Heartland Heroes
By Jon Armentrout
Angels in the Outfield Miracle League for Highlands County
When it comes to baseball in Central Fla, it is a big deal. Major League Baseball teams spend a couple months each spring preparing for their upcoming major league season. After the Major Leaguers make their trips to their respective Major League homes, the Minor League players stay in Florida to continue their dreams hoping that one day they will make the trip from Florida to Major League Baseball one day. There are many different organizations for our youth, ages 4-18. Some of these organizations for athletes looking for fun which include Dixie Youth/Boys Baseball, Cal Ripken Baseball and Little League. There are also travel leagues such as USSSA for the player who want to play baseball year round. Then there is one league that you never hear about unless you are involved in it, this is the Miracle League for Highlands County. The Miracle League for Highlands County is not your typical baseball league. This league “provides opportunities for individuals with cognitive and/or physi-
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LIVING
cal challenges to play Miracle League Baseball and participate in other recreational opportunities with a fun environment for the players to learn how to develop skills to play the game of baseball as independently as possible,” explained John Varady who is a board member of the league. The league is a non-competitive league and has players that range in age from 3-70. The typical recreational league has volunteers that are “coaches,” the Miracle League has Angels in the Outfield. Angels in the Outfield assist the players with whatever they may need while learning the game of baseball. It may range from helping them move into position to field a baseball or assisting with hitting a potential home run. These volunteers are the people that make this league possible. There have been players that when they started off that could only hit off of a tee, now they are hitting baseballs that are pitched to them. When first joining the league, some players had to have assistance from the
Angels to field baseballs, now some are able to do that and more on their own. The Angels also known as Buddies come out to help from many different places. The Buddies are very important to the players in the Miracle League. John Varady explained that “a lot of our buddies came out to help as part of a school group, church group and other service organizations.” It seems they have as much fun as the players do. John said that “a lot of the buddies when they first start don’t know a lot about working along side people with special needs, but when they are done they have learned