Miracle League Welcomes OU Baseball

Oct. 2, 2009

EDMOND, Okla. -- The Oklahoma baseball team made its annual trip to the Miracle League in Edmond on Oct. 1. The Sooners began team practices for the fall on Sept. 21 and have held several intra-squad scrimmages, but on Thursday evening they played in a different game with children from the Miracle League.

OU took the field at Mitch Park in Edmond as the children from each team, ranging in age from five to late teens, played all positions in the field and got their turn taking at-bats.

The Sooners have made the trip to Edmond every year since 2006 with some trips coming during the spring season.

"This is a day that we circle on our calendar every year," said OU Head Coach Sunny Golloway. "We have a good relationship with this organization and every time we come up here, it's an unforgettable experience. We always enjoy the chance to come up here and give back to the community for a worthwhile cause and look forward to continuing this tradition. These kind of opportunities are priorities for our program as we develop student-athletes on and off the field."

Click here to learn more about the Miracle League

The Miracle League, founded in 1997, is an organization that gives special-needs children an opportunity to play baseball.

Miracle Leagues across the country play in specialized complexes with rubberized fields. The complexes include custom-designed fields with cushioned rubberized turf fields that prevent injuries, wheelchair accessible dugouts and a completely flat surface that eliminates any barriers or obstacles for wheelchair bound or visually impaired athletes.

In 1998, the Rockdale Youth Baseball Association (RYBA) formed the Miracle League to further its mission of providing opportunities for all children to play baseball regardless of their ability. The disabled children in the community had expressed the desire to dress in uniforms, make plays in the field, and round the bases just like their healthy peers. The league began with 35 players on four teams.

There were no programs for the Miracle League to copy. It was decided that:
- Every player bats once each inning
- All players are safe on the bases
- Every player scores a run before the inning is over (last one up gets a home run)
- Community children and volunteers serve as `buddies' to assist the players
- Each team and each player wins every game

In its spring 1999 season, the Miracle League gained support and became a source of pride for all involved as participation grew to over 50 players. During that season, the magnitude of the need for such a program was recognized. It was learned that there are over 50,000 plus children in Metro Atlanta who are disabled to some degree that keeps them from participating in team sports. That is when the dream of building a unique baseball complex for these special children was conceived.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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