be made directly to the Spartanburg County Foundation for the Carolina Miracle League Development Fund, a 501 (c) (3) fund.
“Every child deserves the chance to play baseball.”
